THE 'ALIAS SMITH & JONES' STORY, PART 3
Superstar Magazine, August 1972

Knowing someone's birthday can help you look deeper into their personality and tell you what makes them tick. Pete was born on February 24th and Ben on March 6th. So let's take a closer look at their birth sign! Pisceans are both sensitive people, often dreamy and impractical and usually they don't really know what they want for themselves. They are generous to a fault and very kind to animals. Well, Ben loves horses, and of course Pete kept three dogs at his home! Pisces people are often upset and disturbed by the blacker aspects of life and they are the kind of people who like some time alone with themselves in order to develop their thoughts and ideas. Pete was like that, he liked to be alone. But he brooded. Like all Pisceans he was ambitous, never satisfied with his acting even when others praised him.

PETE TRAPPED

"Pete used to get terribly depressed and unhappy with his work," said Ben. "He felt trapped by things and it played on his mind. In this way we were different. No matter what extreme problems I have, I float to the top. I get over them. And with the two of us it worked fine when we were doing the series. If one of us was moddy the other one was co-operative, so as a team we worked incredibly well together."

Another Pisces trait is that they sometimes lack direction, and don't really know what they want for themselves--that's what happened to Pete. For Ben, in his earlier years, he travelled the country attending eight different universities before he finally found his direction; the world of acting.

"That was when I was 23," said Ben. "I quit school to work as an actor, because I had a part offered me. I've never gone trho0ugh a bad period without work.

"When I was younger, I was a quiet person. I never went out anywhere. I went to an all-boys' school so taht didn't help!"

OUT OF STEP

"I certainly didn't have as much fun as I do now! My first love then was baseball. Things like rock 'n' roll didn't interest me. I was totally out of step with other kids. In fact, I'm still out of step with my generation! I never even learnt how to dance, and I still can't dance. If I go to clubs it's to talk and watch more than anything.

"I have a tv, but I only watch football and my own show--not out of vanity, but just to be objective about my acting. An actor can never stop learning. I would like to go back to classes but I just don't have the time these days.

"I try to help other young actors by giving talks whenever I can. I think I would make a very good teacher. I have something to give and I feel I have the qualifications to advise. I also have patience and I can understand the problems of would-be actors.

COMMUNICATE

"Recently in Texas I did this for two-and-a-half hours with some students, sitting down and talking--luckily I'm still young enought to be able to communicate with them.

"One of the hardest things about acting, is trying to do comedy. It requires more technique. I try not to be over-funny because that is the kiss of death!

"Humour comes out of reality. Funny expressions I find happen in everyday life, naturally. Personally I smike a lot, but I'm not a great laugher, I just grin. One day I didn't grin when Pete and I have to have these false beards glued on to us. I've never felt so miserable. It was 110 degrees in the sun, and having to tear those beards off at the end of the day is extremely painful!

"Another problem with acting is fans, but fortunately mine are very nice and make me smile!

GIRL TROUBLE

"You see I've lived in my present home in North Hollywood for four years, and natually I've met a lot of people. Well gradually your address does not passed around! Oh, the girls! They've decorated my car with streams and things as though I'd just got married! They must have been creeping around in the middle of the night. And of course, some do come calling!"

"I look after my fan mail myself and if I think letters need answering, I see to it. I spend as much time as I can doing thi. And, sometimes, if they send a very attractive photograph I tell them to come and look me up when they're in Hollywood. I've met some really nice girls this way! That's one of the nice things about this job!

"I do have girl friends, but no one really special. I don't feel that I'm ready for marriage, and it's too expenseive in America to make a mistake. If you have to get a divorce your wife gets half of what you've got and what you're going to get and I don't particularly want to share!

"The series hasn't made me fantastically rich. I have a bit of money in the bank, but in five years' time I should be doing quite well. I want to be really sure when I get married, and so far I'm not, not even of myself. I'm having too much of a good time!"