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Watch Hugh Hefner Reflect on Playboy's First Edition With Cover Star Marilyn Monroe in 2008 E! News Interview

See what the late Hollywood icon told E! News almost 10 years ago

By Jess Cohen Sep 28, 2017 6:39 PMTags
Watch: Hugh Hefner Talks Marilyn Monroe in First "Playboy"

Hugh Hefner's passion for his magazine was very apparent in all of his interviews.

On Wednesday, Playboy's founder passed away at the age of 91. "Hugh M. Hefner, the American icon who in 1953 introduced the world to Playboy magazine and built the company into one of the most recognizable American global brands in history, peacefully passed away today from natural causes at his home, The Playboy Mansion, surrounded by loved ones," Playboy confirmed in a statement to E! News. "He was 91 years old."

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Hugh Hefner: A Life in Pictures

As the statement read, Hefner started Playboy back in 1953 with Marilyn Monroe appearing on the magazine's first ever cover. In a 2008 interview with E! News, Hefner reflected on the magazine's first edition and how Monroe "set the standard" for the publication after gracing the cover.

"I'm at a point in time where I am doing a lot of…a lot of reflecting on a life wonderfully lived," Hefner told us while on the set of a photo shoot nine years ago.

When talking about the cover with Monroe, Hefner said, "Very first playmate of the month, very first cover. And kind of set the standard."

He then revealed that Monroe's cover photo was something that had been photographed before but almost no one had seen.

"The picture was something that had been shot before," Hefner said. "It was a calendar photo shot by Tom Kelley. Most people had heard about it but almost nobody had seen it and nobody had seen it because the post office had taken the position that you couldn't send nudity through the mail. And I'm the kid that didn't think the post office had that right."

He continued, "So we published that picture and it caused a sensation."

Watch the interview above to see Hefner talk more about the magazine and his life!