Scarlett Byrne, the actress who played Draco Malfoy’s Slytherin classmate Pansy Parkinson in the “Harry Potter” films, will be among the first women to pose nude in Playboy following the magazine’s decision to bring back nude photo shoots after a two-year absence.
Byrne announced her appearance with a black and white photo of herself on Instagram and Twitter. She says her photos will be accompanied by an essay called “The Feminist Mystique.”
The actress is currently engaged to Cooper Hefner, the son of Playboy founder Hugh Hefner and the magazine’s chief creative officer.
In her essay, Byrne said she wanted to post nude not only to support her fiancé, “but also an opportunity to make a statement about equality between the two sexes.
“Having the opportunity to be part of an iconic American brand that has fought to make sex and other topics considered taboo more mainstream seemed like a unique and special occasion,” she continued, however, she did have her reservations, as “when women associate themselves with anything involving ownership of their sexuality, they’re often perceived as having abandoned their intellect.”
Click here for the full essay and see one of the photos from the shoot below.
Hefner announced the return of nudes to Playboy on Monday with a March/April issue titled “Naked Is Normal.”
Proud to be a part of the March/April issue of Playboy. Thank you to @Playboy & @Cooperhefner for such a unique opportunity. #NakedIsNormal pic.twitter.com/kfwKy29QPq
— Scarlett Byrne (@ScarleyByrne) February 13, 2017
“I’ll be the first to admit that the way in which the magazine portrayed nudity was dated, but removing it entirely was a mistake,” Hefner wrote on Twitter. “Nudity was never the problem because nudity isn’t a problem. Today we’re taking our identity back and reclaiming who we are.”
If you’re one of those people who just reads Playboy for the articles, the March/April issue will also feature a profile of CNN commentator Van Jones and an interview with Scarlett Johansson about her upcoming movie, “Ghost In The Shell.”