Alexus Winston is beautiful in the classic sense of the word, a Technicolor throwback to an era when glamour sweethearts like Rita Hayworth were all the rage. When they write the book on Bob Guccione and his Penthouse magazine, a chapter will undoubtedly be dedicated to Winston, one of the most popular Penthouse Pets of all time.
Today, Winston focuses on TV work and a promising acting career. The cover girl recently hosted two segments as a special correspondent for E! Entertainment Television's Wild On... series. The jump from adult to mainstream is difficult, but Winston happily acknowledges her famous past while confidently embarking on a bright future. The Internet-savvy gal has the chic official site AlexusWinston.com as well as the far less risqu� AlexusWinston.net, which houses her acting portfolio.
Winston is charming, intelligent, and ambitious; her sex appeal is outdone only by how nice she is. She's one of those folks that make you feel comfortable whether you've known her for years or are meeting her for the first time. There's something special about Winston; you can see it in her eyes and the way she smiles at you.
I joined this month's easygoing and refreshingly candid cover girl at a caf� on the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica, CA. We talked about life, career, and what she wears to bed. Needless to say, on a most glorious day, I had a most wonderful time with Alexus Winston.
AVN Online: You were a spokesmodel for Pinnacle Horny Goatweed. What was that like, what the heck is Goatweed, and why is it horny? Alexus Winston: Horny Goatweed is a natural sexual stimulant and the name itself is real. The plant grows in China at the very top of the mountains, and the scientists go and extract it.
They never endorsed me. I never used the product. Actually, I tried it once, and I don't have a problem in that area, so I didn't notice a difference. I worked for them for like three or four years.
AO: What's Bob Guccione like?
AW: He's a very good friend of mine. He's fabulous. He's very quiet.
AO: You're working in mainstream entertainment now, acting. Is there a type of film or TV role you feel very strong about playing?
AW: I would love to try and attempt to play something like Cameron Diaz in Gangs of New York; something challenging, not the ditzy blonde.
AO: Are there any actresses you look to as perhaps a model for your career?
AW: I think what I'm trying to do is really hard because everybody stereotypes you. "Oh, the pretty girl, model-turned-actress." And it's not fair. It's hard. I think [I'd like to have a career] like Julianne Moore. I love Goldie Hawn. Lately I've been watching everybody, absorbing.
AO: What TV show's cast would you most like to join?
AW: Maybe Friends. I'd like to join any show I could get on.
AO: Tell me a newspaper headline you would like to read about yourself one day.
AW: "Alexus Winston: Overnight Success." Something like that.
AO: Describe yourself in one word.
AW: Bubbly.
AO: Do you have a nickname?
AW: "Princess." Maybe "Chatterbox."
AO: How involved are you with AlexusWinston.com?
AW: I'm 100 percent involved, from the ground up. I update it with Dreamweaver; there's Photoshop, I do everything. I could pay someone to help me, but I do all of it, it's mine. I'm very proud of my Website. It's no Danni Ashe, but I don't have a building full of people to work on it.
AO: How long have you been on the 'Net?
AW: Five years. There are 100 of my members that have been with the site since the day it opened.
AO: How do you deal with content theft?
AW: What am I going to do? If anything, it gets my name out there even more. This is what I'm doing today. I can't control tomorrow, I can't control yesterday.
AO: What is your idea of perfect happiness?
AW: I think being comfortable in your relationships. When you're comfortable financially, with your career; wherever you want to be at in your career. Family. Health. When all those elements come into play and they're all going good.
AO: What is your dream?
AW: To be successful with my career. Have a family, be healthy... the all-American dream. It'd be nice if everything would go right in the world.
AO: What makes Alexus Winston sad?
AW: All poverty... people in the world that can't get themselves to a better place... children that are abused... especially children, because they're so helpless.
AO: What makes you feel sexy?
AW: When the person you're with believes in you and likes you. And black lace. Sexy clothes, being made up. I feel so good when I do photo shoots.
AO: What is the quality you most like in a man?
AW: Success. Health. Dominance. Not passive, but still accommodating. Has his shit together. Has a job. That'd be nice. All of the above, you know, your ideal man. Are they out there? I mean, aside from you.
AO: What is the quality you most like in a woman?
AW: She takes care of herself. I think a guy likes it when a woman takes of herself. I mean, work wise, she's ambitious, does something, and looks good... takes care of her body.
AO: Describe your version of a great romantic evening.
AW: Hopping on a private jet, with a nice bottle of white wine, going to a romantic beach, and being with the person you really care about. That would be a very romantic evening. I'd like to do that now.
AO: Really? What's the worst pick-up line you've ever heard?
AW: I was in a mall with a friend once and some guy acted like we dropped something out of one of our purses. It was so bad. It was a bad act.
I don't really get hit on that much. Guys don't really come up and hit on me. Nobody says "Do you wanna go out?" Nobody ever does. It's weird, or if they're hitting on me, I don't know it.
AO: If you could sit courtside at a Lakers game with one person, who would it be?
AW: Jack. Jack Nicholson.
AO: What inspires you?
AW: My friends, and just life. You're only given one shot at it. Make the best of it, go for it and feel good about it; be somebody. I want to be somebody. I want to do whatever I can and make the best of it. I pull a lot from friends and family.
AO: What is your biggest weakness?
AW: I worry too much what people think. I worry too much about other people where it will affect my health. It gets to the point where I'll go to the ends of the earth to put myself out even if it makes me miserable. I have to stop doing that.
AO: What do you like to talk about?
AW: I like to talk about what's going on in the world. I listen to the news a lot. I like to discuss current events, what my girlfriends are doing. I'm very involved in their lives. I care very much for my friends.
AO: Be honest: What do women talk about when they go to the bathroom together?
AW: Probably talking about what's going at the table... their boyfriends. Saying "Did you see that snotty girl sitting next to you?"
AO: In how many languages can you say, "I love you?"
AW: One.
AO: And love is...?
AW: Feeling good, family, and friends. Sharing experiences.
AO: What is something you wish you could learn at the snap of a finger?
AW: French... and the stock market.
AO: What's one of your guiltiest pleasures?
AW: Wine. White wine.
AO: What is your favorite city to visit?
AW: New York... but not for a vacation spot, for the city.
AO: If you could travel back to any time period, where would you go?
AW: Probably the '50s and '60s, when they had the cool cars and they started discovering TV and all that jazz. Everything's all proper, long skirts... life was simpler.
AO: When was the last time you were spanked?
AW: Last night.
AO: When you sleep you wear...?
AW: Usually like a little nightie, or just a little tank top and pajamas.
AO: Okay, please describe the underwear you have on.
AW: I don't wear underwear. That's absolutely a fact. And anyone close to me will know that's true. I've noticed that working with Penthouse... Pets don't wear panties. I swear to God, Pets don't wear panties. It's like a rule of thumb.
AO: Three items you can't live without?
AW: My compact, my cell phone, and my purse.
AO: Sexiest movie?
AW: Tera Patrick's Virtual Sex.
AO: Lucky number?
AW: 17.
AO: Favorite time of day?
AW: Morning... 'cause it's fresh and new and clean.
