Jenny McCarthy
McCarthy, Jenny. (November 1, 1972-    ). American actress, MTV game show host, 1993 Miss October, and 1994 Playboy playmate of the year.

Return to the list of Biographies

    McCarthy was born Jennifer McCarthy on November 1, 1972, in Chicago, Illinois. As a teenager at Mother McAuley Liberal Arts High School, an all girls catholic school, McCarthy felt like an outcast. McCarthy has been described as high-spirited through out her life, even after her classmates, made her the victim of continual nasty pranks. 

    At the age of 18 McCarthy made a big decision, one that would effect the course of her life, she decided to get breast implants. In mid surgery McCarthy woke up from anesthesia and actually saw part of the operation. She then passed out from the initial shock.

    After High School McCarthy attended Southern Illinois University for nursing. McCarthy dropped out as a sophomore when she ran out of money to pay for tuition and expenses. Returning home, McCarthy took up a job at a local Polish Deli counter.

    Following an interest in modeling and acting, and looking for a way out of the Deli, McCarthy decided to start looking for an agent. McCarthy searched several agencies, and broke down crying when one agent told her she was "too fat" and "There's no way you will ever model--you look like you work in a bar." Later  McCarthy found her 5'6", 130 lb body standing in front of Playboy's downtown Chicago office building. She decided to give Playboy a shot. This would be the second major decision McCarthy made that would make her name famous.

    There at the Playboy building McCarthy took nude test Polaroid's for a screen test, and in 1993 was chosen as Miss October. In 1994 McCarthy was honored and chosen as Playboy's Playmate of the Year. The following year McCarthy became co-host of MTV's dating game, Singled Out. McCarthy was replaced by another Playboy playmate, Carmen Electra, in 1996 when McCarthy was offered her own MTV show, The Jenny McCarthy Show. This show lasted a year and the following year McCarthy tried TV again with the sitcom, Jenny

    After testing out the waters of television McCarthy came out with her own biography titled Jen-X: Jenny McCarthy's Open Book in 1997 McCarthy made waves when she appeared in a series of Candies shoe ads. Since then McCarthy has made several guest appearances on TV shows. Many of which include, Baywatch, Just Shoot Me, and The Drew Carey Show. McCarthy has also graced the silver screen in movies like The Stupids, BASEketball, and Scream 3.

    In 1999, on September 11th McCarthy married director John Mallory Asher. McCarthy and Asher live together in Los Angeles California.