Cynthia Myers — Biography
Born Cynthia Jeanette Myerson, Cynthia Myers earned the distinction of being the inaugural Playboy Playmate of the 1950s generation when she was featured in the magazine's December 1968 issue. The photoshoot took place in June 1968 when Myers was just 17 years old, though Playboy's standard practice at that time mandated waiting until Playmates reached 18 before publication. Her pictorial received the title "Wholly Toledo!" as a nod to her Ohio origins and her physical proportions, specifically a 34E cup size with a 39-inch bust. Photographer Pompeo Posar captured her centerfold, which resonated tremendously with American servicemen stationed in Vietnam and later appeared in the 1987 war film Hamburger Hill and the 1989 combat drama The Siege of Firebase Gloria. According to Myers, her breast development began at age 13 and had reached 34DD dimensions by her Playboy appearance.
Following her magazine debut, Myers became a regular presence on Hugh Hefner's television program Playboy After Dark throughout 1969. She secured an uncredited role in the 1969 dance drama They Shoot Horses, Don't They? before landing a major role in Russ Meyer's 1970 film Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, where she portrayed Casey Anderson, a sensitive bisexual musician and bass guitarist. She subsequently appeared in the 1972 Western Molly and Lawless John.
In 1994, it surfaced that a nude photograph of Myers, along with images of fellow Playmates Angela Dorian, Reagan Wilson, and Leslie Bianchini, had been scanned and placed into Apollo 12 astronaut cuff checklists by members of the mission's backup crew including Dave Scott, Jim Irwin, and Al Worden at NASA. Myers later contributed interviews for the book Centerfolds, released in 2015, where she discussed witnessing inappropriate behavior at the Playboy Mansion.
Myers posed for new photographs in 2000 for a Playboy retrospective. She eventually settled in southern California with her spouse, whom she met during a 1981 fishing excursion to Lake Mead, Nevada, and their son Robert. She maintained modeling work and operated a personal website before her death from lung cancer on November 4, 2011, in Los Angeles at age 61.
Following her magazine debut, Myers became a regular presence on Hugh Hefner's television program Playboy After Dark throughout 1969. She secured an uncredited role in the 1969 dance drama They Shoot Horses, Don't They? before landing a major role in Russ Meyer's 1970 film Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, where she portrayed Casey Anderson, a sensitive bisexual musician and bass guitarist. She subsequently appeared in the 1972 Western Molly and Lawless John.
In 1994, it surfaced that a nude photograph of Myers, along with images of fellow Playmates Angela Dorian, Reagan Wilson, and Leslie Bianchini, had been scanned and placed into Apollo 12 astronaut cuff checklists by members of the mission's backup crew including Dave Scott, Jim Irwin, and Al Worden at NASA. Myers later contributed interviews for the book Centerfolds, released in 2015, where she discussed witnessing inappropriate behavior at the Playboy Mansion.
Myers posed for new photographs in 2000 for a Playboy retrospective. She eventually settled in southern California with her spouse, whom she met during a 1981 fishing excursion to Lake Mead, Nevada, and their son Robert. She maintained modeling work and operated a personal website before her death from lung cancer on November 4, 2011, in Los Angeles at age 61.
