THE GOLDEN RABBIT: FROM Tenp to VP of International Home Video | ANDY SCHREIBER Shares His PLAYBOY Journey

In this engaging conversation, Andy Schreiber shares his journey from being a temp at Playboy to becoming the Vice President of International Home Entertainment. He discusses the innovative strategies he implemented, such as the After Dark brand, which significantly increased revenue. The conversation also highlights the recognition he received through the Golden Rabbit award and reflects on the unique and professional work environment at Playboy, emphasizing the pride employees felt in their roles. In this engaging conversation, the speaker reflects on their experiences within the Playboy brand, discussing the glamour and challenges of working in promotions, the legacy of Hugh Hefner, and the importance of kindness and philanthropy. They share personal anecdotes about their time at Playboy, the relationships formed, and the lessons learned, emphasizing the significance of reinvention and the impact of Hefner's vision on their lives and careers.

Takeaways 

·       Andy Schreiber started at Playboy as a temp in 1991.

·       He innovated the After Dark brand to increase revenue.

·       The Playboy library was a valuable resource for new content.

·       The Golden Rabbit award recognized extraordinary contributions.

·       Playboy was a professional and open-minded work environment.

·       Employees felt pride in their work at Playboy.

·       The entertainment industry has evolved significantly since the 90s.

·       Networking and relationships were key to success at Playboy.

·       The company invested heavily in production quality.

·       Recognition and awards motivated employees to excel. 

·       Building relationships was key to success in promotions.

·       Hugh Hefner was a gentleman and a visionary.

·       Playmates often had long careers beyond their initial shoots.

·       Reinvention is possible at any stage of life.

·       Personal stories can reveal deeper insights into the industry.

·       Philanthropy was a significant part of Hefner's legacy.

·       The importance of kindness in professional settings.

·       Networking and being good to others pays off.

·       Creativity often flo

Chapters

• 0:00 The Journey Begins: From Temp to Playboy
• 0:00 Innovating at Playboy: The After Dark Strategy
• 0:00 The Golden Rabbit: Recognition and Achievements
• 0:00 A Unique Work Environment: Pride and Professionalism
• 0:00 Navigating the Playboy Experience 48
• 0:00 48:03 The Glamour and Challenges of Promotions
• 0:00 Reinventing Oneself: Life After Playboy
• 0:00 Hugh Hefner: A Legacy of Kindness and Philanthropy

Transcript

0:00

you I'm sick of people asking what is what's that Bob? I was in Ireland I wanted to turn into a shamrock, but I never got around to it Okay, so they go back and do that or turn it into more than maybe these rabbits Strictly photo shoot shoes. I do not walk in them. Yeah, I know I was telling him. Yeah, yeah, I don't know how any women do it. They were a gift and it came in handy for photo shoots, but cannot walk in Sure, they're great looking, but. they're Christian Louboutin. However, you cannot walk in them. No, that's completely impractical. Beautiful but anyway, okay. All right, so I just start with the intro and then we'll just go into questions. Okay, just a free flow conversation. All sure. Yeah I've done a lot of podcasts. So how are you? Yeah, okay this mic's not from getting mumbled by my water No Okay. All right, three two One don't do the clap like Eric did yesterday because sometimes you're looking directly there so when you do that should I do that too? Yeah both cameras are capturing all of us. So like when you're talking directly at the audience should I like look like yeah if you want to yeah yeah okay all right let's go. All right, everybody, welcome back to the show. We've got Miss Carrie Stevens filling in as a co-host again. And we are coming today with a really great interview and somebody I've been really looking forward to interviewing for a while. We've been talking since we first started the podcast. So yeah. So Andy Schreiber was with Playboy Entertainment from 1991 to 2001. made his way up to vice president of international helm entertainment but I loved when you told me that he started at Playboy as a temp I did. And I had no idea so. year was this? That was in 91. I had been working in ad sales for radio and television syndicated programs and I got laid off early in 2000, sorry, 1991, working for a show that our biggest advertiser was the US Army. And when the Iraq War, the first Iraq War happened, I had to learn the hard way that when there's any kind of a war like that, the armed services stop advertising. Do they yeah because it's considered, you know bad taste advertising. Yeah so we had this big show the most expensive show that this company had produced and like 50 % of the ads were for the army and a month before the show the The war broke out and they pulled out So half the reference was gone. I got laid off. I was like, what am I going to do? I'm depressed. I went through this whole thing and somebody said, you know, just get any kind of work. You know, it'll, it'll be good for you and, know, put it out in the universe that you're available kind of thing. So I was just really good. I was always a good typist. You know, I learned typing in high school, like one of the few boys who took typing best class I ever took in high school. agree with that. Dad made me do it. Yeah, anybody. teach that anymore. They should teach thumbing. They teach thumbing, but touch typing, most useful skill, more than algebra, geometry, anything, touch typing, the best. I was great at, at that time it was Lotus, not Excel, spreadsheets, I was good at all that stuff. I said, I'm just gonna go work as a temp. least that way it'll be flexible if I wanna go on job interviews for another real job, et cetera. So I signed up with a temp agency. And I remember getting a call one morning, like a week or so after I had done the interview and tests and all that. I a call at like eight in the morning and it said it was, okay, was the name? The Elaine Revelle temp agency. I know how I remember that. They said would you have a moral issue working for Playboy? Oh my gosh in 1991 in 1991 and I said no Morals were already out the window They said well we had somebody lined up to take this Tent assignment at Playboy and she called us this morning and said that she decided she's not comfortable morally said I am I'll do it. Can you be there in an hour? At the time I was living, you know, not far from the offices I said sure so I showed up an hour later at Playboy in the international TV and video Department they needed somebody just helping like filing and coordinating stuff and organizing And I was there for like a week. I thought, is really fun here. People are really nice. I like the whole environment. And I went to the woman who was VP of that area. And I said, and I brought my resume. said, look, I have a pretty good resume. I have been around for a while. I would love to come work here, like permanently. And it took about six months of negotiating and all that. But eventually I got a job as a I forget what the level was, but sort of an assistant sales. I loved it. It was great. It was such a nice environment. They hired me. was making like 40 % less than I had been making before. It was international TV and home video. So Tony Len. Yeah, under Tony Len. Well, Barry was domestic. So at the time it was Suzanne Barron. I didn't do MITCOM because I by the time I got into more sales I was strictly I watched playboy TV Latin American Brazil and yeah I didn't do the TV side so much yeah I don't know I don't think we traveled together because I was doing the video and film markets not the TV market so I've got a canned film festival I'd go to me fed go to know it would go to nappy sometimes but you know remember they put us all in matching costumes like 12 or 15 of us I have a picture I'm almost certain you're in this picture that was They did a whole thing at VSVA with I don't know how many playmates, 40 maybe? All in matching costumes. in a lavender velvet outfit? Yes. my gosh. I remember that year. We were standing there and there was a fan of Echoes standing outside the crowd yelling, Echo, Echo Johnson! Really? I brought my young my sister and brother-in-law to one of those big wet and wild parties of my my brother-in-law thought this was like the best this was like his yeah Celebrity showed up I remember seeing who was it? There was so yeah lot of celebrities and Victoria Fuller we did stand on the surfboard I was on the surfboard with Tawny cable and Pia Reyes And then Pia was in the pool and she had stuffed her bra I was on one of the water slides at the park with Pia And we were gonna be going down together and Pia had her like stuffing. said, can you, so she took them out because she knew that in the water slide they would pop out. Right. She said, would you mind stuffing them into your shorts? Stuffing them into your shorts. I had these, I had Pia's too. And didn't slide out. they stayed. The things you would have to do for the playmates. I kind of donned down, you know, I kind of. like held them like this so they wouldn't. And then when we got to the bottom, know, because it dumps you into the pool, I had to like put my arms around Pia to like shield her while she stuffed him back in. That is so funny I love that you were there and you remember that we were just talking about that recently I love P I work with P a lot. She was great. Yeah, she was super fun. She's a Yeah, and Tony too. haven't heard from her for a while. We used to chat on social media. So VSD, I'm so glad that you brought that up because Corina and I we couldn't think of the name of the convention We were just talking about it a couple weeks ago. Video software, dealers. Yeah, we knew it was like a video convention. Yeah. Yeah, well that seems to exist when you know because that was that was for like independent video store owners You know retailers. Okay, like the rental stores was it like If I'm remembering correctly, it was places like 7-eleven like different stores Yeah, but even more like mom-and-pop video rental shops back in the days Blockbuster right yeah, I mean blockbuster those people would have big presences there But it was what it was really for was the software deal like the retailers the small ones because they used to be you know in the 90s There were thousands and thousands of little video, you know corner video stores where you go rent your VHS tapes that I have to do to throw back DVDs. I had my transfer to DVD and that's obsolete. Now I to take the DVDs and Just putting on a little extra hard drive. So how long were you at Playboy until they offered you a position and what did that look like? And I really want to talk about Tony Lynn because he was so near and dear to all of us. We loved Tony. Incredible man to be able to work with him. He was he was wonderful It took about six months to get this kind of junior sales position. Okay, and then I just kind of climbed my way up and after about I Don't know the beach shift happened in 1993 after I'd been there two years. Mm-hmm. So I was working closely with Suzanne who was head of international, at that time, when they first hired me, she was TV and video, but that was growing. So they hired somebody else to handle the international TV, and then Suzanne was just video. She was VP of. And every year, Christie, we would do the annual kind of budget forecast, right? So Christie would say, okay, you did, I don't know, pick a number, $2 million in business last year. This year you have to increase that by 15%. So you need to do, you know, 200, 2 million, 300,000, whatever. So Christie had come to us and said, this is your number. You have to meet next year. And Susanna and I sat down and we looked at what was available to us. Cause at the time we were just selling. the Playmate videos. Okay. You know, the Playmate calendar and the Playmate of the Year video. So it's pretty limited. Yeah, would be like 10 or 12 videos a year. Yeah. know, a couple of like sex guide kind of videos, whatever, some fantasy kind of videos. So there are only so many countries and only so many videos a year that, you know, so we looked at and said there's no way to meet this number. Right. So we, you know, certain countries ban the material. Yes. Yeah. I remember that there were like a lot of, you know, more, first of all, any religious, go to Ireland quite a bit. It's my second home and nobody there knows who I am basically because Playboy was banned there. was in Ireland. was banned until 1998. A few people recognize me once in a while because of the internet, but they never had the June 97 issue there. Yeah. Yeah. No, I when we started, you know, some Latin American markets were just opening up, some Asian markets were just opening up, some Eastern European markets were just opening up. So we figured it, you know, there's no way to make these numbers with. So Suzanne said, you know, go figure it out. And. There was at the time a pretty considerable library of older material. That's what I was going to say, the library must like was there just waiting for somebody to get into it. That's what we did. I got a catalog of what's in the library and I was able to find, you know, like four or five really junky old movies and some, you know, some old television stuff. And then there was some short form programming. Like there were three, I remember three pilots, half hour pilots of shows that never got picked up but were produced. And there was a lot of like short. 8 to 12 minute videos that had been shot for one reason or another for television, right? So I was able to put together between some of the old movies that were awful and making like making a video of eight or 10 of these short videos, or I made one like a 90 minute movie out of the three pilots. And I said, let's take these as a collection of 10 and let's take it to the foreign markets and sell it with a different label. And one of the brands that Playboy owned was called After Dark. okay. So they owned it. So we own the name After Dark. a problem with putting the actual word Playboy in the Redhead logo? Yes. Okay. So to get around that, kind of like Playboy never calls any of their TV shows, Centerfold such and such right the girl next door Holly's world anything but something with the word with me or centerfold it is it? Well, there's that but then there was there was also the issue that you know we had know licensees in different countries who were exclusive they have the exclusive rights to the playboy brand for video right so if we wanted to sell to another company it couldn't have the playboy brand on it the name because that would violate our exclusivity so we said we'll call it after dark And even those companies that don't get to use the Playboy thing, it'll be prestigious for them to be associated with the Playboy company. Maybe they want to think, maybe if we do this brand for a couple of years, then we can have a shot at getting the Playboy brand. And did it have trademark after dark because of his TV show, Playboy After Dark? I don't know, you know, like the order of what came first, but after dark was trademarked. that's a good question. I wonder that would make sense. Yeah. I don't know. So we went to Tony. Because I had done all the research, said, you know, this is going to cost some money to fix this stuff up. There's some music licenses that have to be cleared or replaced. There's some editing. So I worked with people in production department to figure out it was going to cost$80,000 to fix this stuff up to make it sellable, plus, you know, other costs to market it. So we took it to Tony and said, you know, Christie wants us to make this, you know, this much of an increase. and this is the only way to do it. So I want to just interrupt you right there. So for our audience, Tony Lin, tell a little bit. OK, Tony Lin, he was the president of the entertainment division at the time. A big position and a big department that brought in a ton of revenue. More revenue than any other part of the company, like the majority of revenue. And Tony was a brilliant guy who had been in television, primarily television licensing for years, and the smartest man I've ever known. Agreed. Just as smart as could be. And a real visionary. He's the one who made Playboy TV what it was. Playboy TV was not successful, really, before Tony took over. Period. So Suzanne and I took this idea to Tony. He got it right away. And we said, it's going to cost about $80,000 to fix this stuff up. And he said, got it. Here's what you do. Go ahead, spend the $80,000, and go to MeFed, which was, at the time, it was a big film and video sales convention in Milan, Italy. And it was only at that point, like, we're talking like, probably in July or August, so it's coming up soon. So he says, go to MeFed and sell it. I said, okay. So we did the work, we got it all put together, we branded it, we created art materials for it. And Suzanne and I went to Milan, we were late to the party, so there were very few. exhibit spaces even left open. So they put us with all the porn. We were in this tiny little, practically a storage closet. But we went there and that first year we brought in little over a million dollars. in revenue on the $80,000 investment plus the cost of sending the Susannini to Italy. So that the heads, the beginning of that whole department and what the massive success that changed. That changed everything. Cause what happened was the next year, now we, now we had created a situation that, okay, so we, you know, we increased the, the, our revenue for our division, our department, by well more than the amount that Christy had asked. So now the next year we had to increase it above and beyond that. Yeah, for sure. It's like, oh God, what are we going to do? So we went back to the well and I was able to come up with six more titles, but we needed 10. So we went to Tony and that was kind of the start of them producing these kind of$300,000 movies that they would with co-production. It was called a scene movie back then. Yeah. Like soft core. Very soft core. Right. Just like a lot of love scenes, a lot of nudity. Right. Like every other scene there was some nudity but you didn't see actual penetration. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. They scene movies back then. So they would do it with... I know because I auditioned for a lot and was actually in a couple of them. Which ones you were in? Yes, well there were several we have to look at my IMTB But the only one I ever got nude in was Sins of Desire That was actually Right before I was a Plame and then I almost lost Because I had done it. It made an exception because it was for a Playboy movie. So yeah, I know I've been in quite a few of those but after that I refused to pop the top. I didn't realize that they were actually producing movies. Well, if they were co-productions. Wasn't it Alta Loma? the same company. they had play way out of production offices. I think it was at the Beverly Hills one there was a chance that there was offices downstairs in the elevator you could press all the time. Somehow I figured out one day because I had worked for them that they are all part of the scene. Not so many people knew that half, I mean everyone knows he had a big interest in films, I everyone in the closed circle. But I think even a lot of playmates that were in the closed circle didn't know that they were actually producing films as well. and a lot of them It's a thing that playmates weren't really involved in or asked to. no, not so much. Because we had our casting agency there, know, Playmate Productions had our Playboy offices who was basically our modeling agency and books and stuff like that. But they never gave us auditions for those films. these were mostly co-production. So a guy named Mark Bruder and a guy named Mark Greenberg both had production companies. And they would actually do their production as a co-production with Playboy. And they would go on the channel. And then those first four that first second year that we were doing this those first four became Excuse me and did trickle is video have anything to do with this trickle is who trickle us trickle us They did like the playmaker. Yeah, that was a whole separate thing. So these First four rounded out our second, you know slate for the next year And then after that there was nothing left in the library. So then it became ten brand new Movies a year a year. Yeah that we would that we would sell so that changed our whole business from I'm sure they can and you know, they remember the that I was in, it was nowhere to be seen except embarrassing little clips. Yeah, people would put up with me online. Yeah, surely they would have. But Tony Roberts starred in it and as soon as she passed away all of sudden it was available, you know, on Showtime and all that. well those, because there were two levels. The ones that we started with were like $300,000 movies, right? And then after that, then they started producing like $1.2 million movies that had, those are the ones that would have, yeah. These days that's a pretty big budget. Yeah. Well, yeah. We didn't have digital then. And those days they, and for those movies, they would get a couple of names, usually like older actors or maybe TV actors whose careers weren't going that well. Andrew Stevens and Shanna Tweed. Those kind of people and Corbin Bernsen I remember and George Hamilton and I don't remember all the people but they wouldn't do the nudity. Fairchild. I don't remember if Morgan Fairchild was in any of them but it just changed our whole business model. Yeah. So that's, we were talking earlier before this about the golden rabbit. That's what I wanted the golden rabbit for, was for coming up with that. okay. Well that makes sense. the golden rabbit. And he does have a statue. I do, and I thought about bringing it, but I'll send you a picture. It's really... Beautiful it's about so big and it's brass and it weighs So this is something that started so there was it was there actually an awards presentation. Yes. Yes No, it was a much smaller kind of a thing But it started I think in 92 or 93 I won in the second year that they were doing it But they didn't have like a category like that. It was awarded to people throughout the company, all divisions, who made like an extraordinary contribution that year. Achievement to film we'll just give you that away. We're gonna give you the honorary achievement to film. so you've got a you've got a prize it was $5,000 which was a lot of money You get this beautiful statue thing I don't know what you call it I was telling Echo, if you remember in the Chicago office in the lobby, there was that big metal bunny head sculpture. It was really cool, sort of a modernized brushed metal. Interpretation of the bunny anyway, it's a it's a miniature version of that against a brass kind of a heavy plaque so you get the $5,000 the plaque thing and You'd go to Chicago and have an award ceremony just at a dinner with Christie That was a big it was a big deal. So you really like I mean timing is everything and when you got in to your temp position at Playboy, like who knew that they were going to create this whole department and it's like, that's so awesome that you were there at that time. My timing was great. I watched that and be a part of that. And obviously your talent was appreciated. Yeah, of course. acknowledged. You know, it was out of panic because what are we gonna do? Kristi wants this much more money and we can't produce it without some crazy new idea. You know, let's talk about that. because as I shared with you, we learned a lot from Michael Lee that no expense was ever spared. To achieve the desired result, whether that was, and also the photographers have shared that with us as well. The amount of money and time that went into just creating your centerfold, like people would not even know. But then it parlayed into the corporate side and all the different divisions. And it's like, it didn't matter. the absolute best whatever you need get it and make it happen. It was such a different time I remember because Michael Lee which would tell me yeah what he had spent just to create a centerfold for the props of the setup and all that and it was an outrageous amount money. Yeah. But the same applied to our travel and entertainment like the year that You and Jennifer Leroy came to Cannes, which was the year that Heff came. was the first time Heff had been to the Cannes Film Festival in 30 years or something crazy. And it was a big deal. And so my assistant at the time, who's remained a really good friend. Olenka. Olenka. Olenka. She is wonderful. Olenka is a doll. I adore Olenka. We still chat on Facebook. She just always goes out of her way to be so She's the best. She's a sweetheart. She's always been cheerful and helpful. well, like as one of my dear, friends. it's not fake. She's just that No, that's just, that's who she is. She because you know she and I at the time were the ones who would go to the Cannes Film Festival because everybody else was going to MIPCOM and MIPTV. No. No. I interacted with her a lot. Yeah. She was. No, she worked just with me in international. Well, yeah, like the Cannes Film Festival. mean, that's a perfect like point, you know, and like I went to several of those and I did a lot of international events. Yeah. Because I made it a point to know the right people and who was who and the departments and every time I was you know in LA and make sure I go and see them and ultimately end up working a lot and yeah I mean we were always flown business class and check into a very nice hotel and unlimited very much like staying at the mansion whatever you wanted. Playboy employees back then all had business and they would send limos for me and take me out to dinner. and no expense. One day at the end that... Yeah, eventually that all changed. And there's not companies that I imagine had ever even operated like that. I don't know unless top companies with their top employees. Well, sure, like high level execs, they kind of did this just across the board. don't remember, but there was a dedicated travel agent inside the company. He was a company employee. don't remember his name. can picture him and can picture his desk. So if you had a trip coming, you'd go to him and to book it. remember this vaguely because I remember when... Jamie Bergman and I were sent to Mythocon McCann, which is the TV version of the film festival. I was already a well-seasoned traveler, I knew the most practical way to get there. But they wouldn't let us fly to France and change planes because they were so afraid that we wouldn't figure it The airport in Paris is crazy. And they were afraid that we wouldn't be able to figure it out today. to New York first so we could like fly through New York so we didn't have to make any transfers from Paris. The travel agent there was afraid, I guess other claimants got lost and couldn't figure out to reach French. we had to travel and get a long way. But they used to book us full fare. They weren't like looking for special tickets. remember in those days, the round trip business class would be like $8,000 to It was crazy. then we'd spend like $600 at night at hotels, like at the top places. at Cannes that year, Hef wanted to stay on a yacht, so Olenka had to figure out how to rent a yacht for the two weeks. And then he was only there for like five days. I was- A yacht for two weeks and he was there for five days, wow. and so Tony and Dick was heading on up staying on the yacht. I one year and stayed on the yacht with Tony and- That was that year. Was it that year? It had to have been because it was only year that there was a yacht. That was the only year that Huff came. okay. That's year that I sent you those great pictures. good. That was so funny. That was in the early part of when you were a plennate. 1997. Somewhere 96 97 somewhere in there. Is that the year that he brought the girls next door to Cannes? No. No. was still. Maybe it wasn't for the film. Yeah, he did go another Maybe he went another time. One other time after. Okay, that's later though. Yeah, that's later. But yeah, so Olenka had to deal with all that. And then, you know, if we were going to dinner like at a fancy restaurant out of town, we would. Hire a car for the night that would come pick us up at the hotel Take us to the restaurant and wait for us and then take us if we wanted to go somewhere else for a drink afterwards take us there and wait for us there and just we just Have them, you know send that tack that bill on to the hotel Just signed for these outrageous $20,000 hotel bills. Bring it back to Tony. Tony would sign off. How many years was Tony out? He came not long after I did, actually. I came a little bit before that. So he came in 92 and he left a little before I did because he left in probably... Okay. Well that's when the company really was starting to change. Yeah. And then Jim English took over and he axed a whole bunch of that was at his doing. Well, think so. Well, obviously it came down from like, yeah. from wherever. But I remember he was in charge of the whole division when in late 2000, there was like a massive amount of layoffs. I was asked, I was in that round, and I was asked to stay through American Film Market, which was in like February or March or something. everybody's fired, can you stay till March? I think. It was like, So I think it's funny how you started with the temp agency and they asked you about if you have like a moral issue with it because yesterday we found out when talking to Eric and Farrell that a good portion of like Playboy, I don't know if it was Playboy TV or Playboy Entertainment, but there was like a lot of employees that felt like, like that was like their last stop and it was like a downgrade that they were like producing. Yeah, and that shocked me and I was like wait really and yeah, it shocked me too I think I never dawned on me that anyone wouldn't be proud to be working I was so to work. It was a great company. on the sidewalk for you want to be a movie star. It's like you know, there's always something I thought it was great. Yeah, I thought was an absolutely great place to work. I was very proud to work there was What people don't understand maybe is that it was incredibly professional. Right, absolutely. Very professionally run company. Very open and positive environment. I remember people used to ask me that, you know, they would say, thought you were gay. You work at Playboy? was like... You're like, yes and yes. Yes and yes. And it was the most gay positive company imaginable. The most open-minded... Unbelievable. something that people don't give half a bit of credit for. But if you really look at the history of everything that he's done to pave the way, not just for black people and women, but for gays, I Yes, it was the LG G2 LGBT Yeah, that's really what he stood for he was ahead of his time absolutely very very open And was a great environment great environment. I love you know and he refused to Conform and be socially correct. Yeah. that's when you asked me any show with big entities. Yeah. And if every show echo asks her guests to describe, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, ask me to don't ask me to do so we're gonna ask I need a week to prepare they're all in my head but I love so you just I mean and I mean what a fundamental foundation for you then to go because you went on and established your own company after this right within that sort of yeah I stayed in that arena for quite a while worked for myself for a while representing independent producers and then at one point I got an incredible job for a company based in England. They relocated me to England for two and a half years and it was my second favorite job after Playboy. Playboy was fabulous. was fantastic. It was actually fantastic to live in Europe for a couple years. Yeah, definitely. That was wonderful. And yeah, I got an incredible they still have a Playboy club in London? I don't think so. They did for a long time. years back now, but the last time I was there in London, they actually did have one. Like I said, it was about eight years ago. Yeah, but I don't think that's there anymore. you know, one of the things, little sidetrack I took while I was at Playboy, they made me for a while a... a new position, I'm trying to remember exactly, was VP of inter-cross-divisional marketing, something like that. So projects that were, that involved all three divisions, know, publishing, television, or know, entertainment and licensing. And the big project that I wound up handling at that point. was the big nightmare project. Dun-dun-dun-dun, ready? With all due respect. With all due respect. we spoke about this yesterday too. Yeah. There was a big project for Farrah Fawcett when she came and was going to do a Spread in the magazine. We've been sorry this just came up And I was talking about how wonderful it was to go to the playboy offices It was always so exciting and welcoming and what I might stop by just to like pick up some pictures or something and I walk in and there's Farrah Fawcett and I was like You know because I would I watched her on Charlie's Angels growing up. Yeah She didn't say hello to me, but still I was So tell us about this because you you worked on I work you oversaw all of the I was overseeing yeah the press for her and what year was that issue that she did that big layout? I think it was 1998. That's what I was thinking. 1997. think was 98. A bit after I was around so it must have been. And the amount of money they had to spend on that. I mean, it kind of went endless because she didn't really give a fuck about the time. It was kind of just she was on want to hear all this gossip because I never even... Yeah, Carrie doesn't know anything about it. Well, so I had just done... I just coordinated the... Playboy Entertainment's first separate website, because there was still Playboy.com, but the entertainment division decided it wanted its own separate website. So I had led that and gotten that off the ground. said, we need to create a website just for this project. And I came up with the name, which I think about it now, it's like, were you thinking? It's so stupid. We called it Faradise. Faraday's like I love it. It's called Faraday's.com and we created that and did a whole website on it. So I became kind of the point of contact for Farah with the whole thing. And so I was on the phone with Farah all the time. She brought me a big box. Did I go to her house? forget if I brought, anyway, she gave me a big box of pictures, including all these childhood pictures, things that had never been published before. I got them all professionally scanned and put onto the website and all that. So she was... At one point she was calling me like five, six times a day. I got it. And she was going through, she was going through a lot in her personal life. I don't want to speak to it all because it would be like third hand gossip. And I don't want to do that. But she was going through a lot. I think we kind of spilled the beans yesterday. But yeah, she was. was definitely battling her own demons. We'll just say that. Yes. And somebody in her life who was a demon. I'm going to say his name. But... Rex has been? I'm not going to it. He's not going to say it. So she would calm me up like crying. And she'd talk about the argument she'd had with this person or the other person on the production. And she'd say, you're the only person I can talk to. Oh no, you were her ear. Was she arguing with everyone on set except you? Well, I wasn't on set. I was just like... He was coordinating everything in the background. So until at one point, she got upset with me. She thought I wasn't giving her pictures, but something. Who was the photographer? It was Steven Wada. It was gorgeous photograph with the gold paint and everything. Those beautiful Mylar posters which I should have saved because I had like a hundred of them and I should have saved a few and I didn't. It's pretty hard to argue with in my opinion. And then she just decided that I was the devil. She flipped the script on you. She flipped the script on me. at one point she... Oh, Andy. I had gone out to lunch or something and she apparently went into my office. Looking for you. Looking for me and looking for her pictures. so she found, you know, I had all of her pictures in a box in a folder. She took that. But then she was like going through my desk, apparently. And the security guard came and said, you know, what's going on here? And she closed the door. so Jeff, you have to come and get her like Farah. You know, you really need to get out of it. Yeah. And then she does stop talking to me because she thought you're you're whatever. I felt bad because she was just she was not. she locked you out of your office and went through your. Why didn't I was in the building? heard about all this stuff. Yeah, that's why. stuff and there was stuff missing but nothing like power bars kind of thing. You know fine, if Farrah wanted my power bar she could have my power bar. That's funny. I felt bad because she was messed up. Yeah she wasn't fine. She was bad a little lot. Yeah, how long was that project? mean wasn't it like a year? Close to a year Again, it's a long time to do a cover, small camera, and a video, and then the whole promotion tour. The promotional tour and the pay-per-view special. you had to be through the whole promotional tour from the beginning? I go on the whole promotional. My job kind of ended once all the production was done and all the marketing for it. Yeah, at which point then she became more Dick Rossetti's problem. Yeah, yeah, she kind of bopped around each person having to deal with her. Yeah, if talk to Dick, he'll have a lot to say too. I know, I'd love to have him on the show. That's funny. Dick is wonderful. I'm sure yeah Yeah, yeah, if you could get me in touch with him, that would be awesome I don't care at all because he had an imposter on Twitter which is now X I'm pretending to be really Yeah, I would would love to report. Well, I don't I haven't talked to him a while. I'll see Yeah, he's a sweetheart Jeff Jeff lives out the desert now. Does he? Yeah So yeah, I was was that so that was the year they were there too on the yacht because they were there Yeah, so it was that same year that I was Yes, yes, yeah, Jennifer was living in Milan at the time, right? she uh... rogues she or so so i want three times i think that you know are and i want richard that's next or I think that's after my time. Yeah. Yeah. So yeah, lots of those are the best international. Oh, those are the best trips. It's like I'm getting paid to go hang out on the yacht and just party and have a good time with the crew. Oh, dressing up, going out to incredible dinners. And we threw a party on the yacht. It used to give us, I remember I would throw two parties a year, the one at the film festival and one at American Film Market here in LA. And they gave me a budget of $40,000 for each party. Well... Who gives you a budget of $40,000 to throw a party? You don't. Nobody does that anymore, it's unheard of. Sounds like Playmates should have had a little shopping allowance. Well, if you were his girlfriend you did. That's a different job. That's an entirely different job. But $40,000 in 1996 would be like $60,000 Back the bunny suits, we just wore... Dresses sexy dresses. Yeah. Yeah, that's what I'm back. Yeah. Yeah Gosh, that's so why are those pictures I sent you from? You and Jennifer are just in beautiful dresses. Yeah Look the part Remember this when those pictures were taken it was so funny we were walking Well, they were they were sort of pretending to be So you're walking down the main make you buy it The main drag there in can is called the closet and know, shops and all that. So these guys come around, know, click click click, know, post-post-post, like they're paparazzi. And I was so excited, paparazzi! And you think, oh, you know, and then get a little, and then they hand you a card and said, you know, starting tomorrow at this address, you can buy the picture. So like, okay, yeah, whatever. But then the next day, Olenka and I were walking to work to the big convention hall called the Palais des Festivals where the, where the steps are with the red carpet. but that's also where the exhibit spaces are where you're having your, holding your meetings. So we're walking and we just happened to walk past. the little storefront where they were selling pictures. These fake paparazzi had taken them the day before. So we just said, let's go in and let's just see. And the pictures were great. They were great pictures. And I don't remember what they cost. wasn't a whole lot. I said, I'm buying these. These are great. Yeah, because I do have, so that one that you sent me, I don't know that I have a copy of that one, but I have a picture just of me. And I don't know if you bought that. I didn't show you but there's have another picture of just a link in me Yeah, yeah, Yeah, yeah. I remember that vividly. was just so much fun. We had the best time of those trips. Yeah. I think a lot of people assume that a centerfold just poses once, you know, and we only pose once and we're in this December or this... Right. And then that's it for us with Playboy, where in fact both of us spanned 20 or more years, like, for the company in this capacity. doing promotions and whether they were in person or more photo shoots and it's like if you were good to them they were good to you. Yeah. And you can be a career playmate. Everyone's always shocked when I tell them that I didn't just pose once and it didn't take one day. No, no, no. But yeah, was 20 years of fun. of work and as well as a family and social life. Well they ran that as a very professional modeling agency and you know for those of us who were running departments or that sort of thing who periodically we would have an event coming where it would be, it was part of sort of the presentation, the Playboy way to have a presence and you'd have some playmates there to be sort of brand ambassadors, right? And you learned really quickly that among the group of active playmates who were actively doing that kind of work, you learned who were you know, really good to work with. Who are, you reliable and okay. I know you've heard this, I'm almost embarrassed to use this phrase, but I'm sure you've heard it before a million times. We used to say that somebody would give good playmate. Oh, no, I've never heard that. I love that. Give good playmate, which meant that they were just really good at it. knew how to... It meant that you were a good hostess as well, you could... How do I say this? You would be... a good you can throw parties where you can introduce people to others and you can make real. You knew how to like navigate every situation. You had to show up looking comfortable, people feel welcome and set the tone of the party and have conversations. of that. was are you going to show up looking glamorous and you know and great and with a good attitude and a great attitude and be friendly and be able to converse with people and get that party started. You there were times when people, you know, you're doing business with sometimes people who, you know, at parties they're going to get drunk, they're going to be... I've heard some more stories like about other playmates and the way that they behaved at certain events. They were banned and never hired again. Oh, I can tell you stories about some playmates who got drunk. had to attend to, but... Even more importantly in a way, would get clients who would get out of hand. The worst thing I've ever seen is when there was a party at the mansion that a few of us were hired to host and for some reason it was an all-male party. I don't know where they come from, businessmen association or something, but it was all men there and they all jumped in the pool naked. And there was like, wow. Not the mansion. Yes. And not one female in sight. And like, James was the James was was our chef. And just a few other playmates, none of who were anywhere near the pool, just all these men went crazy and like jumped in and were swimming naked and going crazy under the waterfall. And like, I'm going, my God, if he looks out the window, he would have pitched. you don't do that that's not how you conduct yourself no no yeah they they ultimately did away with And that was towards the end of me was because there was two playmates that got drunk at a party and they started making out on a couch like in front of the clients drunk and after that we all got punished for it and we weren't allowed to drink at the parties anymore. I think one of them too was doing cartwheels in the lobby. didn't have panties on or something. Lacey was like not having them. Yeah, so. I remember there was one party, the party I was telling you about earlier. at the restaurant in Westwood, which was a big deal party. We had hired a fairly famous singer who had, Lainey Kazan, who had been the headliner at the Playboy Club in Century City for many years and actually ran the booking to where it was called Lainey's Room. She's a famous singer and actress and she came and sang a few songs and it was a big deal party. And we had, I don't know, five or six players. I thought you were there that night, maybe not. One of the one of the playmates was Victoria Silstadt What a sweetheart what a sweetheart she was Yes, say what she's She inspired me a lot because I was the she was Plainly the year the year before me so that the plenary the year issues always the June issue So since she was a playmate of the year in it I mean on the cover and I was the centerfold we got to do a lot of She could barely speak English at the time because she's Swedish. She's fluent in five languages now. she's just a ray of sunshine and she's so disarming and she's intimidating because she's so... She's six feet tall and feet blonde and gorgeous. Beautiful. She's a live Barbie She's unbelievable. Come to life unbelievable. But you know what? She helped me so much and inspired me because no matter where she went, she was smiling at everyone that was behind the desk. She brightened everyone's day. You couldn't be around her without smiling. So I learned from her. And then every time I showed up at a dentist appointment or a casting, wherever I was, I had Victoria in the back of my head and I smiled, you know, and she taught me to do that because you know what? When you smile, it doesn't matter how much they wanted to her because you know she's so perfect you know you love her because she's smiling and she makes you feel good. She's a genuine sweetheart. I learned that trick from her. So she's at this party and they also tell you you know as you know somebody who's hired playmates for your event that you're responsible to make sure that they're treated well by whoever. there she is at this party and it's before dinner and before the entertainment she's standing at the bar talking to this older gentleman And he's getting a little inappropriate. And he keeps kind of reaching over and putting his hands on her. And I see this and I look over it and I catch her eyes like, you need me to come? like, you know, she's like, I've got this. What she did, it was genius. She was so good. know, looked at her and he would be doing this and she never broke eye contact with him and never broke the smile. She's smiling and listening and she would just take his hand off of her while she's while she's talking and listening and he'd go and like it was never like really horrible yeah that's a class act yeah it's kind of like I always say you can get away with saying anything as long as you say it with a smile on your face so it's kind of the same theories but she's yeah it was just like okay everybody was always after Victoria and she's so nice that she's so sweet and so whenever guys would hit on her and I already go home with them. goes, Carrie won't let me. I'm like, great, now they're all going to hate me. She's so good. That's funny. She's so good. That'd be so cool. I love it. It was at that night that one of the other planewets got. completely shit face too. Shit-housed. A sweet girl. Don't get me wrong. Well, I'm just glad that... she didn't throw up on No, no, no, no. But I remember her saying, oh, gotta get to... My husband's gonna kill me. Her husband was an actor. He's gonna kill me. It's like, don't worry, we're gonna get you home. We're gonna get you taken care of. I'm so glad that we were there when it was like, I mean, I can't imagine doing the promotions without having, you know, a little glass of wine or something in your hand while you're, you know, mingling and doing whatever. And then it was like a hard no. And if you, if you did drink on a promotion, I remember like I did one in Austin and I hadn't done a promotion for you. years and they're like, you can't drink. I was like, wait, what? when? And then they filled me in and I was like, sour. were all, I don't think it lasted long. can't remember how long it lasted. Little, no drinking. Yeah, I eventually they realized that we were more fun if we had a feature. I actually found that back, not the other two out of control. I found a letter from Bill Farley. It was a reprimand to all the playmates after that happened because I literally have kept every single letter. and what not. And so I came across that recently and I shared it with Victoria Fuller because she brought it up and I was like, oh, I have that reprimand letter. something back. Yes, me and my fellow playmates, we've just been appalled by the behavior of some of these new girls. They are not up to par at all. know, 90 plus percent of the playmates I worked with were fantastic. Yeah, never experienced that or saw anything like that. girls were but we wouldn't say it out loud to embarrass them even if you did because everybody reforms, everyone makes mistakes and we have to pay for it by being sober for two years thanks a lot. love it. So what are you up to these days now? Well, for the last 10 years, I was building a couple of internet companies. A vitamin company and a coffee company and a company that makes little nut butter snacks. But I've stepped down from those roles now and I'm working on like what's next. I'm not even sure. I'm taking a little time off. and nothing wrong with that and it's weird talking before you come down how It's so interesting how you can always reinvent yourself throughout the decades of your life. And I it's important to step back and take some time off and let your creativity flow. For me, it's always been when I'm traveling, when I'm in another country, that I get my best creative ideas because I'm inspired by the culture and the art and just being out of my everyday environment. maybe take a trip, I'm getting up there in the years. only 70 in two years. Yes, which is just... But look, you're great shape. 50, I know. handsome, though. Age is just never... No, it's like I don't... That's why I stepped down after 10 years, building these companies and had a great time doing it, very successful at it. It's taxing. It's very taxing. And it's like, okay, I need to take a breath. I'm thinking about relocating possibly. to Europe. Set yourself somewhere inexpensive like Portugal then travel to Ireland. Once you're there you can easily get to so many other That's just it. I'm looking at Spain, I'm looking at the of France as a place to live. But exactly, if you live in any of those places, like I want to go for the weekend, I'll go to Paris for the weekend. It's an hour by plane kind of thing. Yeah, I'm down for that. definitely see my doing that later in life. have European passport now so I can move to Europe as easily as moving to Arizona. Let's see, do you want go to Gilbert, Arizona or do want to go to Spain? Right, so that's kind of where I am now. relaxation after building a company for 10 years stage. Well, rightfully so and well deserved, Andy. I'm so happy to see you. Thank you so much for coming on the show. totally. been... Totally my pleasure. It was great. I haven't seen you in years. I know. It's been a really long time. That's been my favorite part about this is just reconnecting with our Playboy family. And it was, it really was a family. It's hard. It was a friendly that Hef created, I keep saying this, like something bigger than himself. Yes. And we have all gotten to be a part of this micro universe that he created. And it's so special. feel so honored and special to be a part. I agree. And I think Hef set the tone for the whole company for that. that combination of professionalism and fun and open mindedness. way he treated people trickles down throughout the company. And I believe that's why I can only speak from experience as a playmate, I believe that's why we were so well respected and taken care of within the company and at the mansion and by the clients because those were half standards and it was understood Through the company it trickled down and everybody stepped up 100 % Yeah, and what people may not understand about half You know because there's an image of him and all that is half was such a gentleman Yes, gentlemen is a term that people always always saying that we always convey to us. He was such a gentleman and a person of integrity. Yes and a kind and professional. I didn't work with him a lot. I didn't know him well, but I certainly met with him I don't know how many times. And he was always just a pleasure. was kind of, first time it's kind of weird. And even though you know that this is what to expect, the first time I went to the mansion for a meeting with him would be in the dining room, big, dining room. And he comes in, you know, in the pajamas and bathrobe, know, silk robe. And that's like, okay, this is a little weird, but completely professional, know, completely, it makes you feel at ease and home and right to business. and just yeah I have got a bad right to say it as a man. away. If you wanted to work in his pajamas that's what he did. Fine. I think he's, it was just such an anomaly, there's anomaly am I saying the word right? Yes. He said he was just such a... Person who did things his way. Yeah, and he was ambitious But he also Was not conformist like he was gonna do it, but he was gonna do his way. Yeah kind and smart and professional and gentleman and and Controversial controversial but not for attention for integrity to stand by what he believed in That's why so many I know we have so much time now, but there's so much progression You know in so many different areas whether it was you know You know women like sex too, I mean like Yeah, it's okay to be who you are and you know, he was so before his time. Yes, and it was never sort of controversy for the sake of controversy or to be shocking or to be whatever it was to do what was right and to be open. Never as a manipulation and just to be doing what he objectification which is what a lot of people would say is like you girls were just objectified and it's like no that's not at He respected women. He absolutely respected women. and he didn't force us to do anything that we didn't want to do. If you want to get in the bed cool. If you did it cool. He was very respectful of women and as you said, there was a time when you didn't think that women had their own kind of agency. And that was not what he was about. was about women have every right to sexual agency as men. He was revolutionary in that way. Well, that's a perfect segue into then the two questions that we always end the show with. So three words that define Hugh Hefner to you. Gentlemen. Brilliant. Kind. All right second question had you had the opportunity to see or say anything to have before he passed what would you have said? I would have said Thank you for being a role model and for your Tremendous philanthropy. Yeah, the philanthropic endeavors were massive. I don't think people many people know that We wouldn't still have the Hollywood sign if it weren't for Oh, I love this. Okay, I'm listening to a bigger rocker chicken. So I'm listening to an audio book the other day by Alex Van Halen, is Eddie Van Halen's brother and the drummer for Van Halen. And he's going on in the book about how a group of Hollywood celebrities got together and saved the Hollywood sign, including Alice Cooper. I'm going, that's not true. I'm sorry. I had to I keep saying tweet, but it was X I had to write I'm like Alex Van Halen. You're that you're loving your book brothers. Yeah, I said but got to give credit where credit to do and I said actually the person who saved the Hollywood Sun was Hugh Hefner. He threw in 1978. He threw a charity where he invited a bunch of celebrities and he auctioned off each letter of the sign for $27,000 each and that's how he saved the Hollywood sign then again he saved it in 2010 when the land developers were coming along the sign was once again disintegrating and the land developers were just about to snatch up the land because they weren't able to raise enough money to save it they only needed nine hundred thousand more dollars they came to have heft through the final nine hundred thousand dollars and once again saved the Hollywood sign because he said it represents the Hollywood dream. And that is what Heff is and that's what he loved. That's why he loved all the movies and that's why I think, my God, I'm going to tear up. Yes, the Hollywood dream is still alive and I'm still living it thanks to Heff. We all are. I have nothing but admiration for Heff, truly. Wonderful. Well, thank you so much. Thank you. It was really fun. It lovely to see you. excited to share this with our audience. I'm looking forward to singing it myself. All right. Well, that's a wrap, y'all. We'll be back next week. Carrie is going to be filling in for several shows. So we've got some really good interviews lined up. If you are not already, please subscribe and like our YouTube channel, share, Also Carrie, what's your handle on them? I am Carrie Stevens X CA see a RRI e stv ens like kiss hug Playboy did this not me. I know it's cheesy, but they put an X at the end when they created my social media So on X and Instagram, that's who I am. If you go to Facebook my fan page, I'm just plain old Carrie Stevens on all of our social media handles. and my book. Yes. I have a book up. It's called Unrated Revelations of a Rock and Roll Centerfold by Kerry Stevens and you can find this on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, anywhere books are sold or go to my website KerryStevens.com and you can get a signed copy there. Alright. That's a wrap! Thanks for listening. Yay! Thanks for watching. Great conversation Andy. That was really good. I'm so happy.