Bridget Marquardt is an American television personality and podcast host, known for her role in the
reality TV
Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring ordinary people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 199 ...
series ''
The Girls Next Door
''The Girls Next Door'' (also known as ''The Girls of the Playboy Mansion'') is a reality television series which focused on the lives of Hugh Hefner's girlfriends who lived with him at the Playboy Mansion. The series was created by executive ...
'', which depicted her life as one of ''
Playboy
''Playboy'' (stylized in all caps) is an American men's Lifestyle journalism, lifestyle and entertainment magazine, available both online and in print. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, funded in part by a $ ...
'' founder
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. Hefner extended the ''Playboy ...
's girlfriends. Marquardt has appeared in pictorials with her ''Girls Next Door'' co-stars and fellow Hefner girlfriends
Holly Madison and
Kendra Wilkinson.
Early life
Marquardt was born in
Tillamook, Oregon
The city of Tillamook ( ) serves as the county seat of Tillamook County, Oregon, United States. The city is located on the southeast end of Tillamook Bay on the Pacific Ocean. The population was 5,231 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. ...
. Shortly after her birth, Bridget's mother moved the family back to California, where she was raised. Her parents divorced when Bridget was in the fifth grade. Her mother remarried, and Marquardt and her younger brother Edward moved to their stepfather's ranch, where they later gained a half-sister, Anastasia. Bridget attended Galt High School for her freshman and sophomore years and then transferred to
Lodi High School, from which she graduated in 1990.
[
Marquardt graduated from San Joaquin Delta College with an associate degree. She matriculated at ]California State University, Sacramento
California State University, Sacramento (CSUS, Sacramento State, or informally Sac State) is a public university in Sacramento, California, United States. Founded in 1947 as Sacramento State College, it is part of the California State Universit ...
and graduated in 1998 with a B.A. in communications and an emphasis in public relations. In 2001, she earned her Master's Degree
A master's degree (from Latin ) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional prac ...
in Communication
Communication is commonly defined as the transmission of information. Its precise definition is disputed and there are disagreements about whether Intention, unintentional or failed transmissions are included and whether communication not onl ...
s from the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California
Stockton is a city in and the county seat of San Joaquin County, California, San Joaquin County in the Central Valley (California), Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. It is the most populous city in the county, the List of municipal ...
.
Career
file:Holly Madison 6.jpg, Marquardt (right) alongside 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. Hefner extended the ''Playboy ...
and Holly Madison, 2007
On the advice of friends who suggested she pose for ''Playboy
''Playboy'' (stylized in all caps) is an American men's Lifestyle journalism, lifestyle and entertainment magazine, available both online and in print. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, funded in part by a $ ...
'' magazine, Marquardt sent a letter to ''Playboy'', inquiring how to become a Playmate, before enrolling at San Joaquin Delta College. In 1998, aged 25, she entered Playboy's Millennium Playmate search. In 2001, Marquardt moved to Los Angeles, California and did local modeling jobs and small acting roles. After unsuccessfully testing twice for ''Playboy'', she was invited to the Playboy Mansion
The Playboy Mansion, also known as the Playboy Mansion West, is the former home of ''Playboy'' magazine founder Hugh Hefner, who lived there from 1971 until his death in 2017. Barbi Benton convinced Hefner to buy the home located in Holmby H ...
and soon became a regular there. In October 2002, after more than a year of visiting the Mansion, she was invited to move in and become one of Hefner's girlfriends.
Marquardt is featured on the E! TV show ''The Girls Next Door'', and has appeared with Holly Madison and Kendra Wilkinson in three cover pictorials in ''Playboy'' magazine, the November 2005, September 2006 and March 2008 issues. She has appeared in several films, including the horror/comedy ''Kottentail'' in which she portrays a scientist doing genetic research on rabbits. She appeared in an episode of ''Curb Your Enthusiasm
''Curb Your Enthusiasm'', also known colloquially simply as ''Curb'', is an American television comedy of manners created by Larry David that premiered on HBO with an hour-long special in October 17, 1999, followed by 12 seasons broadcast from Oc ...
'' as herself along with Madison and Hefner in 2005. She also appeared as herself along with Madison, Wilkinson and Hefner in the '' Entourage'' episode " Aquamansion". The episode's final act took place at the Playboy Mansion. She appeared in '' The House Bunny'' with her fellow models and Hefner alongside Anna Faris
Anna Kay Faris ( ; born November 29, 1976) is an American actress. Known for playing comedic roles, she rose to prominence with the lead part of Cindy Campbell in the Scary Movie (film series), ''Scary Movie'' films (2000–2006). Her film credi ...
.
Marquardt appeared in a 2002 episode of '' The Man Show'' and as one of Hefner's playmates in the video game '' Playboy: The Mansion'', which was released in January 2005, as well as in an episode of '' Celebrity Paranormal Project'' which aired on November 19, 2006. She took an online paranormal course because of her interest in paranormal activity. On June 1, 2007, she started her ''Bridget & Wednesday Friday Show'' on Sirius Radio's Playboy
''Playboy'' (stylized in all caps) is an American men's Lifestyle journalism, lifestyle and entertainment magazine, available both online and in print. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, funded in part by a $ ...
station. In August of that year, she, Madison and Wilkinson appeared in the music video for the Nickelback
Nickelback is a Canadian Rock music, rock band formed in 1995 in Hanna, Alberta, Hanna, Alberta. Throughout its history, it has consisted of lead guitarist and lead vocalist Chad Kroeger, rhythm guitarist, keyboardist and backing vocalist Ryan ...
song " Rockstar". Later that October, Marquardt appeared as a contestant on the Fox Reality cable show '' The Search for the Next Elvira''. She was one of the final six out of 20 contestants.
In 2008, Marquardt appeared on an episode of NBC's ''Last Comic Standing
''Last Comic Standing'' is an American reality television talent competition show on NBC that aired from June 1, 2003, to August 9, 2010, and again in 2014 and 2015. Each season a comedian from an initially large group of hopefuls was picked as ...
'' along with Wilkinson and Madison, in an episode in which the trio were told funny "bedtime stories" by the competing comics. Marquardt and the rest of the Girls Next Door appeared in a July 1, 2008 episode of NBC's ''Celebrity Family Feud
''Celebrity Family Feud'' is a broadcast network spin-off (media), spin-off of the broadcast syndication, syndicated American game show ''Family Feud''. Like the primetime ''All-Star Specials'' aired during the late 1970s and early 1980s by the s ...
''.
February 2009 was Marquardt's final appearance in ''Playboy'', in a nude photo spread shot with Madison and Wilkinson that was touted as a farewell to ''The Girls Next Door''. After leaving Playboy, she hosted ''Bridget's Sexiest Beaches'', a TV series on Travel Channel
Travel Channel (stylized as Trvl Channel since 2018) is an American pay television television channel, channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, who previously owned the channel from 1997 to 2007. The channel is headquartered in Manhattan, with ...
, which debuted on March 12, 2009, but ended after one season.
In 2012, she worked as a contributor to Yahoo
Yahoo (, styled yahoo''!'' in its logo) is an American web portal that provides the search engine Yahoo Search and related services including My Yahoo, Yahoo Mail, Yahoo News, Yahoo Finance, Yahoo Sports, y!entertainment, yahoo!life, an ...
's ''Animal Nation'' series, writing articles and shooting related short documentary pieces.
Marquardt hosts the paranormal investigation podcast ''Ghost Magnet with Bridget Marquardt'' and, with Holly Madison, ''Girls Next Level''.
Personal life
In the September 17, 2007 issue of ''Star
A star is a luminous spheroid of plasma (physics), plasma held together by Self-gravitation, self-gravity. The List of nearest stars and brown dwarfs, nearest star to Earth is the Sun. Many other stars are visible to the naked eye at night sk ...
'' magazine, Marquardt stated that she was married but separated and had been living in the Playboy mansion since October 2002. According to the interview, her husband supported her move to Los Angeles, that they remained friends, and that they were in the process of divorcing.
In 2008, Bridget told ''E! News'', "I married my best friend when I was 23, but when I realized I wanted to move to LA to follow my dreams, we separated and eventually divorced." In a December 2008 interview, Marquardt stated that she was single, and in early January 2009, it was reported that Marquardt had moved out of the Playboy Mansion to "become her own person."
In late 2008, Marquardt began dating director Nicholas Carpenter, son of original Mercury astronaut Scott Carpenter
Malcolm Scott Carpenter (May 1, 1925 – October 10, 2013) was an American naval officer and aviator, test pilot, aeronautical engineer, astronaut, and aquanaut. He was one of the Mercury Seven astronauts selected for NASA's Project Mercury ...
. They started living together in a house Marquardt purchased in Sherman Oaks. The pair became engaged in the fall of 2015.
As seen on various episodes of ''The Girls Next Door'', Marquardt had a Pekingese dog named Wednesday, or "Winnie", and a black Persian cat
The Persian cat, also known as the Persian Longhair, is a long-haired breed of cat characterised by a round face and short muzzle. The first documented ancestors of Persian cats might have been imported into Italy from Greater Khorasan, Khoras ...
named Gizmo. Gizmo died in June 2015.[Marquardt mentioned Gizmo's breed in the opening act of the series premiere of '']The Girls Next Door
''The Girls Next Door'' (also known as ''The Girls of the Playboy Mansion'') is a reality television series which focused on the lives of Hugh Hefner's girlfriends who lived with him at the Playboy Mansion. The series was created by executive ...
''. Winnie died in September 2020.
Filmography
Films
Television
Video games
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Marquardt, Bridget
Living people
American female models
California State University, Sacramento alumni
Glamour models
Participants in American reality television series
People from Tillamook, Oregon
People from Lodi, California
University of the Pacific (United States) alumni
Lodi High School (California) alumni
21st-century American women
Year of birth missing (living people)