From Bishop to ‘bunny’

After five days of shooting, Hugh Hefner decided he didn’tlike the pose that Playboy photographers had designed for AmberCampisi.

“He said he envisioned me in a pillow fight scene, withfeathers flying everywhere,” said Campisi, a 2003 SMUgraduate.

Campisi was chosen as a finalist in Playboy’s 50thanniversary Playmate search. The search ran in the 2002 Decemberissue of the famous magazine. Campisi agreed to pose aftercustomers at her family’s Dallas restaurant suggested sheshould.

“In April, I was serving drinks to a customer at therestaurant, and she had heard that Playboy was doing a search andsuggested that I pose,” Campisi said, “but I was toonervous to call for an appointment, so she called forme.”

Campisi never worried about what her parents might think. Only10 minutes after the customer called for the appointment,Campisi’s father notified her that he had set up anappointment as well.

Campisi posed in a bikini at the shoot, but months passed andshe heard nothing back from the magazine.

Then in July, a representative from Playboy called her, wantingher to come and stay and shoot at the Playboy Mansion.

“I flew into Los Angeles Wednesday at 9 p.m., but Heftakes the girls out on Wednesdays and Fridays, so by 10 I had to bedressed and ready to go out. I wasn’t sure I wanted to, butone of the other Playmates said that Wednesday nights were when youmet everyone, so I hurried to get ready.”

From there, Campisi was loaded into a limo for a night offestivities on Sunset Boulevard. Of the 10 women Campisi was with,she was the only brunette. Security guards accompanied the women toevery club they went.

“Hef is very protective of the girls, and wants them tofeel comfortable,” Campisi said. “We even hadbodyguards that would accompany us to the restroom and standoutside and wait for us.”

The next day, Holly, Hefner’s main girlfriend, gaveCampisi a tour of the mansion. After that, it was off to pose forthe pictures that would eventually earn her a place in themagazine’s 50th anniversary competition and another trip backto the mansion for a centerfold spread last November.

“I felt a bit nervous at first, but soon I was morecomfortable,” Campisi said. “It was me, two lightingguys, a makeup stylist, a hair stylist and the photographer, Steve.He was a young guy, and I thought that he must think his job ispretty cool.”

Campisi also explained that on Thursdays and Sunday nights, thePlaymates all have dinner with celebrities like Brian”Kato” Kaelin and former Playmates. But one ofCampisi’s fondest memories was how every girl bonded with adifferent one of Hefner’s seven live-in girlfriends.

“I felt closest to Shiela and Zoey,” saidCampisi.

Campisi earned $25,000 for the pictures. When her nextcenterfold spread runs, she will also be eligible to win thePlaymate of the Year honors, which includes $100,000 and thebenefits of the coveted title.

“Playboy prides itself on as little airbrushing aspossible, so I had like two-hour hair and makeup sessions beforeshoots,” Campisi said. “Plus, for the pillowfightscene, I had feathers glued to my fingers so everything would lookperfect.”

As for her future, Campisi will continue working at the familyrestaurant and will fulfill the rest of her two-year contract withPlayboy. It entails such things as answering weekly online chatroom questions and completing a video.

The contract also states that she cannot do anything todrastically change her image (such as cut her hair significantlyshorter) during that time, which is fine with the corporatecommunications and public affairs major.

“I’m out promoting myself and the magazine, andplanning events, and that’s really what my degree is aboutanyway,” Campisi said.

She also said that people come up to her all the time and arevery encouraging, and even want to take a picture or get anautograph.

“I was working one night, and there was a mom that askedme for an autograph for her 14-year-old son,” laughedCampisi.

Campisi said that she isn’t sure what month her centerfoldspread will run, but said it would hopefully be within the next fewmonths. Whether she is crowned Playmate of the year or not remainsto be seen, but Campisi certainly hopes that she will be able to bea “bunny.”

“The bunnies get to travel all over the world, places likeRussia, and basically get paid to party. I would love the chance toget to travel for a while,” she said.