Two things we love here at Complex: good cigars and beautiful girls. We got the best of both worlds when hit NYC's Club Macanudo for a night with Playboy Playmate Alison Waite. While we puffed high quality cigars over dinner, the lovely brunette told us all about what it's like to work at the house Hugh Hefner built, how she deals with dating, and where she wants to take her career.
Interview by Ernest Baker (@newbornrodeo)
Complex: How did you start working for Playboy?What’s the process of becoming a Playmate?
Everyone gets into the magazine in their own unique way. Some girls may have posed for a college girls special edition, and then Hef saw them and said, “Let’s make them a playmate.” Some girls just submitted their pictures online. There’s referrals. Some of my friends have found Playmates at the club and said, “You should be in Playboy!” There’s a finder’s fee.
Where did you go to grad school?
San Diego. I graduated in May and my issue came out in May, so it was perfect. I have my masters in science and gerontology.
Breaking stereotypes!
[Laughs.] I’m educated. That’s the thing about Playboy. There’s a lot of girls that are college educated, but there’s also some girls that are 18. There’s also mothers. Everyone’s got their own story.
Why did you pursue a career with Playboy instead of something in gerontology?
Honestly, money. I had just gotten out of college and I was like, “You’re going to pay me what?! And I get to travel all over the world?! Why not!” I never saw any of this happening. I just went with it. My family’s very supportive. My grandmother was like, “You’ve got to do this. You never know what it could lead to. You can always go back to school.” I actually did. Last year I was enrolled in a PhD program, but then the Extra job came about.
I wasn’t happy. It wasn’t fulfilling enough. It was based out of L.A., we had another gentleman that was covering New York, and I was in Vegas. I was supposed to get stories, but celebrities go to Vegas for an escape. They don’t want to be interviewed. So if I got anything it would be so small, maybe a story or two a week. It wasn’t enough to be full-time.
What have you learned after five years in the business?
I’m just enjoying the ride. I get to go to Australia next week. I’m turning 30, and I definitely thought I’d be in a different place when I turned 30, and I’m totally not there, but I’m not unhappy about it. It’s just not what my friends are doing.
How do you maintain relationships with such a demanding schedule?
I’m very, very close with my family. They’re in San Diego, so it’s only like an hour and a half away. I try to see my family at least once a week, even if it’s just to take my grandma out to lunch or my sister to a movie or something.
It’s tough, because it’s such a fine line. You want a guy that’s supportive, that’s like, “Oh babe, that’s cool. You’re in Playboy,” but you don’t want somebody that’s like “Oh, you’ve got to do it again!” I will never pose again. It was a one time thing. Guys will say they're cool with it, but then they’ll say, “I don’t want you to work for Playboy anymore.” It’s always going to be a part of me, and a lot of my friends are Playmates. I’m not ashamed of it, so if you have a problem with it, then we’re going to have a problem.
Do you get porn offers?
I’ve never gotten any offers. There’s a contract that we signed that says if we want to be a working Playmate we can’t have any involvement in the adult entertainment industry. There’s girls that have gone on to do that, unfortunately, but Playboy has a really strict policy.
What's next for you?
I’d like to have my own morning show. It doesn’t have to be in a big market. I could go in any market. Chicago would be ideal. I really want to cover sports. That would be a dream job. We’ll see, you never know.
