Everyone
at the Tiger Beat office was helping David Cassidy celebrate
his 21st birthday. In the middle of all the happy noise, gift-opening,
and cake-eating, T.B.'s editorial assistant, Liz Dagucon, had
to leave for the Universal Studios offices for an interview with
Ben Murphy!
But Liz's disappointment over missing David's party quickly turned to delight when handsome Ben walked into the office! Ben looked absolutely gorgeous from the top of his carelessly tossled curly blond hair to his sandaled feet! He went straight to the window, opened the blinds, and smiled when the warm California sunshine spilled into the office! But the sunshine was simply added brightness because Ben's cheerful presence already brightened the room!
He took a final look out the window, and pulled a chair up to the desk where the tape recorder was ready to record Ben's honest and sometimes surprising answers!
TIGER BEAT: WHAT WOULD YOUR SECOND
CHOICE PROFESSION BE IF YOU WERE NOT ACTING?
BEN: Bumming around! I'm serious!
I'd like traveling around anywhere and everywhere in this world,
taking odd jobs, and just generally bumming around!
TIGER BEAT: WHAT IS THE FIRST THING
YOU NOTICE ABOUT A GIRL?
BEN: Her aura!
TIGER BEAT: WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY "AURA?"
BEN: I mean, by the vibrations
she gives off. By her attitude ... her mental attitude... her
total being. But, of course, I can only sense her vibrations when
I'm close to her! If I see her from a distance, then it's a different
thing. From a distance, I notice the first thing about her that
stands out! If she has beautiful hair, then I notice her hair.
If she has nice legs, then I'll notice her legs!
TIGER BEAT: HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE
A PERFECT EVENING AT HOME?
BEN: Let me see, I spend so few nights at home really! I'd
be more able to describe a perfect evening if it didn't have to
be at home. For instance, I like to go to films. I love to go
to films with somebody... a girl that I don't know, or whom I've
just met. Or she could be a girl I've never met or seen before.
I hate to change the subject, but I've got to tell you that I
love blind dates, I just love them! I love it when girls call
me on-the phone and we make arrangements to meet somewhere!
TIGER BEAT: HAVE YOU BEEN GETTING A
LOT OF PHONE CALLS FROM GIRLS LATELY?
BEN: Yes, and it's great... it's
lots of fun!
TIGER BEAT: WHEN DID YOU START ON YOUR
BLIND DATE KICKS?
BEN: I've always felt that way
about blind dates; I've always enjoyed them! I like surprises,
I like to meet new people, and I love all types of suspense!
TIGER BEAT: HAVE YOU EVER GONE ON.
A BLIND DATE WITH A GIRL WHO IS A FAN OF YOURS?
BEN: Well, there was this girl
who was a fan of mine, and she wrote me a happy birthday card.
What she did was, she made her own collage of different things
that she had cut out of the newspaper. And she had sent it to
me... she sent it to my home. No, no that's not right--she sent
the card to my agent and my agent sent it to my home. Yeah, that's
it! Anyway, she left her name and address with a note that said
"I would really like to meet you sometime." That same
day I called up information and got her telephone number. I called
her up that night, I met her, and we had a very lovely time. I
like to do these things on the spur of the moment, and I enjoy
them more that way!
TIGER BEAT: WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE TIME
OF THE DAY?
BEN: Dawn and dusk... because
those times seem to be so still and peaceful. Everyone is taking
their time, no cars and people scurrying about. I love the dusk
at the desert! I love the ending of the day at the desert. The
beginning or the end of anything, to me, is beautiful!
TIGER BEAT: WHICH IS YOUR FAVORITE
SEASON OF THE YEAR?
BEN: Spring. Because everything
is coming alive again! Again, it's back to the beginning. Plants
turning green, flowers blooming into full, intense colors, and
little babies scurrying about. That's what spring is all about
to me and that's why I dig it so much!
TIGER BEAT: WHAT WERE YOU DOING FIVE
YEARS AGO TODAY?
BEN: That would make it... let
me see, I graduated from college in 1964. In 1966 I was in my
first year at the Pasadena Playhouse. So, I was in my second semester
of the Pasadena Playhouse, and I was probably in class right about
now!
TIGER BEAT: CAN YOU REMEMBER THE MOST
PAINFUL DECISION YOU HAD TO MAKE?
BEN: My most painful decision
was when I decided to leave my first agent. I liked him personally,
and he had been good to me but I felt it was time for me to move
on to a larger agency. But knowing that what I was doing was good
for my career didn't make it any easier to go to another and larger
agency!
TIGER BEAT: WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE DATE
ACTIVITY?
BEN: Tennis! I love a girl who
can play tennis, if she can play a good game of tennis... she's
"IN!" I'd play with her all day! I like to, also, take
a girl out to a good restaurant and read. You know, just read!
TIGER BEAT: YOU MEAN YOU LIKE TO GO
TO A RESTAURANT AND READ A BOOK OR SOMETHING?
BEN: A book, or a magazine, or
whatever we want to read. We would just sit around in a restaurant
all night and read together. It's a hangover from studying all
night in college. You know, I'd have a lot of reading and studying
to do, but I didn't want to do it alone, so I'd take a girlfriend
or a date and we'd read at a restaurant! It's fun. Everyone should
try it at least once!
TIGER BEAT: ARE YOU GLAD YOU'RE YOU?
BEN: Yes, I'm making peace with
myself. I haven't always been happy with myself. I'm happy I'm
me, but I'm not always totally happy with myself. But, like I
said, I'm making peace with myself!
TIGER BEAT: ARE THERE ANY CHANGES YOU'D
LIKE TO MAKE ABOUT YOURSELF?
BEN: I'd like to see myself become
a little bit more inclusive. I'm fairly much a loner. I'd like
to learn not to keep to myself so much. I'd like to be able to
include more people into my life so that I can have a wife and
children someday. But right now, I know it would be pretty hard,
because of my hours. I'd be home like maybe twice a week to say
"hi"--and that's not a good way to run a married life!
TIGER BEAT: DO YOU BELIEVE IN LOVE
AT FIRST SIGHT?
BEN: Oh yes, I definitely believe
in love at first sight... I'm a romantic! I believe in love at
first sight all right--fifty times a day!
In Part
II of the exclusive TiGER BEAT Interview, Ben talks about steady
dating, his day to day life, his friends and his future. All in
October TiGER BEAT on sale everywhere Tuesday, September 14th.
You won't want to miss this one!