Adjusting
to America was easy. I instantly got an agent who paid for my working
papers and helped me get a green card. I started booking jobs in New
York, Miami and Chicago. It was in Miami that Playboy discovered me.
They were in the midst of their search for the 40th anniversary issue
Playmate, as well as shooting a pictorial on models who frequent Miami's
very hip modeling scene. While searching for models, they found a
composite of mine, and then proceeded to track me down. I was flattered
with what they offered me, but wasn't interested because I was a "fashion
model" and not a "nude model", so I thought. A few weeks later while
in Australia, again they called me to see if I wanted to reconsider.
After talking it over with all my family, friends, neighbors, and
even my mom, I decided what the hell... If Marilyn could do it 40
years earlier, then I wasn't in bad company. I thought I was going
to lose a lot of my catalogue clients, which I did, but I also gained
some new ones, so it about evened out. The cool thing with Playboy
was that I got to go to Russia, Taiwan, Croatia and The Czech Republic,
where I became the very first Playmate in the launch issues of all
of those countries. Back in Holland (The Netherlands) they crowned
me Playmate of the year. Unfortunately they're not giving cars away
over there, or 100 thousand cash for being the PMOY. Unfortunately
over here an Anniversary Playmate has never been PMOY as well. I was
hoping that maybe he would break that rule, but what the heck, can't
have it all. I continued on to do 2 layouts for Dutch Playboy, and
will have a third coming up in this september 2001 issue (will be
for sale in my store which is under renovation right now). For the
layout, I went to Brazil and walked naked (literally) in the streets
of Rio the Janeiro and Cococabana Beach. (Read all about it on the
members side.) Anyway, after I had my playmate layout in the American
issue, for some real stupid reason or being in a state of insanity
for a day, I cut my hair really short. I guess it was a knee jerk
reaction to seeing myself nude and not sure if I had done the right
thing or not. I thought I liked it (the short hair) for about 2 days...and
then I absolutely hated it. But what do you do? I felt so unsexy (not
a good feeling). The upside of all of this was that I booked a lot
of commercials and other good jobs, but it forced me to keep my hair
short. A lot of my fans wondered where I had been for 2 years. I "came
back" and started working a ton for Playboy, doing all the great promotions,
signings, launches etc as mentioned above. For my fans I started this
website, but also for me, so I could take a different direction; express
my creativity, be in control of my shoots and learn how to photograph
and build websites. Although it can be overwhelming at times doing
this and still working as a full time model and actress, I love the
fact that I've come to know many of my fans, and to know that I make
(most) everybody happy. I really try to act out most of the requests
I get and I think that the quantity and quality of the site shows
how much I care and want to please all of my members, and therefore
myself as well. As for the future, I'm a very optimistic person and
have lots of plans to continue eventually with the photography which
is still in its very beginning stages. I'm not anywhere close to where
I want to be but have tons and tons of great ideas of what to do for
when time allows me to spend more time on that. I think I know which
direction I want to go, so that's a start. In fashion you're made
to believe that you're "out" at age 24 when you haven't made it to
"Cindy Crawford" status yet. After age 24 and after Playboy it all
started for me.
