La Natural:
Christina Santiago

PHOTOGRAPHY Nadia Pandolfo

Forget all the plastic girls, with plastic bodies, and even faker personalities. Christina Santiago, Playboy's 2003 Playmate of the Year, is beauty in its purest, rarest form.

When I think of Playboy Playmates, several things come to mind. First there are the good things: exhilarating childhood memories of peeking at nude photos I wasn’t supposed to be looking at, incredibly beautiful women, wild fantasies of meeting a Playmate and…well you know where I’m going with this. On the other hand I also think of one-dimensional, blonde bimbos with fake boobs and the intellect of a starfish (nothing against SpongeBob’s buddy Patrick).

When Playboy named Christina Santiago the 2003 Playmate of the Year, it definitely broke the mold and gained a lot of respect in my book. Not only was Christina Santiago the first Puerto Rican Playmate of the Year, she was also far from your average silicon-enhanced, dyed-blonde airhead. I could go on and on about how hot Christina is, but you don’t need me to tell you what you can see for yourself. What I can tell you (and something that these photos, as great as they are, can’t communicate) is that Christina is a genuine, down-to-earth girl who is a pleasure to be around. Christina Santiago has, thankfully, avoided the trap of letting what she sees in the mirror eclipse what’s inside of her.

MORE OYE GIRLS:

EVA LONGORIA

JESSICA BURCIAGA

PAM RODRIGUEZ

CLAUDIA MOLINA

JEN JOHNSON

CC FONTANA

NIKKI TORRES

 

You may or may not have gotten a chance to see Christina Santiago wearing her birthday suit in the pages of Playboy. But I for one am happier to admire the photos you see here. I can appreciate that which I can’t see so much more, precisely because it’s hidden from me, like a secret beckoning to be revealed. I relish her hidden fruits so much more because I know I may never see them…at least not in real life.

You were named Playboy’s Playmate of the Year in 2003. How has that impacted your career so far?
It has opened some doors in the entertainment industry. And it got me on the cover of Open Your Eyes!

Since it happened, do a lot of guys recognize you?
For the most part I’m a homebody. I don’t go out of my way to be in the public eye. I don’t go out every weekend. I’m not a very dressy person. I don’t wear a lot of make up. Because of all these things most guys wouldn’t recognize me. Once they find out about it, they’re usually surprised. One thing I have heard a lot is, “You’re much prettier in person.” So I guess that’s a good thing.

What are your overall career goals?
To pursue my passion, which is acting and dancing…sorry, I’m not referring to exotic dancing. [laughs]

Was it difficult to make the decision to pose for Playboy?
The decision to pose nude was not hard. I am very comfortable with my body (as I am sure most guys are) and I think nudity is a beautiful thing. Also, considering the fact that I was ready to get out of my mom’s house, it was not a hard decision. At the time I did it, I felt that I was at an age, a time in my life, where I wasn’t doing all the things I wanted to do or pursuing all the goals that I wanted to pursue. Once I did Playboy it motivated me to want to do bigger things, and I realized I needed to leave Chicago to pursue my goals.

What’s the hardest part of posing nude?

[the complete interview appears in issue 29 of Open Your Eyes]