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South Side Playmate Signs With Oprah

Jenny McCarthy to take on Harpo projects, talk show

By Peggy Cassidy

| Tuesday, May 5, 2009 | Updated 7:24 AM CDT

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Jenny McCarthy, a Mother McAuley High School graduate turned Playboy centerfold, is taking on a new role with Harpo.

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She's a product of an all-girl Catholic high school and a former Playboy centerfold. The Sisters of Mercy are likely very proud.

Now, Jenny McCarthy has, yet again, recreated herself with a new multiyear deal with Oprah Winfrey's production company.

Calling her "unsinkable," the Chicago Sun-Times says the South Side native may be the hardest working former Playmate of the Year with "the most eclectic resume."

McCarthy is currently a regular guest on Oprah's "Fridays Live" panel, where a small group of celebrities sit together at a table and talk about anything and everything.

The longtime girlfriend of actor Jim Carrey, McCarthy has been an advocate for autism research, prompted by her personal experience with her beloved son, Evan. Her 2007 book, "Louder Than Words: A Mother's Journey in Healing Autism," shifted her career focus to a more serious subject, leaving her even more prepared for what may lie ahead with Harpo.

The deal, according to the Sun-Times, will include various unnamed projects and a syndicated talk show in which McCarthy will be the host.