Kari Knudsen
Kari Knudsen
Fortunately, for five million, that country is Norway, so there is no shortage of lovely girls to choose from! Over the years Playboy has had no less than seven Norwegian Playmates so what better selection could there be to celebrate our five millionth page view than looking at these nubile Nordic nymphs.
Kari Knudsen
Playboy's first Norwegian Playmate was revealed in February 1962 in the 36-23-35 five foot four inch shape of Kari Knudsen. Although born in the tiny hamlet of Romsdal by the time Playboy unveiled the 23 year old she was living in New York.
Unne Terjesen
Playboy's second Norwegian Playmate was only a few months later, in July 1962, in the curvy form of Unne Terjesen. Although born in the Norwegian town of Odda the then nineteen year old former hairdresser was living in Vancouver when photographer Ken Honey spotted her working in a local department store.
Unne had been runner up in the 1960 Miss Norway competition and has a figure that looks like it was the idealised fantasy of a pin up artist.
In fact Unne has the largest hip measurement of any Playboy Playmate ever: a really rather magnificent, but in no way overblown, 39 inches. 39-23-39 altogether. Outstanding!
It would be over six years until Playboy had another Norwegian Playmate, but in June 1968 presented Britt Fredriksen originally from near Trondheim but by then studying in Palo Alto, California.
However, she had originally come to Playboy's notice when working as a Bunny in St Louis. In her Playboy pictorial it looks like she has had just a little too much sun which makes her look even more appealingly wide-eyed and innocent.
Britt was 5'4" tall and 34-21.5 (!)-34 and had, as we can see, a particularly pert posterior!
The next Norwegian Playmate appeared in January 1971 and would be the most famous of the lot: or at least her pubic hair would be as she became the very first Playmate to flash her fleece in her centrefold. Liv's sun-kissed curls were the cause of much agonising over whether to show them or not between publisher Hugh Hefner and photographer Alexas Urba. The hair got through and Liv's fame was assured.
Nearly 5'8" tall and 36-23-34 she was certainly a prototypical strapping Nordic blonde. She became the first Norwegian Playmate of the Year in 1972 and married Cyd Charisse's son.
She did some films and TV in the first half of the seventies and then reappeared onscreen in a couple of Andy Sidaris' Playmate heavy B movie (although that might be being generous) thrillers in 1988 and 1990.
Unlike all the previous Norwegian born Playmates October 1972's Sharon Johansen moved to North America at a very young age (one) rather than as an adult. She was a dog trainer, of all things, and even trained Hugh Hefner's dog which was called, with great originality, Dog. She became one of Hefner's many Playmate girlfriends for a time although whether that was before or after the dog training we don't know.
What we do know is that she was an impressive 40-22-37 and 5'8" tall. Sharon did a bit of TV and a couple of films but her roles tended to be of the "uncredited" type.
Although Liv Lindeland had shown her pubic hair in her centrefold in January 1971 Sharon would become only the fourth Playmate to give an unobstructed view of her fur out of 22 Centrefold shots in the interim.
Playboy's final Norwegian Playmate to date was Lillian Müller in August 1975. She would go on to be Playmate of the year for 1976. She moved to London from Norway at the age of twenty where she worked as a model before being discovered by Playboy. She was also Hugh Hefner's girlfriend for a time.
5'8" and 36-24-35 she was discovered by Suze Randall who shot some sensuous pictures of her for her Playboy pictorial, although her centrefold was photographed by Dwight Hooker as Randall was considered too inexperienced at that point.
Lillian made a number of films and featured in Rod Stewart's Do ya think I'm sexy video. Latterly she has been working advising women on healthy living and in 2010 was voted by PETA as the sexiest Vegan over fifty.
The big question is, of course, why no Norwegian Playmates since 1975? Having been there a few years ago I'm sure that there are many more natural lovelies in the country who would be far superior to the silicone busted tattoo encrusted centrefolds of late. More Norwegian girls please!
Unne Terjesen
Unne had been runner up in the 1960 Miss Norway competition and has a figure that looks like it was the idealised fantasy of a pin up artist.
Unne Terjesen
In fact Unne has the largest hip measurement of any Playboy Playmate ever: a really rather magnificent, but in no way overblown, 39 inches. 39-23-39 altogether. Outstanding!
Britt Fredriksen
It would be over six years until Playboy had another Norwegian Playmate, but in June 1968 presented Britt Fredriksen originally from near Trondheim but by then studying in Palo Alto, California.
Britt Frederiksen
However, she had originally come to Playboy's notice when working as a Bunny in St Louis. In her Playboy pictorial it looks like she has had just a little too much sun which makes her look even more appealingly wide-eyed and innocent.
Britt Frederiksen
Britt was 5'4" tall and 34-21.5 (!)-34 and had, as we can see, a particularly pert posterior!
Liv Lindeland
The next Norwegian Playmate appeared in January 1971 and would be the most famous of the lot: or at least her pubic hair would be as she became the very first Playmate to flash her fleece in her centrefold. Liv's sun-kissed curls were the cause of much agonising over whether to show them or not between publisher Hugh Hefner and photographer Alexas Urba. The hair got through and Liv's fame was assured.
Liv Lindeland
Nearly 5'8" tall and 36-23-34 she was certainly a prototypical strapping Nordic blonde. She became the first Norwegian Playmate of the Year in 1972 and married Cyd Charisse's son.
Liv Lindeland
She did some films and TV in the first half of the seventies and then reappeared onscreen in a couple of Andy Sidaris' Playmate heavy B movie (although that might be being generous) thrillers in 1988 and 1990.
Sharon Johansen
Unlike all the previous Norwegian born Playmates October 1972's Sharon Johansen moved to North America at a very young age (one) rather than as an adult. She was a dog trainer, of all things, and even trained Hugh Hefner's dog which was called, with great originality, Dog. She became one of Hefner's many Playmate girlfriends for a time although whether that was before or after the dog training we don't know.
Sharon Johansen
What we do know is that she was an impressive 40-22-37 and 5'8" tall. Sharon did a bit of TV and a couple of films but her roles tended to be of the "uncredited" type.
Sharon Johansen
Although Liv Lindeland had shown her pubic hair in her centrefold in January 1971 Sharon would become only the fourth Playmate to give an unobstructed view of her fur out of 22 Centrefold shots in the interim.
Lillian Müller
Playboy's final Norwegian Playmate to date was Lillian Müller in August 1975. She would go on to be Playmate of the year for 1976. She moved to London from Norway at the age of twenty where she worked as a model before being discovered by Playboy. She was also Hugh Hefner's girlfriend for a time.
Lillian Müller
5'8" and 36-24-35 she was discovered by Suze Randall who shot some sensuous pictures of her for her Playboy pictorial, although her centrefold was photographed by Dwight Hooker as Randall was considered too inexperienced at that point.
Lillian Müller
Lillian made a number of films and featured in Rod Stewart's Do ya think I'm sexy video. Latterly she has been working advising women on healthy living and in 2010 was voted by PETA as the sexiest Vegan over fifty.
The big question is, of course, why no Norwegian Playmates since 1975? Having been there a few years ago I'm sure that there are many more natural lovelies in the country who would be far superior to the silicone busted tattoo encrusted centrefolds of late. More Norwegian girls please!
