Playmate Danielle Alcaraz is Miss September 2020. Her experience with Playboy sat right in the middle of the Covid pandemic, which made it quite unique as she shot everything from an Airbnb with an extremely small team.
She’s been modeling for over 10 years and is also a commercial actress, but she is also focused on her health and wellness journey. In her free time, Danielle loves to do watercolor art and calligraphy to get her creative juices flowing.
How It All Started
Playboy: What is your origin story with Playboy?
Danielle Alcaraz: I used to work for a production company for three years where I was a production assistant, and they were working with Playboy during the Covid pandemic. They pitched my fiancé and I as a quarantine couple because he’s a photographer and a creative director, and I was a model. Since we were living together at the time, I think it made sense for them to have a quarantine couple that could create their own content without a huge team.
My friend just submitted to Playboy on our behalf and they loved us—they loved the idea of us being able to do all the production ourselves. So, we got a house in West Los Angeles on Airbnb and just shot it there. Playboy had a videographer come and shoot the video portion of it, but it was a really small team.
Because it was Covid times, I had to do my interview at my house and set up all the equipment myself. They even gave me a GoPro to shoot my own content with, which actually came out really cute. I got a lot of good footage that I was really happy about.
A Pandemic Playmate
Playboy: What was it like being a pandemic playmate?
Danielle Alcaraz: I didn’t get to do any in-person meetings or anything. But, we made the best of it. It’s funny because we shot with the videographer, our production assistant, and another assistant, but those photos didn’t come out as good as those we took when it was just him and I together without the team. I thought that was interesting.
The Shoot Vibe
Playboy: What was the theme and vibe of your shoot?
Danielle Alcaraz: I’m Dutch, Indonesian, Spanish, and Mexican, so it was important for me to represent that. I would have loved to do the shoot in Mexico, but it wasn’t the best idea to travel during the pandemic. So, decided to go for more of a tropical, earthy goddess vibe. I also smoke cannabis and incorporated that into my pictorial, which was something that Playboy asked if I was willing to do. It made sense for me. Our location had a pool, which allowed us to really capture that tropical, earthy goddess vibe that I was going for. So, we did some water element shots. It was really pretty.
The Playmate Gang
Playboy: Did you become close friends with the other pandemic Playmates?
Danielle Alcaraz: I’ve seen the girls over the years at events, which is where I really got to meet people. I was really excited about that part. Knowing Playboy’s history, the friendship that the Playmates form with the other girls has always been a big part of the brand. So, I was really looking forward to that and, luckily, I was able to meet a bunch of the girls after the pandemic. It wasn’t until recently that I really got to meet all the girls and hang out with them, so that’s been really fun.
The Bunny Costume
Playboy: Have you ever worn the official bunny costume?
Danielle Alcaraz: Yes, I got the opportunity to dress up in the Playboy bunny costume this year for the first time. It was at that event that I got to meet other Playmates from previous years. I had other friends who were Playmates from back in the day and I’ve been to a few parties at the Playboy mansion when they had Midsummer Night’s Dream and Halloween parties. So, it’s been nice to grow my own Playboy family outside of even before becoming a Playmate. I already had Playmate friends, so it’s kind of a weird coincidence that I ended up also joining the team.
Her Career
Playboy: What is your career outside of being a Playmate?
Danielle Alcaraz: I actually am modeling and acting full-time. I do mostly commercial acting, and I don’t do much theater. I’ve been modeling for over 10 years now, so it’s been a pretty long and fulfilling career. I also do hand modeling which is a random fun fact.
Additionally, I have just been really into my health and wellness journey. That has been something that I’ve always practiced on my own time. I went to school for and was taking a certification program to become a holistic health coach. So, I’m kind of still dabbling into furthering my health and wellness career, but that’s maybe something a little further down the line.
Her Passion
Playboy: What is your passion?
Danielle Alcaraz: I love to do watercolor art and calligraphy in my free time. I’m always painting and creating cards for family, birthday parties, baby showers, and more. I can spend hours creating art and just lose track of time without lifting my head up to see what’s going on around me. So, that’s one of my biggest passions right now outside of just working out, spending time with my friends, and being outdoors. I love nature, going for walks outside, and going to the beach.
The Playmate Experience
Playboy: What does being a playmate mean to you?
Danielle Alcaraz: Playboy is all about being a confident woman. I’ve had this strong feminine nature ever since I was younger. Being a part of this team makes me feel like I have a voice and an opportunity to share it with others. I feel compelled to set an example for the younger generation, and to really just be a role model for kids who looking to get into modeling or just trying to learn how to be confident within themselves. I really pride myself in being a good example for others. So, I just want to share lifestyle habits, health and wellness tips and tricks, and stuff like that. I feel like Playboy gives you the platform to share what inspires you and what you believe in. I find that’s really important.