Mademoiselle - July 2001

"The me you never see."

Carmen Electra baby-sitter

Discovered in 1991 by Prince, who coined her sassy name, native Ohioan Carmen, 29, has survived Baywatch, bared it all in Playboy, endured a volatile marriage to Dennis Rodman, kick-started a movie career (Scary Movie, the upcoming release The Guest with Tara Reid and Molly Shannon) and, just recently, landed her own dance-party show on MTV.

What's sultry Carmen Electra doing in a playroom with a bunch of kids?

I always wanted a little brother or sister, since I'm the youngest in my family, but that never happened. So growing up in Cincinnati, I used to baby-sit the neighborhood kids all the time. After moving to Los Angeles, I didn't have the chance to be around kids very often. Luckily, now my friends have babies, so I can play with them when I have time off, This is my makeup artist's daughter with me at Under the Sea in Northridge, California.

Have you ever thought of having children of your own?

I'm really looking forward to being a mother someday. I've always wanted a big family-but realistically, I'll have maybe two. A girl and a boy.

Why is this so important to you?

Since losing my mom three years ago, I miss that mother-daughter relationship. I know right now isn't the right time to have kids, but baby-sitting really does fill the emptiness.

What's the best part of hanging out with kids?

When I'm with children ! don't think of anything else. All my problems go away, and ! am in the moment. Plus, children don't judge you. Not worrying about what anyone thinks is just a good feeling.

What else don't we know about Carmen Electra?

People are surprised at how down-to-earth I am. At one point, it was all about going out-everything had to be over the top. That was an empty place to be. Now it's all about balance. I like to stay home on Friday nights and listen to The Art of Happiness by the Dalai Lama.

Describe yourself in three adjectives.

Fiery. Compassionate. And Playful.