Petra Verkaik

Petra Verkaik

Born on November 4, 1966, in Los Angeles, California, Petra Verkaik built one of the longest and most prolific careers in the history of Playboy magazine. Of Dutch and Indonesian heritage, she grew up speaking Dutch until third grade and went on to earn a degree in Mechanical Engineering from California State University, Northridge, before her modeling career took shape.

Entry into Modeling

Petra's path into the industry began almost by accident in 1989. While pursuing acting, she needed headshots and agreed to model for a photographer in exchange for free photos. That photographer submitted her images to Playboy, which led to her debut in the "Great Playmate Hunt" special edition in February 1989. By December of that year, she had been named Playmate of the Month. She also appeared as Playmate of the Month in international editions, including Playboy Italy and Playboy Australia in January 1990 and Playboy Argentina in March 1990.

Playboy Career

Over the following two decades, Petra became the most published woman in Playboy's history, appearing in more than 70 magazine issues and special editions. Her run in the Book of Lingerie series alone spanned from 1990 to 2000 with dozens of appearances. She won the Playboy Lingerie Readers' Choice Model of the Year in 1997, and readers voted her "Sexiest Playmate of the 1980s" in 2001. She represented the brand at Glamourcon events from 1996 through 2010 and returned for the Playmate Xtra video series in 2010. As a Natural Boobs model, her physique was a distinguishing feature throughout her career, with both she and the magazine confirming she never had augmentation surgery.

Production and Business Ventures

In 1995, Petra founded Pin-Up Girls, her own production company, an uncommon move for a Playmate at the time. The venture produced videos and calendars, though she initially took on significant debt to get it running. She launched her personal website, Petra Central, in January 1999, which grew to host hundreds of photosets and videos.

Acting Work

Petra also pursued mainstream acting, with credits including "Pyrates" (1991) alongside Kevin Bacon, "Auntie Lee's Meat Pies" (1992), and "Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IV" (2000). She guest-starred on "Married... with Children" in 1996. A role in "Galaxy Quest" (1999) was filmed but cut from the theatrical release.

Later Career

With a career spanning from 1986 to the present, Petra counts among the Veteran Models still active in the industry. She joined OnlyFans in April 2020 and continues to model independently. Standing 5 feet 8 inches with brown hair and hazel eyes, she also maintains an interest in animal welfare and donates to related charities.