She also began acting, and appeared in the West German comedy film The Naughty Cheerleader (1970), before appearing as a featured repeat performer on a number of popular television series, including The Bobby Vinton Show in 1976, The Love Boat and Fantasy Island. She landed a spot on television's Hee Haw doing short comedy sketches, and subsequently enjoyed a career as a country singer. Though she was featured in a number of photo-essays, she was never a Playmate of the Month. She is credited with persuading Hefner to buy the Playboy Mansion in Holmby Hills in 1974.īenton (initially credited as Barbi Klein) appeared on the cover of Playboy four times: July 1969, March 1970, May 1972, and December 1985 and in additional nude photo layouts in the December 1973 and January 1975 issues. Hefner persuaded her to change her name from Barbara Klein to the more "marketable" Barbi Benton. Upon being asked, she reportedly demurred to the then-42-year-old Hefner: "I don't know, I've never dated anyone over 24 before." To which Hefner replied, "That's all right, neither have I." The two began a relationship that lasted several years, and placed Benton in the center of the Playboy enterprise. After recording two episodes, Hefner asked the young co-ed for a date. She initially started as an extra on the show, but after host Hugh Hefner fell in love with Benton, her role was quickly elevated to co-host.
Following high school, she attended UCLA, and at age 18 took a job with Playboy to appear on their entertainment show Playboy After Dark.
Bill Dana (dark jacket), Don Adams (center), Benton, and Hugh Hefner from the TV program Playboy After DarkĪt the age of 16, she began to model.
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