10 Famous Actors Who First Posed for Playboy

Before they lit up the silver screen, these 10 actors started their journey in the pages of Playboy, proving that sexy beginnings can lead to serious stardom.

Jenny McCarthy

Though she may be famed for her comedy chops and bad takes on vaccines, Jenny McCarthy appeared in the men’s magazine in October 1993.

Denise Crosby

‘Star Trek’ actress Denise Crosby, stripped down for the magazine in 1979. Her stint in the publication, she said, stemmed from her famous family, including her grandfather, Bing Crosby, a move she described as “some kind of rebellion on my part, some way of saying screw you to the family image.”

Marilyn Monroe

Though Marilyn Monroe may have appeared on the cover of the magazine’s inaugural issue, she didn’t actually pose for Hugh Hefner or any of his photographers. The media mogul purchased photos from a steamy shoot the actress had taken several years prior, neither paying her for her modeling skills nor asking for her consent to publish the photos.

Anna Nicole Smith

Before she served as a founding mother of reality TV and asked audiences if they “like [her] body?” Anna Nicole Smith started out as a model for the magazine in May 1992.

Sharon Stone

In 1990, Sharon Stone flexed her muscles for the men’s outlet around the release of “Total Recall.”

Bijou Phillips

Shortly after appearing in “Almost Famous,” the actress lent her modeling skills to the magazine, gracing the cover of the April 2000 issue.

Brigitte Nielsen

The ‘Rocky’ star is no stranger to the magazine, nabbing a cover in December 1987.

Jayne Mansfield

The old Hollywood icon helped put the magazine on the map, appearing alongside Bettie Page and Anita Ekberg in early issues throughout the 1950s.

Pamela Anderson

Though she may be “The Last Showgirl,” the ‘Baywatch’ babe first rose to fame following her 1990 appearance in the magazine. As of 2024, Anderson still holds the record for having the most covers.

Carmen Electra

Famed for her mid-aughts films – and her marriage to Dennis Rodman — Carmen Electra modeled for the magazine before hitting the big screen.