June Wilkinson | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1940-03-27)27 March 1940 (age 84) |
| Height | 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) |
| Website | No longer active |
June Wilkinson (born 27 March 1940 inEastbourne)[1] is an English model and actress, known for her appearances inPlayboy magazine and in films of the 1960s. One of the world's most-photographed women in the late 1950s and early 1960s, at the height of her career she was called "the most photographed nude in America".[2]
June Wilkinson was born 27 March 1940 inEastbourne, England.[3] Having started as a stage performer at the age of 12, she went on to become the youngest topless dancer, at the age of 15, at theWindmill Theatre in London from 1957 to 1958.[2] During a promotional tour in the United States, she was discovered byHugh Hefner. Her first appearance inPlayboy, in September 1958, was titled "The Bosom".[4] She was a brunette in those days, but in later shoots she was a blonde.
Wilkinson's secondPlayboy appearance was photographed byRuss Meyer. Meyer was an independent photographer at the time, and filming his ground-breakingThe Immoral Mr. Teas (1959). Because she was under contract toSeven Arts at the time, Wilkinson could not officially appear in Meyer's film. However, as an uncredited and unpaid favor to the director, Wilkinson's breasts can be seen through a window in one scene.[4]
Wilkinson appeared inPlayboy again in August 1959 in a spread titled "The Bosom in Hollywood".[4] During this period, she appeared withSpike Jones' band, together with actorBilly Barty. Recalling this period in her career, Wilkinson later remembered Barty with affection, but commented that off-stage, Jones had no sense of humor.[4] In 1960, Wilkinson was featured inPlayboy five times, in June, July, August, October, and again in November. Her feature in the November issue was titled "The Bosom Revisits Playboy".[5] Wilkinson appeared in the1960 voodoo film,Macumba Love, which promoted her measurements as "44-20-36".[5] At times reported as up to "45-22-35", in 1963 Wilkinson stated that her measurements were actually "40-22-35".[2]
In 1961 Wilkinson made several stage appearances on the U.S. West coast with performers such asLouis Jourdan inThe Marriage-Go-Round,Sylvia Sidney inCome Blow Your Horn andMilton Berle inNorman, Is That You?.[6] She had a brief role inJohn Cassavetes'1962 film,Too Late Blues.[6]
In December 1962, Wilkinson made her last appearance inPlayboy, though her photos continued to appear in the magazine in anniversary and retrospective features.[6] Though she was never an officialPlayboy Playmate, she was featured in the magazine on seven separate occasions and was one of the magazine's most popular photo subjects. She appeared in more than fifty other men's magazines and newspapers from 1958 to 1970, making her one of the most-photographed models of the era.
Wilkinson was the star of directorMyron Gold's1963 film,La Rabia orThe Rage. Directed inMexico City, the film has Wilkinson as a stripper with a gigolo boyfriend.[6] She metDan Pastorini, NFL quarterback for theHouston Oilers andOakland Raiders in 1972, and they were married in 1973.[7] They co-starred in the1974 filmFlorida Connection (also known asWeed), for the producer ofRage. The couple divorced in 1982, and Wilkinson never remarried.[8] She has a daughter, Brahna, by Pastorini.
In the 1970s-1980s Wilkinson starred in a series of sex comedy teasers, such as "Three in a Bedroom", "The Ninety-Day Mistress" (withEve McVeagh) and "Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?"[9]
In 1997, in her late 50s, June came back for another nude shoot inThe Best of Glamour Girls: Then and Now vol. 2 (Winter 1997). In 1999 whenPlayboy published its list of the "100 Sexiest Stars of the Century", June came in at #30. Currently[when?] she hostsThe Directors, a cable show in which she interviews filmmakers. She is also putting together a show about the history of fashion calledGlamour's First 5000 Years.[citation needed]
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