Summer Altice is a legendary playmate first seen as Miss August 2000, but she’s become so much more to Playboy over the years.
After stepping away from Playboy for a few years to focus on her acting career (you’ll see her in Wedding Crashers as Will Ferrell’s girlfriend at the funeral), Altice came back to do events for the brand. She always kept in touch with everyone at Playboy and eventually became a trusted brand ambassador for the company, working with executives, the licensing team, and many other areas. As if that wasn’t busy enough, Altice is also a sommelier, private wine cellar curator, and avid golfer.
“Playboy is nostalgia. It will always be a place where women are given a platform to express themselves,” she says. “With our current playmate search, it’s great to see that the idea of being a playmate, the idea of being a bunny and wearing that iconic costume is something that girls still aspire to be. That’s the power of Playboy. I was one of few that got that opportunity and I feel really blessed for that. And, I’m glad that I’m able to steward in this new generation.”
Her Origin Story
Playboy: What is your origin story with Playboy? How did you get started?
Summer Altice: It was 1999, I had just moved up to LA from college, and I was out at a bar with my sister. I met some of the Playboy group at the bar and they asked me to have a drink with them because they recognized me from my YM magazine cover. After hanging out all night, I got invited to a Fun in the Sun event at the mansion that Sunday, which was (a) private party that they hosted when the weather was nice in the summertime.
I remember going into the house to grab some food—I was stopped and asked if I had ever been interested in testing to be in the magazine as a playmate. I told them that I would have to talk with my agents because, at the time, I was (a) high-fashion model booked on a lot of different campaigns like Levi’s and Skechers. I was told, “they’re probably going to say no, but we’ve never had a high-fashion model as a playmate, so it would be something new.” Apparently, Playboy already had looked me up and did some research on me before going to the mansion that day.
The Phone Call
Playboy: So, when did you get the call for a test shoot?
Summer Altice: The next week. I got a phone call from (an) assistant photo editor for Playboy asking me when I could come in and test. So they did a cover test shoot, which was like a mini playmate shoot, and makeup and hair was provided on set. I actually still get a lot of pictures from my playmate test shoot sent to me to sign autographs because Playboy used them in international issues. I tested two weeks before my birthday in December, so I was 19 years old. I found out that next week that I was accepted as a playmate and that I would shoot my centerfold. Playboy said they would slot me in after the new year, which they did, and I shot my centerfold in February.
The OG Days
Playboy: What was the shoot like?
Summer Altice: I actually had to shoot two centerfolds because of the way they used to shoot. Back then, there was no digital film—it was rolls of film. They had this camera that was used for a really long time solely as the centerfold camera. It was 8×10 film and it wasn’t a roll of film—it was literally pieces of 8×10 film that was loaded in this big camera. They would load it, take a picture, then flip the thing over. So there were two shots in one, and the big metal containers held the film in them. And so you spent a whole week shooting what was called your “gate fold,” which was your centerfold. And they would go through different poses.
They were Polaroids—like, actual Polaroids that would be developed by that afternoon. They used to take those first to get the shot set up, and on the back it would say the time in the day and date. Marilyn, the photo editor, would look through them and pick a couple that she liked. Then, they would blow them up and send them up the chain for approval.
The Re-shoot
Playboy: So, you only did that one shoot?
Summer Altice: I actually did two. The first set they created for me had a high-fashion model theme. I wore an open white button-down men’s shirt, a pair of Gucci heels, some thigh-high stockings, and held an old school silver slide phone. I was on a couch and it was very business-focused. Everyone loved it, but I was asked to reshoot.
But, they were right because the second shoot was even better. It was more organic, and it made me feel more like myself. It ended up coming out so beautiful. They made the set look like I was in Paris for fashion week—you could see the cityscape behind me. It was really cool. They even built a runway for me. We also did some volleyball shots at the beach as well. They really took their time. The set truly depicted what my life was like on a personal level, and they made me feel comfortable.
Summer Altice’s Miss August 2000 Launch
Playboy: When did your issue officially come out?
Summer Altice: August 2000. I told them that my dad was a big fan of Playboy. They asked when his birthday month was, and they gave me August based on that. I finished shooting in the middle of March. I was also on a June 2001 cover of the Italian issue. And, I was on a bunch of other International covers as well. I didn’t even know I was on some of those cover until people would bring them to events for me to sign!
Playboy: What was the first event that you attended in the Playboy bunny costume?
Summer Altice: It was a big promotional event in Las Vegas in 2002. And then I kind of took a break from wearing my costume because I was doing so much other stuff. My initial costume color was blue, but I got a black costume when I came back in 2009. Black was known as the color of seniority. It’s always been like that at the clubs, too.
Her Acting Career
Playboy: Tell us a little about your acting career. How did being a playmate affect it?
Summer Altice: Women like Pamela Anderson and Jenny McCarthy were huge stars who had been playmates at the time. So, there was always a “yeah, let’s meet her. Let’s get her in the door” reaction from casting. But, you would have to do the work. You couldn’t just show up and not know what you were doing. So I took acting classes and I was really focused on that.
I did a lot of great projects. I was a lead on a Showtime series called Chromiumblue.com that Playboy helped promote. I was also in the films The Scorpion King, Heist, You, Me and Dupree, and Wedding Crashers. And, I was on the TV series One Tree Hill, and a bunch of commercials.
The Playmate Experience
Playboy: What was it like being a playmate?
Summer Altice: As a playmate, we always felt protected and truly part of a family. The mansion was like a second home to me and I was told that I was always welcome at any time. There was a time when I was going through a really bad breakup and I was out and had been drinking with friends, and I took a cab over to the mansion. I was super upset, so I called the mansion and one of the butlers answered. He said: “Just come here. We’ll make you dinner and bedroom three is open.”
So, if there was an open bedroom, you could just spend the night anytime. They made me a steak dinner, then I got cozy and watched a movie. I woke up the next morning and went downstairs to have coffee. It was our house. That was what was so fun about being a playmate—you really felt like you were part of a family. All the girls still talk like we were in a sorority that you didn’t have to pay to belong too.