Cynthia Jeanette Myers (September 12, 1950 – November 4, 2011) was an American model, actress, and ''
Playboy
''Playboy'' is an American men's lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother.
K ...
'' magazine's
Playmate of the Month
A Playmate is a female model featured in the centerfold/gatefold of ''Playboy'' magazine as Playmate of the Month (PMOTM). The PMOTM's pictorial includes nude photographs and a centerfold poster, along with a pictorial biography and the "Playm ...
for the December 1968 issue.
Career
Myers was the first ''Playboy'' Playmate born in the 1950s when she appeared in the magazine in December 1968. The pictures were shot in June 1968 when she was 17 years old, but it was Playboy's policy at that time to wait until a Playmate turned 18 before her pictures would be published.
Her pictorial was titled "Wholly Toledo!" because of Myers' hometown and large breasts. Her
centerfold
The centerfold or centrefold of a magazine is the inner pages of the middle sheet, usually containing a portrait, such as a pin-up or a nude. The term can also refer to the model featured in the portrait. In saddle-stitched magazines (as opp ...
was photographed by
Pompeo Posar
Pompeo Posar (; February 21, 1921 – April 5, 2004) was a ''Playboy'' magazine staff photographer who photographed many centerfold features and accompanying pictures of women featured as playmate of the month. Notably, he was responsible for th ...
, and quickly became a favorite of American troops in
Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
. The centerfold appears in the 1987 film ''
Hamburger Hill
''Hamburger Hill'' is a 1987 American war film set during the Battle of Hamburger Hill, a May 1969 assault during the Vietnam War by the U.S. Army's 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry, 101st Airborne Division (Airmobile) "Screaming Eagles" on a ri ...
'' and in the 1989 film ''
The Siege of Firebase Gloria
''The Siege of Firebase Gloria'' is a 1989 war film directed by Brian Trenchard-Smith, starring Wings Hauser and R. Lee Ermey. It was filmed in the Philippines.
Plot
At the start of the Tet Offensive, a Marine Long Range Reconnaissance unit le ...
''. According to Myers, she was 13 when her breasts began to develop to the size 39 DD they were when she appeared in ''Playboy''. After her magazine debut, Myers made frequent appearances on
Hugh Hefner
Hugh Marston Hefner (April 9, 1926 – September 27, 2017) was an American magazine publisher. He was the founder and editor-in-chief of ''Playboy'' magazine, a publication with revealing photographs and articles which provoked charges of obsc ...
's ''
Playboy After Dark
''Playboy After Dark'' is an American television show hosted by Hugh Hefner. It aired in syndication through Screen Gems from 1969 to 1970 and was taped at CBS Television City in Los Angeles.
Overview
''Playboy After Dark'' followed much the sa ...
'' TV series in 1969. She made an uncredited appearance in ''
They Shoot Horses, Don't They?'' (1969) before taking the leading role of the sensitive bisexual
rock and roll
Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from Africa ...
singer and bass player Casey Anderson in
Russ Meyer
Russell Albion Meyer (March 21, 1922 – September 18, 2004) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, cinematographer, and editor. He is known primarily for writing and directing a series of successful sexploitation films that fea ...
's ''
Beyond the Valley of the Dolls
''Beyond the Valley of the Dolls'' is a 1970 American satirical musical melodrama film starring Dolly Read, Cynthia Myers, Marcia McBroom, Phyllis Davis, John LaZar, Michael Blodgett, and David Gurian. The film was directed by Russ Meyer and scr ...
'' (1970). She followed this with a supporting role in the
Western
Western may refer to:
Places
*Western, Nebraska, a village in the US
*Western, New York, a town in the US
*Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western world, countries that id ...
, ''
Molly and Lawless John
''Molly and Lawless John'' is a 1972 American Western film directed by Gary Nelson and starring Vera Miles and Sam Elliott. The film was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song in 1973.
Plot
Molly Parker (Vera Miles) is marr ...
'' (1972).
In 1994, it became known that a nude photo of Myers (along with fellow playmates
Angela Dorian,
Reagan Wilson
Reagan Diana Wilson (born March 6, 1947) is an American model and actress who was ''Playboy'' magazine's Playmate of the Month for its October 1967 issue. Her centerfold was photographed by Ron Vogel.
Early life
Wilson was born in Torrance, Cali ...
and
Leslie Bianchini) was scanned and inserted into
Apollo 12
Apollo 12 (November 14–24, 1969) was the sixth crewed flight in the United States Apollo program and the second to land on the Moon. It was launched on November 14, 1969, by NASA from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida. Commander Pete Conra ...
extra-vehicular activity
Extravehicular activity (EVA) is any activity done by an astronaut in outer space outside a spacecraft. In the absence of a breathable Earthlike atmosphere, the astronaut is completely reliant on a space suit for environmental support. EVA inc ...
astronaut cuff checklists by the Apollo 12 backup crew (Dave Scott, Jim Irwin, Al Worden) at
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research.
NASA was established in 1958, succeeding t ...
.
In 2009, Myers became a spokeswoman for
Schlitz beer.
Bill Cosby
Sometime after 1997, Myers provided interviews for the book ''Centerfolds'', which was released in 2015. In these undated interviews, she claimed she personally witnessed Cosby "
use drugs to have sex with women" at the Playboy Mansion, stating that his actions repulsed her so much she was unable to "shed a tear" when Cosby's son
Ennis was murdered in 1997.
Death
Myers died of lung cancer at age 61 on November 4, 2011.
See also
*
List of people in ''Playboy'' 1960–1969
References
External links
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Myers, Cynthia
1950 births
2011 deaths
American film actresses
Actresses from Toledo, Ohio
1960s Playboy Playmates
Deaths from lung cancer in California
21st-century American women