Morgan Fairchild

Q. Is it true that you once turned down a date with Warren Beatty?

A. Absolutely. Not once, but several times. I met him, originally, on the set of 'Bonnie and Clyde' when I was a stand-in for Faye Dunaway.

Q. Did you pose for the book 'Dallas Nude'?
A. No, that was my 'little sister,' Cathy. (Kathryn Hartt). She's got the best body in the family.

Q. What was your real birth name?
A. Patsy McClenny.

Q. How did you choose your show biz name?
A. Morgan came from the Vanessa Redgrave movie, 'Morgan.' I also had a dog named Morgan when I was a kid. I chose Fairchild because I thought it sounded regal.

Q. Did you always want to become an actress when you were growing up as a kid?
A. No, I actually wanted to become a paleontologist. I enrolled in college with that in mind.

Q. Did you have any acting experience before going to Hollywood?
A. I was a member of Theatre Three in Dallas - my home town - but I wasn't really an actress. I worked on the prop crew.

Q. Did you have a favorite movie star in your youth who influenced your career move?
A. The only actress I ever really identified with was the late Marilyn Monroe. She used to pay me visits in the middle of the night. We 'talked and talked' about all sorts of things - men, clothes, money, cars, etc. But mostly we talked about acting.

Q. You had imaginary conversations with the ghost of Marilyn Monroe?
A. Oh, no, these were real conversations. I suppose you could call Marilyn a ghost, but to me she was a very real person.

Q. Didn't you find this a bit unusual?
A. Not at all. Marilyn and I became closer that I am with most of my friends.

Q. Did she have anything to say to you that changed your life?
A. Not particularly, unless you count what she told me about men. She said I should always be careful in my relationships with men. It was her opinion that most men were not to be trusted.

Q. What type men do you like?
A. Older fellows. Most of the young jocks in Hollywood think they're so cool. They turn me off more than they turn me on. I like mature men, who have their stuff together. I dated the late Telly Savalas. What a man! I found him very intelligent and attractive.

Q. You never married. Why is that?
A. Actually, I was married, early in my life, but not too many people knew it. I've had lots of proposals. Lots of men have offered me great sums of money. I like money, but not enough to jump into a stupid arrangement that's not going to last.

Q. You've been called 'a sex object' in the press. Some critics even say you're an exhibitionist.
A. I wouldn't say I'm an exhibitionist. I like to look sexy. I think I am sexy, when I want to be. It's flattering that fans think I'm attractive.

Q. Do you approve of nudity in films?
A. Well, I don't go around on the set flashing, if that's what you mean. But, I have done nudity on camera, when the script called for it. It's something I'm not entirely comfortable with, but, as long as it's handled professionally, I don't see anything wrong with it. Doing nudity for shock value is a whole other thing. Some actresses enjoy shocking people, but it's not something I think is very feminine or necessary to make a dramatic statement.

Q. Why is it that today's movies are so full of sex and violence?
A. Probably because most of the film scripts in Hollywood are written by men. There aren't enough female directors in the business today, either. It's tough for a woman with brains to succeed in Hollywood. It's such a man's world.

Q. You received threatening letters and phone calls after you posed for sexy photos and appeared nude on film. Did that frighten you?
A. Of course. No one in their right mind wants to feel someone is stalking them or plans to hurt them. It was an uncomfortable situation for me. I had never experienced it before.

Q. What happened?
A. I told the FBI about it. They said to be careful and they'd check it out. I bought a gun just in case. Fortunately, everything worked out okay. But you never know. There's a lot of sicko nuts running around out there.

Q. Do you have a particular goal in life, besides being successful?
A. I want to continue to be happy and help others. Life is too short to waste a precious minute on foolishness and frivolity.