|
Charlotte Kemp Interview
(Miss December 1982)
She’s been a model, a skier, an actress, a businesswoman and a Playboy Playmate.
In fact, she was playboy’s miss December 1982.
She — is Charlotte Kemp.
Q — Charlotte, I would guess that quite a few people must tell you that you look like Ann Margret or Natalie Wood.
A — Yeah. I get that a lot. (Laughs). My cover for Playboy … even at Cosmo they wrote up — the new, younger, prettier Ann Margret. Then, when I met her she gave me like the evil eye. (Laughs). Yeah, that’s what they said a long time ago. That was in 1983.
Q — When were you in Playboy?
A — I was a Playmate in 1982, but, The cover was in 1983.
Q — What were you doing before Playboy?
A — I was in college.
Q — So, did Playboy recruit you on campus?
A — No. They found me when I was 17. My brother almost killed the guy. Then, when I was modeling in Chicago, I did a contest which I got runner-up, and Playboy sent someone to talk to me, and I said no again. I met Jill Devries who was a Playmate from 1978 and we became roommates. She talked to me and said — ‘Just go for it.’ I said no I don’t want to do it. I never posed nude and I was a virgin then too. It was the photographer’s first test shout. We had a couple of bottles of wine and loosened up and I said O.K. So, that’s when I did my test shoot.
Q — That simple? Just a couple of bottles of wine and you agreed to pose nude?
A — (Laughs).
Q — You probably never had any aspirations of being a Centerfold?
A — No. I just wanted to model. I was still in school. I was in the sciences and biology. I was going to be a biologist. I was in Pre-med which I’m actually going back into now. (Laughs). Full circle.
Q — You’re going back to college to study medicine?
A — I’m thinking about it.
Q — What type of medicine would you be studying?
A — I don’t know. I have about a year and a half left on my B.S. (Bachelor of Science). Probably gynecology — but, I’m not sure.
Q — How were you able to jump-start your acting career right after college?
A — I had met, well, after I became a Playmate I traveled all over. For two years I was miss Budweiser, the very first miss Budweiser they ever had, and I was the only one for two years before they had all the Bud-Life girls. I was the only one. I traveled all over the Place. I went over to Europe, to Belgium. I met my future husband there. He was driving for Ferrari. So, I ended up moving to Europe. I started modeling there. I was there for 51/2 years. I came back here and was introduced to my manager who is still my manager, and she got me into doing commercials. I did about 4 commercials, my first year back. I did a couple of movies, and some print work. She said you’re great for this and I got picked.
Q — What kind of movies did you appear in?
A — I did ‘Franker hooker’ which is like a cult classic now. Then I did a movie called ‘Posed For murder’ which I was the star in. I did about three movies in Japan, and two movies over in Italy. Posed For murder was really a low — budget movie, but it did really well in Japan. I did two television shows and two movies in Japan.
Q — Would you say then that your “Playboy” experience helped your acting career?
A — Oh, I don’t know. I don’t think it helped the acting career. To tell you the truth I’m not really comfortable acting. I’ve written some television shows and I’m producing things. I’m more comfortable behind the camera. I have more of a creative mind. I got bored being in front of the camera. Of course I was an ingenue. I needed a lot of acting lessons and practice when I first started out. I didn’t really want to stay with it. It’s not something I wanted to do. I started my own co. and had the Playboy Running Team for 4 years. I was the first Playmate they ever gave a license to.
Q — That was the International Sponsors Limited co?
A — No. That was a co. I had that found sponsorship for sporting events. Playboy Running Team was it’s own co.
Q — How did you break both your knees at 15?
A — High-jumping. At 15, I didn’t break both my knees. I was younger. I can’t remember exactly when. I think it was when I was 12. That’s when I had to stop. Then I played tennis.
Q — You took up running to calm your stress and asthma?
A — Yeah. I have stress and asthma. I’ve had panic attacks since I was a little girl. Since I was 8 years old. I swam like 6 — 7 hours a day. Then I played tennis for like 4 hours a day. Then I started running and still run to this day. I took up running because of the endorphins high. It calms me down.
Q — What were you stressed about?
A — It’s just something. It’s an anxiety dis-order.
Q — What are you doing these days? We know you’re thinking about going bash to school.
A — I’m producing some things. A cookbook. A health and fitness video, for women over 35, I wrote a couple of television shows that people seem to like. I’ve got about 4 different projects. I’ve got an Internet business I’m starting.
Q — What’s the internet business you’ll be involved in?
A — I invented 2 hair products that I’ll be having up there.
Q — You are one busy lady!
A — Yeah. I like to create and do things. It’s good for me. (Laughs).
Q — Well, I guess we covered your life.
A — The only thing you didn’t ask is how I started modeling. I started in an art studio — as a subject. A model. Then people started asking me to do commercials, and model. But, I had no intention of being in Playboy. I was on the cover of Vogue. I had no intention of being a Playmate. I didn’t even know what they were. To tell you the truth, I didn’t even know Playboy magazine existed.
© Gary James All Rights Reserved
|
