Natalia Sokolova

Before her modeling career, Natalia had an unusual upbringing. Her grandfather was a renowned inventor in the Soviet Union, and her mother is a scientist who shares her father's PhD degree. As a child, Natalia traveled to Japan as part of a peace delegation, then spent a month in England to improve her English. That language skill helped her win a competition at Moscow State University, leading to a student exchange at Springbrook High School in Maryland in 1993. At just 16, she enrolled at the University of Maryland in Baltimore. A serious injury on Halloween at age 17 left her in a wheelchair for six months and threatened paralysis. After prolonged treatment in Moscow, she recovered and earned her degree in Finance and International Business in 1998.

While at university, Natalia participated in the Hawaiian Tropics International Swimwear events in Las Vegas. That experience led to an offer to pose for Playboy, which became the foundation of her fame. She went on to appear in various Playboy issues between 1999 and 2001. She also tried acting in film and television, taking roles that suited her physique, and appeared in advertising campaigns, such as one for Miller High Life beer in 2003. Today, Natalia has moved on to business, but her legacy as a Playboy Playmate remains.