Anna Nicole Smith unknowingly transformed the life of the woman Hugh Hefner once called his “most sexy model.”
Sandra Taylor, who made hearts race as a Playboy cover girl during the ’90s, is now the head sommelier at Allegiant Stadium, home of the Las Vegas Raiders. But long before then, her friendship with the 1993 Playmate of the Year changed the course of her life.
Taylor recently appeared on Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model Kim Alexis’ podcast, “Unexpired,” where she reflected on her life and career.
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“I was friends with Anna Nicole Smith, and she was such a darling,” Taylor recalled to Fox News Digital. “We shared two makeup artists. One was in New York, one was in LA. And they introduced us very, very early on to her coming here from Texas, and we became friends. She needed a place to stay when she first came out here.”
A visit to Smith on the set of “Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult” changed the course of Taylor’s career. After Smith’s makeup artist urged her to meet with Playboy during its 40th anniversary search, Smith encouraged her friend to go for it. The opportunity led Taylor to Playboy and launched a new chapter in her life.
WATCH: SANDRA TAYLOR REVEALS HOW ANNA NICOLE SMITH LED HER TO PLAYBOY
“It was my friendship with Anna Nicole Smith … it led me right there,” said Taylor.
“I never, in a million years growing up, thought I would ever be in Playboy,” she said. “It just seemed so out of the realm of reality. I was full speed ahead to be a mathematician just like my dad. … I studied macroeconomics, microeconomics, statistics, differential equations, and I was a dream dancer.”
“I was only 19 years old when my dad passed away,” she continued. “It was on my college campus at SUNY Purchase. He was walking with my mom, and he had a heart attack just out of the blue and passed away. And then I never went back to that campus again. Books in locker; never went back. Never looked back. I always used to joke, ‘I wonder if my books are still in my locker,’ because I never cleared it out. But after that, when he passed away, the math died along with him, and I just didn’t want to do it anymore.”
After her father’s sudden death, Taylor abandoned her plans to pursue math and embraced a career in modeling. Looking back, she remains grateful for her friendship with Smith, whom she credits with helping open the door to Playboy before Smith died in 2007 at 39.
“I remember how sweet she was,” said Taylor. “She was really, really a sweet girl and loved her son so much. She really wanted to be a great mom. She was really a sweetheart, just a really nice girl. I don’t think she could hurt a fly.”
For Taylor, posing for Playboy was only the beginning. She said it led to a friendship with Hefner that lasted until his death in 2017 at 91.
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“Even when you do the magazine, it doesn’t end there,” Taylor explained. “Hef opens up his home for years to come. … Because I was good friends with Kimberley, his wife, I was able to fly on their jet. I was able to really experience him as a family man, and how kind he was, too. I loved his laugh. If I look back, his laugh to me was the most infectious, wonderful thing about him. And I miss him. I really think he changed the trajectory of things for me. I’m sure it closed some doors … but I wouldn’t change it for the world.”
Decades later, Taylor said she learned what Hefner thought of her Playboy photos.
“You know Traci Bingham from ‘Baywatch?'” said Taylor. “She had told me when she went in to discuss doing Playboy, it was right around the time my layout was [going] to press. She goes, ‘I want to do a layout just like that! Who’s that?’ And he was like, ‘Oh, this is Sandra Taylor. She’s our most sexy model we’ve ever had.’ I go, ‘Why did you wait all these years to tell me that amazing piece of trivia? I would’ve loved to have known years ago what Hef thought about me.'”
“I always knew he was so into blondes, like real blondes,” said Taylor. “So to think he was a fan of my photos as well. I just thought he had to use diversity in the magazine. Brunettes, blondes … every single walk of life you want to represent in the magazine. But I always thought he favored blondes. So, when she told me that, it was so beautiful. … I was like, ‘Traci, could you tell me that one more time?'”
Becoming a sought-after model had plenty of perks for Taylor — like catching Fabio’s eye.
WATCH: SANDRA TAYLOR RECALLS DATING FABIO, POSING FOR ROMANCE COVERS
“Shooting the romance covers with Fabio was exactly what you would imagine it would be,” said Taylor. “These elaborate wardrobes — the fan, the hair, everything. It was so wonderful. It was in New York. I met Fabio at this gym called the Vertical Club. He was so sweet. We dated a few times, and he was lovely. He said, ‘Have you ever thought about doing a romance novel cover?’ And I was like, ‘No, but I would love to.'”
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“I was on the yes train from the get-go,” said Taylor. “I always was interested. I always had an open mind, and I always kept myself very interested in anything that came my way. … I don’t know how many romance novel covers we did together, but it was a lot. You shoot many, many in one [day]. So that was really fun. That was a great experience.”
As an actress, Taylor frequently worked with director Garry Marshall. She also appeared in projects with Steven Seagal, Robert De Niro and other Hollywood stars.
“Steven Seagal was really kind to me,” said Taylor. “He was a real gentleman to me. Every time I went to audition, and it was multiple times, there were more beautiful women. The rooms were just packed with beautiful women. I just braced myself. But he was so professional. I remember I wore my lucky pink Chanel suit. The first thing he said to me was, ‘Oh, my wife has a suit similar to that.’ He was just so chivalrous and kind to me.”
“And Dan Aykroyd, I remember he was incredibly generous too. He bought me my SAG card for my first movie. Dan was like, ‘I would love to pay for that for you and one day be able to say that I bought you your SAG card.’ That was a beautiful surprise. He was also very kind and welcoming. I’ll never forget that.”
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Taylor’s life today is “a little different,” she said. She lost her home of 24 years in the 2025 Palisades Fire. She continues to rebuild and has embraced a new role as a professional sommelier. She also helped create Raider Rosé.
“I’m proud of the life I’ve led,” said Taylor. “I’ve faced ups and downs, but I’ve been blessed. And I’m always ready for what life throws at me.”
