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| Hugh Hefner |
LIFE AND STYLE
Q&A: Hugh Hefner
Q&A: Hugh Hefner
'My most treasured possession? A rotating round bed'
by Rossana Greenstreet
The Guardian, Saturday 21 November 2008
Hugh Hefner was born in Chicago in 1926. He served in the army during the second world war, and went on to study psychology at university. In 1953, he launched Playboy magazine, and by 1971, when Playboy Enterprises became a public company, it was selling 7m copies. He remains editor-in-chief. He is twice divorced and has four children. His illustrated autobiography is published this month by Taschen.
When were you happiest?
Now: I just passed my 83rd birthday and look back on a life well lived.
What is your earliest memory?
When I was four, we moved to the house on the west side of Chicago where I grew up. My earliest memories are of that first summer.
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Crankiness.
What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Deceit.
Property aside, what's the most expensive thing you've ever bought?
A McDonnell Douglas DC-9.
What is your most treasured possession?
My rotating round bed.
What would your super power be?
Immortality.
What makes you unhappy?
Not being in a loving relationship.
What do you most dislike about your appearance?
I am losing my hair.
Who would play you in the film of your life?
They are talking now about Robert Downey Jr.
What is your favourite book?
The Great Gatsby.
What would be your fancy dress costume of choice?
My pyjamas.
What is your guiltiest pleasure?
My life, probably!
What do you owe your parents?
My ideals.
What or who is the greatest love of your life?
Probably my girlfriend, Crystal Harris. She's an upcoming Playmate.
What does love feel like?
It completes me.
Who would you invite to your dream dinner party?
I don't have dinner parties – I eat my dinner in bed.
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
"What the fuck?"
If you could edit your past, what would you change?
That's a very dangerous game.
If you could go back in time, where would you go?
To my childhood.
When did you last cry, and why?
Last weekend, at a screening of Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist And Rebel.
How do you relax?
With my girls, in bed, watching a movie, just having a good time.
How often do you have sex?
Two to three times a week.
What is the closest you've come to death?
There was a moment when I was having sex with four Playmates and I almost swallowed a Ben Wa ball.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
To have had a positive impact on the social-sexual values of my time.
What keeps you awake at night?
The need to go to the john several times a night – that comes with age.
What song would you like played at your funeral?
As Time Goes By, Frank Sinatra.
What is the most important lesson life has taught you?
To hold on to your dreams.
