Classic Victorian elegance with delicate porcelain skin and naturally beautiful curves, Playmate Victoria Valentino is the epitome of beauty. With the body of the goddess Aphrodite, the intelligence of Athena and the innocence of Persephone, our gifted Miss September 1963 is a goddess in her own right who loves to read poetry in her spare time. “I enjoy reading the novels of Tolstoy and Dostoievsky, plays by O'Neill, and poetry by the Chilean poet Pablo Neruda. In the performing arts, my favorite actress is Anna Magnani—she's a woman in the full sense of the word. When it comes to movies, I guess I'm something of a snob because I definitely prefer foreign films,” explains the petite brunette. “I also get enthusiastic about Spanish food, Arabic folk dances, and life in Mexico—which is where I'd live if I were rolling in money, which I'm not.” A minor detail at best because with our voluptuous Playmate’s ambition and skill set, fame and fortune are only a matter of time. “I've always wanted to be an actress,” says our Miss September 1963 who also dreams of becoming a singer. “This is not a pipe dream—I've been prepping for it ever since my father, who is a freelance commercial artist, and my mother, an ex-singer, put me in the professional Children's School in New York City. I studied a year at New York's American Theater Wing, where I majored in musical theater, before moving to L.A. I'm taking private acting lessons now and waiting for what people call the 'big break' -- no luck so far, outside of hospital shows, some summer stock, and work in little theater groups. But I keep busy with girl-type activities like sewing, dusting and cooking, and with my painting and hobbies. And I wait for my chance—I'm still game.” Although the sweet Italian-American beauty admits her sensitive personality may not be cut out for the cutthroat world of show business, she knows she’s the real deal and has want it takes to go far in Hollywood without becoming seduced by the glitz and glam. “I'd describe my personality as sensitive and introspective. My main weakness, besides staying in bed till all hours, is an occasional lapse of self-confidence. I'm very easily hurt if a man I like shows a lack of respect toward me. I should laugh it off, I know, as being the way the world is. But I can't—my hopes are always too high,” she admits. “Naturally, I’m far from annoyed when men tell me I’m pretty. But, looks can be psychological handicap. On dates, men have a tendency to be distracted by surface allure, and to forget that a girl is also a human being. I have a need to be loved for myself, not for a façade by Max Factor. I want love and I believe that life will follow as it was planned out long before I came into existence.” We can all stand to benefit from Playmate Victoria Valentino’s wise words.