Playboy Playmate and girl next door Bridget Marquardt can best be described as smart, sexy, and sweet. Bridget was born on Sept. 25th, 1973 in the North Coast town of Tillamook, Oregon. Natives of Lodi, Calif., Bridget’s family moved to Tillamook after her father Doug, a veteran of the United States Air Force, was transferred and stationed on Mount Hebo.

Shortly after giving birth, Bridget’s mother Judy moved the family back to California. As Bridget recalls, a few years later around the age of four she took her first peak at her father’s Playboy magazines. Fascinated by what she saw, Bridget hoped that one day she would be as beautiful as the girls who graced the magazine’s pages. Bridget’s parents would eventually divorce. After the divorce Bridget, along with her mother and her younger brother Edward, shared a small apartment in Lodi. In the fifth grade .

Bridget’s mother remarried and the family moved onto her stepfather’s ranch located between Lodi and Galt. Bridget was outraged that she had to change schools but nevertheless began the sixth grade at a small country school called Oakview. Bridget graduated from Oakview and attended Galt High School for two years. After a few of her male friends told her that she should pose for Playboy, she secretly sent a letter to the magazine inquiring about how to become a Playmate. With the majority of her friends having graduated during her sophomore year, Bridget made the decision to get an inter-district transfer and attend Lodi High School. Despite having a cousin that attended Lodi and being a school majorette, Bridget still felt like an outcast. She immediately started looking for ways to graduate early.

Bridget obtained her first real job at a local video store that same year. After spending the majority of her time studying, working and saving her money, Bridget achieved her goal, and graduated from high school early. Nearly two and a half months after her 17th birthday she enrolled at San Joaquin Delta Junior College. Finding college life more enjoyable, she graduated with an A.A. from Delta College and transferred to CSU Sacramento.

Bridget applied for a second job at a local cardiology office, and after being promoted from part-time to full-time status was able to quit her job at the video store. As she worked as a medical assistant, Bridget commuted to school in the evenings.

In 1998, Bridget’s desire to pose in Playboy took her to San Francisco, where she tested for the Millennium Playmate. Her Polaroid shoot was a success, and Bridget was selected to travel to Los Angeles, stay at the Mansion for three days and participate in another test shoot for Playmate. According to Bridget, it was one of the most exciting and amazing times of her life.

Bridget flexed her brain muscle once again and graduated from CSU Sacramento in 1998 with a B.A. in communications and an emphasis on public relations. Despite the accomplishment, Bridget remained unsatisfied with her current path. At her graduation ceremony, Bridget came to the realization that she needed something more in her life. After noticing that the graduate students barely took up the first row, Bridget made the decision to attend graduate school. Her reason for attending grad school was simple – she wanted to have an edge in the job market. Bridget applied to local schools and was accepted at the University of the Pacific in Stockton.

While working towards her Masters degree, Bridget received a letter from Playboy stating that she did not get Playmate. She was devastated, but insisted on trying again. Two years later, she graduated with a Master’s degree in communications.

After earning her Master’s degree, Bridget still felt like something was missing. She knew that she could find a decent job, but her desire to grace the pages of Playboy told her that she was destined for something bigger. In 2001, Bridget quit her job, took her savings and moved to Los Angeles. Her goal was to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming a Playboy Playmate and audition for acting and modeling roles.

Life in Los Angeles provided Bridget with a number of opportunities. She immediately attracted the attention of modeling and acting agents and began appearing in small roles for movies, soap operas and graduate films. She also found herself attending parties at the Playboy Mansion, where she became friends with a number of Hugh Hefner’s girlfriends.

In March of 2002, Bridget received a phone call from Hef, who asked her to go on a personal date. Bridget accepted and things quickly progressed. She soon found herself living at the Mansion as one of Hef’s seven girlfriends. Today, Bridget’s life consists of more than she could have ever dreamed. She points out that she found a wonderful, romantic and kind man in Hef, has great friendships with the other girls and leads an unbelievable lifestyle. Hef and Bridget share a lot in common with their love for spooky things, scary movies and the original monsters like Dracula, Frankenstein and that loveable ape King Kong.

When the core group of Hef’s girlfriends was reduced from seven to just three, Bridget truly fell into her comfort zone. From starring in E! Television’s hit series “The Girls Next Door” to appearing on the cover of the November 2005 issue of Playboy Magazine, Bridget is grateful to have been blessed with such good fortune.

Despite the constant spotlight, Bridget still manages to make time for her family and focus on her career. She remains extremely close to her sister Anastasia, who visits the mansion every summer, and she’s currently working towards a certificate in broadcast journalism through UCLA’s Extension program. Through her Web site, Bridget looks forward to keeping her fans updated on her new and exciting life and spending time with Hugh, Holly Madison, and Kendra Wilkinson.