June Wilkinson, once billed as one of the most recognizable glamour models in America, built a career that spanned decades, yet she never achieved the same level of film stardom as her famous contemporaries Jane Mansfield and Mamie Van Doren. Her physical measurements and striking figure often placed her in their company, but her place in the hierarchy of blonde bombshells was consistently third. Born in Essex, England, on March 27, 1940, Wilkinson trained as a ballet dancer and began performing on stage at the age of twelve. Her professional journey in entertainment started early, as she initially performed as a bare-breasted dancer at fifteen before joining London’s legendary Windmill Theatre.
She began working as a fan dancer in 1957, a role that would soon open doors for her across the Atlantic. Playboy founder Hugh Hefner discovered Wilkinson shortly after, bringing her to America and featuring her in the magazine’s September 1958 issue. Hefner gave her the fitting nickname “The Bosom,” a title that stuck and contributed to her transformation from a brunette to a platinum blonde in 1960. Her appearances generated considerable attention, and she returned for another spread in August 1959, followed by a November 1960 issue and several others over the years, though she never officially became a Playboy Playmate.
Taking full advantage of her Playboy fame, Wilkinson appeared in dozens of magazines and newspapers between 1958 and 1970. Like her rivals, she sought to break into motion pictures, but her attempt at film stardom under a contract with Seven Arts did not succeed. After appearing uncredited in modest productions such as “Thunder in the Sun” and “Mr. Teez and His Games” in 1959, she landed a leading role in the 1960 film “The Girl in the Headlines,” which told the story of a girl seeking success in Hollywood.
Controversial slogans promoting her films, like “June appears everywhere,” made her career trajectory easy to predict. Her later roles in unsuccessful films of the era, including “The Private Lives of Adam and Eve” in 1960, “Macumba Love” in 1960, and “The Continental Twist” in 1961, solidified her reputation as a serious film actress, but they did little to elevate her status among her peers. Wilkinson managed to keep her name alive through the 1960s and 1970s with performances in nightclubs and on stage. She appeared in comedy productions such as “Three in a Bedroom,” “The Ninety-Day Mistress,” and “Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?
” at dinner theaters and Las Vegas hotels. One of her most successful acts, “Pajama Tops,” showcased her beauty and comedic timing, and the well-received show ran for years, including a brief Broadway run in 1963. She also made appearances on television, playing the villainess Evelina on the popular series “Batman” and guest-starring on “The Doris Day Show. ” These roles kept her visible in the public eye during a period when her film career had stalled.
In 1972, Wilkinson married Dan Pastorini, an American football player for the Houston Oilers and Los Angeles Rams known for his playboy reputation. Pastorini also appeared as an actor in films and television shows from time to time, and the couple appeared together in the 1976 film “The Florida Connection. ” They had a daughter named Rhonda, but the marriage ended after ten years. Later in life, Wilkinson became a successful businesswoman, managing a chain of fitness centers in Canada and hosting “The Directors,” a show on Encore where she interviewed filmmakers.
She also presented a historical fashion show titled “The First 5,000 Years of Magic. ” Her most recent screen appearance came in the 2005 low-budget Western film “Bad Man,” alongside actor George Kennedy.