Kristy Swanson: From Buffy to Playboy at 56

Kristy Swanson was a blonde bombshell TV and movie star in the 1990s.

The beauty from Laguna, California had a small part as Duckette in the Molly Ringwald film Pretty in Pink in the 1980s.

That was followed up by a role in Ferris Bueller's Day Off which starred Matthew Broderick. 

She had her big breakthrough in 1992 when she starred as Buffy Summers in the film Buffy The Vampire Slayer.

There are plenty of other movies on her resume: Hot Shots! (1991), Mannequin Two: On the Move (1991), The Program (1993), The Chase (1994), 8 Heads in a Duffel Bag (1997), Big Daddy (1999), and Dude, Where's My Car? (2000). Later she worked on the TV show Psych.

The looker cemented her pin-up status when she landed the cover of Maxim in 2000 and Playboy magazine in 2002. 

Her career slowed down when she got COVID-19 in 2018 and she took some time off.

See what the Hollywood veteran looks like now at age 56.

Kristy Swanson was a blonde bombshell TV and movie star in the 1990s. She starred in the movie version of Buffy The Vampire Slayer in 1992

Her costar was Luke Perry of Beverly Hills, 90210 fame

The thespian was raised in Mission Viejo, California and attended The Actors Workshop.

She got small parts on hit TV series such as Cagney & Lacey and Alfred Hitchcock Presents at a very young age

In 1986, she appeared in two John Hughes films: Pretty In Pink and Ferris Bueller's Day Off. 

Her first starring role was later in 1986, in Wes Craven's Deadly Friend as Samantha. The next year she played Cathy in Flowers in the Attic.

By 1990, Swanson popped up in Knots Landing (1987–1988), Nightingales (1989) and B.L. Stryker (1989).

Throughout the 1990s, she starred mostly in films. 

She played the title role in the 1992 film Buffy the Vampire Slayer opposite Luke Perry of Beverly Hills, 90210 fame.

And the star was in Hot Shots!, The Program, The Chase, and John Singleton's Higher Learning. 

In November 2002 she appeared on the cover of Playboy magazine

Swanson on the cover of Maxim in 2000

In 1999, Swanson played Vanessa, the ex-girlfriend of Adam Sandler in the film Big Daddy. 

In 2000, she was in the TV series Grapevine and then worked with Ashton Kutcher in Dude, Where's My Car?

Swanson posed in a bikini for Maxim in 2000 then was nude for Playboy magazine in November 2002.

Then came reality TV with Skating with Celebrities then popped up on Law & Order: Criminal Intent.

Swanson married her Skating with Celebrities partner Lloyd Eisler in 2009. They have a son, and two children from his previous marriage.

He is a former Canadian pairs skater who has won bronze at the Olympics.

In 2018 Swanson was hospitalized with COVID-19.

Seen 20 years ago at a Fox event in Hollywood

The actress revealed via social media that she was rushed to hospital over the weekend and has been receiving treatment for coronavirus-related pneumonia.

In a series of Twitter posts, she explained: '[praying emoji] for me please. Yesterday I took an ambulance ride to the hospital. I'm still here with pneumonia, I'm on oxygen etc, all covid related of course. I'm in good spirits and in great hands. [heart and praying emojis].

'Thank you all for the prayers it truly means a lot to me. I can feel it [hugging emoji]. Just little more clarification & update, I was just at the tail end of my Covid diagnosis when it jumped into my lungs. So they are treating me with Baricitinib & blood thinners so I don't clot. I'm ok.

Swanson seen on Monday in an Instagram post with her husband since 2009, Lloyd Eisler, a former Canadian pairs skater

Swanson with Donald Trump in the White House

'Virtua memorial in Mount Holly NJ has been incredible. They are so on top it and have a wonderful staff. My night nurse is Rose and I love her because she takes care of me and that's my moms name [rose emoji] The paramedics in NJ are super pro, friggin amazing and hot AF! I'm doing great (sic)'

She subsequently revealed that she's feeling better and better as time passes.

She tweeted: 'My oxygen level was at 92 yesterday, now I'm at 95 today! And I found pressed powder and lipgloss in my purse [smiling emoji] (sic)'

The actress has previously questioned the COVID-19 vaccination on social media.

Alongside an article about COVID-19 immunity, Swanson - who has denied being anti-vax - wrote: 'Oh I see, so it behaves just like the flu. Every year a new flew strain arises & a new vaccine comes out for it, if you want to get one. That's exactly what this whole thing is, except this time they want to mandate vaccines so they can make mo-money. (sic)'