Just the Articles: "Playboy" Interviews 2009 Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Some people may think it somehow ironic that "Playboy" interviewed this founder and chief of Virgin Megastores and Virgin Atlantic. However, he has written books entitled "Business Stripped Bare", "Screw It, Let's Do It", and "Losing My Virginity". Who was the billionaire businessman interviewed in the January 2009 issue of "Playboy"?

Answer: Richard Branson

In the interview, Branson discusses Virgin Galactic, which plans to offer three-hour trips into space for a mere $200,000. In addition to being a successful businessman, Branson has attempted world record setting adventures. One such successful world record attempt was his 2004 fastest crossing of the English Channel in an amphibious vehicle, completed in 1 hour, 40 minutes, and 6 seconds.

2. He isn't an antisocial American doctor, but this British actor plays one on television. US audiences may remember him as the father in "Stuart Little" (1999), but British viewers will know him for his comedy work with partner Stephen Fry. Who was interviewed in the February 2009 issue of "Playboy"?

Answer: Hugh Laurie

In the interview, Laurie admits that his American accent can be difficult to pull off when it comes to words with the "r" sound, specifically mentioning the words "coronary artery", "court order", "New York", and "cancer".

The son of an Olympic gold medalist rower, Laurie's own athletic career was stopped by a bout of mononucleosis and he took up acting. The question refers to Laurie's role as Dr. Gregory House on "House M.D." (first season was 2004).

3. Country music star Kenny Chesney was interviewed in the March 2009 issue of "Playboy", where he discussed his 4 month marriage to what "Jerry Maguire" (1996) actress?

Answer: Ren�e Zellweger

His marriage to Zellweger was ended mutually. To get the marriage annulled, Zellweger claimed "fraud", but only because she had to select a reason and it was the most acceptable option (i.e. there was no abuse or other reason, it was just a mistake that they got married in the first place). Unfortunately, the choice of "fraud" led to rumors of Chesney being a homosexual, which he denies. Chesney may have lost his hair at 19, but it hasn't stopped his success with the ladies.

4. It's rare for a man to appear on the cover of "Playboy", but this star of "Freaks and Geeks" (1999), "Knocked Up" (2007), and "Pineapple Express" (2008) did it for his interview. Who appeared with Playmate of the Month, Hope Dworaczyk, on the cover of the April 2009 issue?

Answer: Seth Rogen

Rogen's first gig as a stand-up comedian was at a lesbian bar called the Lotus. At the time of the interview, Rogen was working on writing and starring as the title character in "The Green Hornet" (2010).

5. The June 2009 issue of "Playboy" featured an interview with Shia LaBeouf, an actor from such movies as "Transformers" (2007), "Eagle Eye" (2008), and "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" (2008). What was his first movie?

Answer: Holes

LaBeouf went from being a 9-year old stand up comic, to commercial work, to a role on the Disney Channel television show "Even Stevens" (2000-2003), to being a movie star. In "Holes" (2003), LaBeouf played Stanley "Caveman" Yelnats who was sent to a juvenile detention camp where digging holes in a dried up lake bed gets him to the bottom of a mystery.
"Holes" (2003)
"The Greatest Game Ever Played" (2005)
"Disturbia" (2007)
"Surf's Up" (2007)

6. Which Baldwin brother has a role on "30 Rock" (first season was 2006), has starred in movies such as "The Hunt for Red October" (1990) and "The Shadow" (1994), and has hosted over a dozen episodes of "Saturday Night Live" (first season was 1975)?

Answer: Alec

In the July/August 2009 "Playboy" interview, Baldwin states that doing interviews is not something he enjoys and "wouldn't waste [bleeping] five minutes on it" if he wasn't pressured into promoting his upcoming projects. Baldwin was also not shy about expressing his hatred for "TMZ"'s Harvey Levin, who in 2007 leaked a particularly nasty voice mail Baldwin had left for his daughter Ireland.

7. Animator Seth MacFarlane was interviewed for the September 2009 issue of "Playboy". MacFarlane provides several of the voices for the characters on his shows. Which of these "Family Guy" (first season was 1999) characters is not voiced by MacFarlane?

Answer: Chris

In the interview, MacFarlane admits that his favorite movie is "The Sound of Music" (1965). He also states that "Queen" was the last rock band that he liked.

8. In 2009, Woody Harrelson fought with a photographer and broke his camera. Later he explained that he had mistaken the photographer for ...what?

Answer: a zombie

In the October 2009 "Playboy" interview, Harrelson explains that the zombie explanation was the idea of Sir Paul McCartney, who combined the photographer story with the movie "Zombieland" (2009) that Harrelson had just finished filming.

9. This star and co-producer of "The Wolfman" (2010) played Duke the Dog-Faced Boy in his first movie, "Big Top Pee-wee" (1988). Who is he?

Answer: Benicio Del Toro

In the November 2009 "Playboy" interview, Del Toro discusses his love for old horror movies. His favorite is "Creature From the Black Lagoon" (1954), and he has an original poster from that movie in his house. He also has a poster of Lon Chaney Jr. from "The Wolf Man" (1941), which led to his manager suggesting the 2010 remake.

10. Director James Cameron was interviewed in the December 2009 issue of "Playboy", primarily to promote his latest movie. What is the title of this 2009 3-D space epic featuring blue skinned aliens and a completely computer generated world?

Answer: Avatar

Cameron got his start making his own amateur films, and his first professional movie job was for Roger Corman, making minatures, designing sets, and doing everything else he could. There he met his second wife, Gale Anne Hurd, with whom he made his first movie, "The Terminator" (1984).

"Avatar" (2009) is the story of an alien tribe on a distant planet and the human who joins them in their fight against an Earth corporation trying to eliminate them. The plot of the movie, however, takes a back seat to the technology used to create the 3-D computer generated effects and how 3-D is used not as a gimmick, but as a new language of film making.

Source: Author jcpetersen

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor gtho4 before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

"Playboy" may be famous for its pictorials, but it also contains world-class interviews. Test your knowledge of the people interviewed in 2009. You won't need to read the magazine, but you will need to know your celebrities.

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