Biography of Bridget Marquardt (a.k.a.: Bridget Sandmeier)

Click to View Photos of Bridget Marquardt

Bridget Christina Marquardt is an American television personality, glamour model, and actress. She is best known for her role on the reality television series The Girls Next Door, which depicts her life as one of Playboy magazine publisher Hugh Hefner's girlfriends. Although not a Playboy Playmate, she has appeared in nude pictorials with her Girls Next Door costars and fellow Hefner girlfriends Holly Madison and Kendra Wilkinson. On the advice of friends who suggested she pose for Playboy magazine, Marquardt sent a letter to Playboy inquiring how to become a Playmate, before enrolling at San Joaquin Delta College. In 1998 at the age of 25, Marquardt entered Playboy's Millennium Playmate search. In 2001, Marquardt moved to Los Angeles and did local modeling jobs and small acting roles. According to the book Bunny Tales, by former Hefner girlfriend Izabella St. James, Marquardt worked as a dancer at Spearmint Rhino before becoming one of Hefner's girlfriends. After unsuccessfully testing twice for Playboy, she was invited to the Playboy Mansion and soon became a regular there. In October 2002, after more than a year of visiting the Mansion, she was invited to move in and become one of Hefner's girlfriends.

Bridget at LA Direct Magazine's "Remember to Give" Holiday Party on December 13, 2007 in Hollywood.Marquardt is featured on the E! TV show The Girls Next Door, and has appeared with Holly Madison and Kendra Wilkinson in three cover pictorials in Playboy magazine, the November 2005, September 2006 and March 2008 issues. She has appeared in several films, including the horror/comedy Kottentail in which she portrays a scientist doing genetic research on rabbits. She appeared in an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm as herself along with Madison and Hefner in 2005. She also appeared as herself along with Madison, Wilkinson and Hefner in the Entourage episode "Aquamansion". The episode's final act took place at the Playboy Mansion. She also starred in The House Bunny with her fellow models and Hefner alongside Anna Faris.

Marquardt appeared in a 2002 episode of The Man Show in a search to find new juggies.

Marquardt appears as one of Hugh Hefner's playmates in the video game Playboy: The Mansion, which was released in January 2005. Marquardt appeared in an episode of Celebrity Paranormal Project which aired on November 19, 2006. She took an online paranormal course because of her interest in paranormal activity.

In 2008, Marquardt appeared on an episode of NBC's Last Comic Standing along with Wilkinson and Madison in an episode in which the girls were told funny "bedtime stories" by the competing comics. In June of that year, Marquardt landed her own TV series, Bridget's Beaches, which will air on the Travel Channel. Marquardt and the rest of the Girls Next Door appeared in a July 1, 2008 episode of NBCâ€™s Celebrity Family Feud.

February 2009 marked Bridget's final appearance in Playboy, in a nude photo spread shot with Madison and Wilkinson that was touted as a farewell to the Girls Next Door.

Marquardt is hosting Bridget's Sexiest Beaches, a TV series on Travel Channel, which debuted March 12, 2009.