Vanessa Gleason isn’t afraid to use her animal instincts. All natural, with chocolate-brown hair and brown eyes, Vanessa was raised in a Mexican-American family, and her heart has always bled for animal welfare. “I was born horse crazy,” she admits. “I belonged to an animal rights group, and I used to be a hard-core vegan. But I was weak and thin – all I ate were raw foods, and I like some meat on my bones.” Working as a salesgirl in a local mall, a fuller, more voluptuous Vanessa was offered her first modeling job – from there, it wasn’t long before Playboy came calling. “My friend Julia encouraged me to try out,” says Vanessa, referring to Playmate sister Julia Schultz. “I figured if she could do it, why couldn’t I?” With a Playboy spread under her belt, Vanessa knows she’s got the world on a string, and she’s busy training for an acting career. “I feel like I can be anything I want,” she says happily. “My glass is only half full!”