‘Playboy’ Founder Hugh Hefner Gets the Docuseries Treatment in Amazon’s ‘American Playboy’

Playboy magazine and its Casanova creator step into the spotlight in the upcoming Amazon docuseries American Playboy: The Hugh Hefner Story (all episodes stream April 7). Featuring interviews with Hefner and his children Christie and Cooper, as well as stars like Bill Maher, James Caan and Carmen Electra, the 10 episodes chronicle the house that Hef built, from the magazine’s inception in 1953 to the present day. Matt Whelan (above) portrays the legendary lothario in reenactments. “I think there are very few people who can claim to have lived a life half as sensational as Hugh Hefner’s,” executive producer Stephen David says. “Getting Marilyn Monroe’s picture for the first issue, opening up the Playboy Club and fighting segregation—our challenge was to capture the real-life drama behind these incredible stories.”