Candace Collins

If you ask Playmate Candace Collins where she’s from, she’ll tell you she’s a proud Chicagoan –even though that isn’t entirely true. Candace was born and raised in the small town of Dupo, IL, but in the all-natural brunette’s heart, Chicago is home because it’s where she got her first big break. Candace began modeling at the young age of 13 in St. Louis at a department store and six years later, she worked at the St. Louis Playboy Club as a door bunny. After sampling life as a Playboy bunny, the busty brunette with the most mesmerizing light-green eyes needed more. She made the move to Chicago, where she worked as a Bunny at the Playboy Club and auditioned for the magazine. “I’m still learning how to enjoy Chicago winters,” laughs our 1976 Chicago Bunny of the Year turned Miss December 1979. “There has to be a way. I just haven't found it yet.” From her first Playboy shoot, Candace’s photos generated lots of buzz that spread across the globe. She began working in Italy, Spain and beyond, acquired her own billboard in Times Square and appeared on the covers of 8 Playboy magazines, including several international editions. “The most ridiculous location I ever shot in was inside an active volcano on the Canary Islands for a champagne commercial,” exclaims Miss Collins who plans on taking her career further. “I'd like to get into this business from a different angle. When you're the model, you're limited to what the client wants. I'd rather be the one doing the directing.” While the busty model hasn’t tried her hand at directing yet, she has worked with many successful Hollywood directors on films like Risky Business and Smokey and the Bandit Part 3. With a successful Playboy career and acting under her belt, Candace is looking forward to the next chapter in not only her career, but in her personal life. “I was raised in an atmosphere that held family as very important, more than a career, and I think that when you get older, you return to your roots,” says our Miss December 1979 who also works as a social columnist in Chicago. “I can see that eventually I'm going to want to be someplace where it's very quiet and peaceful, with children and somebody I love.” Her dreams came true when Candace fell in love and had a family, all in the city where her name first reached superstardom. Chicago will forever be Candace Collins’ happy place.