Sharon Johansen

Working a 9am-5pm job in an office isn’t for everyone especially our energetic Miss October 1978. Sharon Johansen is a Scandinavian blonde who’s tried having a conventional career for the White House press secretary—a job she even found interesting—but it wasn’t a good fit. “I worked as a receptionist for a short time for Pierre Salinger. Right after high school, I worked for his investment company. Knowing him was great, but I hated being cooped up in an office all the time. I also wanted something that would give me a chance to be my own boss, make my own hours,” explains the voluptuous Norwegian. “I've always loved animals—at first I considered working at the L.A. zoo. Then it came to me out of nowhere—dog training. I took a course to learn how it's done and just started out.” Working in the backyards of some high-end properties in Palos Verdes, Beverly Hills and Los Angeles, Sharon’s word-of-mouth business model has proven to be quite lucrative. “I prefer working that way, so when people call, they've already made up their minds to have their dogs trained and I don't have to sell them on the idea. Most of them also know what it costs. I charge $200 for a full course or $20 an hour. I know that sounds like a lot, but I don't work every day, so I had to think about that when I set my fee,” states our all-natural Playmate of the Month who also models part-time. “The best part about my job is I've spent time in some of the most fabulous backyards in Los Angeles.” One of the famous backyards our blue-eyed Miss October 1972 gets to call her office for the day is at the Playboy Mansion where she works with Dog, Hugh Hefner’s old English sheep dog. Dog’s training takes place in the wooded portion of the five-acre estate surrounding the Mansion in Holmby Hills. Once their session is over, Sharon strips down to her tiny bikini—showing off her all-natural DD-cup chest—and walks over to the Playboy Mansion’s waterfall. “Being self-employed, I prefer going to people’s homes to train their dogs rather than having them brought to me. At Hef’s, that arrangement really has some great side benefits,” gushes Sharon. “Right now, I'm a dog trainer, but I'd love to become an actress and model.” Prior to her centerfold photoshoot with photographer Alexas Urba, the Norwegian-born blonde who moved to Wisconsin as a toddler, had only appeared on a couple television shows like The Name of the Game and had just finished filming a movie called Your Three Minutes Are Up with Ron Leibman. “I’m Ron’s girlfriend in the film. I play a kind of beach girl named Johansen. That's really wild because I get to use my own name and I couldn't be more of a beach girl in real life,” she adds. Following the publicity her sexy centerfold garnered up for her, Sharon was offered roles in well-known series like Columbo and Charlie’s Angels, but she was ecstatic to hear she landed a part in Steve Martin’s film, The Jerk. “It just seems like everything's rushing in at once and I love it,” gushes our Miss October 1972.