Hugh Hefner described his own name as his most effective introduction to women, offering a simple answer in an archived Esquire interview about his relationships and personal outlook.
“My best pick-up line is ‘My name is Hugh Hefner,’” the Playboy founder told the magazine.
In the same interview, Hefner claimed he had slept with thousands of women and maintained that they still liked him. Those comments represented his own account of his relationships.
Writer Wil S. Hylton’s interview also covered Hefner’s views on sex, religion and personal freedom. Hefner argued that people should embrace sexuality rather than regard it as something shameful.
He offered a similar account of his preferred introduction during a December 4, 2003, appearance on CNN with Anderson Cooper.
Read More: Playboy founder Hugh Hefner dies at age 91
During that exchange, Hefner explained that the introduction worked for him, while acknowledging it might not work for someone else. Cooper jokingly asked whether he could borrow the line, and Hefner suggested trying it for a week.
The CNN appearance coincided with Playboy’s 50th anniversary. Hefner had launched the magazine in 1953 and built a broader publishing and entertainment business around it.
He died at his Playboy Mansion home on September 27, 2017, aged 91, according to Playboy Enterprises.
