- Liv Lindeland is a 77-year-old Norwegian-born American model, actress, and talent manager
- She is renowned for being the playmate of the year 1972
- Aside from this, she was married to Tony Martins
Liv Lindeland rose to fame after a controversial Playboy spread in 1971. Following this, she launched an acting career and later became a talent manager. Throughout her career, Liv graced the screen in movies like Guns(1990) and Safe the Tiger(1973).
Aside from this, she had a long-lasting marriage with Tony Martins Jr., a musician, and son of Tony Martins and Cyd Charisse.
She was Born and Bred in Norway
Liv Lindeland was born on December 7, 1945, in Norway. She spend her early life in the country till the age of 20 in 1965 when she moved to the US to pursue her career. Considering her move to the US, details about her early life are not well known.
Moving on, she enrolled at the Robert Arthur Workshop in New York where she studied acting and speech. Despite taking speech lessons, she did not drop her Norwegian accent and heritage.
Her Marriage to Tony Martin Jr. Lasted till his Death
Liv Lindeland and Tony Martin Jr. got married in 1981 and remained together for the next three decades. Details about how they met is not clear but it is likely that it is through their career as entertainers. Her husband, Martin was a musician in his own right and the son of two successful Hollywood parents, Tony Martins, and Cyd Charisse.
Despite the family’s fame, Liv and Martin Jr. managed to keep their love life away from Hollywood scandals. In fact, they were together for several decades making it one of the longest celebrity marriages. Reportedly Liv remained with him till his death on April 10, 2011.
Considering her husband’s death and the longevity of their marriage, there has been curiosity about whether they had any children. It is speculated that they may not have had any children. Reports also suggest that in the last years of his life, the actor was very ill and his successful parents had to pay for his medical bills.
Other Facts You Didn’t Know About Liv Lindeland
1. She Started her Career as a Model
As mentioned earlier, Liv launched her career as a model. At first, she worked as a fashion model in Massachusetts and spent 4 years building her portfolio. Yet, it was till she moved to Los Angeles that she was pushed to the limelight as she made a remarkable appearance in the January 1971 center spread of Playboy magazine. While she did not win the coveted prize of being the playmate of that year, she became the playmate of 1972.
Regarding why she chose to appear nude, the model explained that she appeared because an attractive body should not be hidden.
Considering Liv’s views on beauty, it is not surprising that she made another appearance for the magazine in Playmates Forever in December 1979. The issue which celebrated 11 former playmates was to show that like fine wine, some women get better with age. Notable among these models are Heidi Becker and Nancy Scott who had all appeared years earlier.
2. Liv Lindeland Also Worked as an Actress
Following her modeling stint, the Norwegian native changed the course of her career when she started acting. Apparently, her move to Los Angeles was so that she could pursue modeling and acting. While her claim to fame is mostly due to modeling, Liv’s first credited movie was the 1971 movie, Evel Knievel.
Aside from her movie roles, she also did a lot of commercials including Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In. Notably, after she set in motion her career with her first credited role in the 70s, she did not take many roles from 1988 till 1990 when she made her last movie appearance in Guns.
Other movies she acted in include;
- Picasso Trigger(1988)
- Win, Place or Steal(1975)
- The Photographer(1975)
- Dirty Oneil(1974)
- Save the Tiger(1973)
3. She is the First Playboy Model to Show Pubic Hair
Her appearance on the Playboy Center spread of 1971 was quite a controversial one. In her pictorial, she revealed her pubic hair making it the first time a Playboy model would do such.
While playmates are known for nude appearances, Liv’s center spread is said to have been a business strategy by Playboy against other competitors. Having released its first issue in 1953, in the 70s, Playboy faced bigger competitors like Penthouse and Hustler. Notably, Penthouse copied Playboy‘s strategy including how the centerfolds appeared. Aside from this it also introduced pubic hairs, an area that Playboy had not explored.
By the time Liv did her pictorial, it was a response to what Penthouse had been doing. This strategy by both the Penthouse and Playboy was referred to as the ‘battle of the pubic hairs’.
4. Liv Lindeland Net Worth
The net worth of the actress cum former model is not known. However, it is likely that she made a fortune from her career. Reportedly, after becoming the playmate of 1972, Liv won the Lincoln-Mercury De Tomaso Panthera as well as a ski trip to Switzerland.
See Also: Charles Larkey: Truth About Carole King’s Ex-Husband, Marriage, And Divorce
5. Where is the Former Model turned Actress Now?
At the age of 77, Lindeland is alive and now pursuing a career as a talent agent. While this keeps her away from the media lights and speculations, it also puts her in a position of training other models.
Aside from the general report about her career, she has kept a low profile about her work and the people she worked with.
