This week, about 100 Gators had the chance to become bunnies.
Playboy held a casting call in Gainesville on Tuesday and Wednesday for female UF students interested in appearing in its upcoming “Girls of the SEC” pictorial.
Between March 27 and April 19, teams of Playboy representatives will travel to each of the 12 schools in the Southeastern Conference in search of models to grace the magazine’s October issue.
Although it’s still early in the process, UF girls have set themselves apart.
“There’s a certain amount of class and beauty that you can’t find anywhere else than Florida,” said Jared Ryder, a photographer and producer with Playboy. “UF girls are amazing. They’re intelligent and they’re beautiful, and that’s the perfect storm of what we’re looking for.”
The team dispatched to UF was charged with trimming the large pool of applicants down to a group of about 10.
Of those 10, somewhere between one and six will likely appear in the issue, as decided by editors at Playboy headquarters in Chicago.
UF students interested in appearing in the issue were invited to appear at the Hilton University of Florida Conference Center.
The university had no affiliation with the endeavor.
The hopefuls went through an abbreviated photo shoot and filled out a brief questionnaire to see if they met the magazine’s criteria.
“A girl that’s smart, sexy and confident is the total package,” said Stephanie Ortiz, a photographer and producer. “And I think here in Florida you have the total package for sure.”
While most applicants were forced to wait before learning their selection fate, sophomore Gabrielle Rushing was one of the select few quickly ushered to the front of the line.
Ortiz said Rushing came in with the right attitude and personality, and the Playboy editors almost instantly approved her selection.
“It was really exciting, actually, more than nervous,” Rushing said. “Once you overcome the barrier of actually getting there, it’s a rush.”
Although Rushing had never modeled before, she said the Playboy crew made her comfortable with the whole process and turned casting into a breeze.
Playboy was so taken with her that she and another early selection left Gainesville on Thursday for a photo shoot at Ginnie Springs that is said to feature a live gator.
Although the location of the casting was originally kept a secret to eliminate fanfare, Rushing wasn’t at all shy about discussing the process.
She shared the excitement of her selection with friends, sisters, her mom and even her dad, albeit through relay.
“I just called [my sisters] on the phone on the way here, and they were really excited. I told them to tell my dad,” Rushing said. “He is usually supportive of what I do. … I think, after the initial shock, he’ll know it’s okay.”
