Chris Stout

Hope Dworaczyk is a whole ‘nother level of good-looking. The 2010 Playmate of the Year makes beautiful people look like absolute trolls. And if you’re even slightly unattractive, just go ahead and walk on the other side of the street. It’s like that.

Before posing for Playboy, Hope was a runway model who walked for Balenciaga, Robert Rodriguez, Abaete, XOXO and other brands. She toured with Versace and did print work for Patek Philippe. She’s also the host and co-producer of Inside Fashion, a shoe that appears on the E! Channel in Canada.

As Dworaczyk gets set to hand things over to the next Playmate of the Year, she’ll be competing on this season’s edition of Celebrity Apprentice. We talked to Hope about Hugh Hefner, what it’s like to be Playmate of the Year, Donald Trump, Celebrity Apprentice, the madness of Gary Busey, upcoming fashion trends and why girls love boots so much. Here’s the full interview:

CS: When you became Playmate of the Year how did that change your life?

HD: It changed a lot, I guess. I was going to say a little bit, but it did change a lot because suddenly it’s a completely different audience. Like the fans and people that know who you are. But for me it was different, because the whole Playboy community – it’s like once you’re labeled a Playboy Playmate, people forget you’ve done anything else. So everyone kind of focuses in on the fact that you’re the girl that got naked. That part changed as far as what people’s perception is. It changed my life in many ways, especially career-wise, because I got to do Celebrity Apprentice, I filmed a movie with Eva Longoria that will be out this summer. It just spotlights you and puts you more in the public eye and let’s you have a voice of your own where and you can say, “This is what I want to do with my future.”

CS: In terms of that perception shift; I know you’ve done a lot of runway modeling before. Is that something that’s less of a focus now? Are you in a different kind of category now or do you still want to do more of that stuff?

HD: No, I definitely still walk for designers, I just don’t do every designer. I will go and do a walk for one designer exclusively during a fashion week. So I don’t work as much on the runway, but I’ll walk. I definitely won’t stop walking. I also have a television show called Inside Fashion, and that’s on E! in Canada. So that’s what I was saying, that once you do Playboy, people tend to couch you in that. You’re a Playboy Playmate or Playmate of the Year, and they forget that you’ve done other things because being naked in Playboy I guess is more exciting for some people to say. Or more controversial I should say.

CS: So what advice do you have for the next Playmate of the Year?

HD: Just don’t take yourself too seriously. And don’t stop there, you have to work really hard. You can’t let that be the end of your story. You have to keep working and expanding your brand.

CS: What’s a quality or trait of Hugh Hefner that few people get to see?

HD: I think few people get to see that he’s so friendly and so sweet. I know that he’s helped so many people – which a lot of people I guess would know that. He’s just so nice and friendly, and he’s not actually the Hugh Hefner that he was when he was 40 or 30 years old. He’s a lot more calm now.

CS: So Celebrity Apprentice started this month. Did you have a positive experience during the whole filming of that?

HD: I did have a positive experience. Compared to all the other people that got into fights and probably now regret it because it’s all on camera. I was really quiet, especially in the beginning, and I didn’t get involved in all the conflicts that they had and all the fighting. I do a little bit at the end, because it is unavoidable at one point – if you’re in a corner you have to defend yourself – but I’ve never gotten to the point where I regret doing that reality show.

CS: Was it stressful at all?

HD: Oh, it was definitely stressful, because there are people around at all times. You always have a camera on you. You’re trying to be the most creative. You want your team to win. You want your charity to win money. Then you’re sleeping 3½ to 4½ hours a night and trying to avoid the cattiness that comes with not just the women’s side, the men’s side too. So that part was a little tricky.

CS: So who are some of the contestants who got into it and had these arguments?

HD: Well, in the previews you can see Meat Loaf and Gary going at each other. Jose and David Cassidy didn’t get along. Star Jones and NeNe. Lisa Rinna and Star Jones didn’t get along. The only person I’ve ever had real conflict with, a little bit Star Jones and a little bit NeNe Leakes. But for the most part after the show, we’re still friends. My conflicts weren’t as deep some of the others. There were some people that probably won’t talk again ever.

CS: (Laughs)

HD: The live season finale will be very uncomfortable for everybody.

CS: (laughs) So did you make some friends or allies? People that stuck out during the whole process?

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