David Cassidy -- a Partridge in a good place -- page 2

David Cassidy: No! My very first job, I auditioned for. I auditioned for "Partridge Family" with a different name. My father was not a household name then. When I was in "Partridge Family," his career took off.

Bankrate: How did he take that?

David Cassidy: He hated it. He was resentful.

David Cassidy: Yeah, I love it! If you don't have a sense of humor, you're dead. I've been doing this for 35 years. On "Malcolm in the Middle," I'm playing the character of Boone Vincent, the combination of every egomaniacal, egocentric, really and truly lame individual in entertainment I've ever met. It's kind of like an omelet of them. People will think I'm sending up myself, because I do a Vegas act. And, in a way, I am!

Bankrate: You've had severe tragedies in your life, including your father dying and substance abuse. How would you advise people to keep on keeping on?

David Cassidy: The ultimate issue is character. I've never cared about the money or fame, even when I was younger. If I play for five people or 50 million, it doesn't matter. I never really looked for power. I will find work or create work for myself. No matter what you do in life, talent is always the most important commodity. We've all gone through loss. Drugs are a one-way street; you either stop or die. I connect with God, as I see God.

Bankrate: You have another career as a horse breeder that you started as a teenager. How did you decide to turn your hobby into an investment at such a young age?

David Cassidy: I read volumes and volumes on horses before I invested; I read them on the "Partridge Family" set. It's a business and I treat it like one. These horses are an asset. I love animals. Lexington, Ky., is kind of Mecca; I still go there.

Bankrate: You and your wife, Sue Shifrin-Cassidy, are involved in www.kidscharities.org, which she founded. How did you decide to do another umbrella-like organization, like United Way?

David Cassidy: She did it, we became devoted to children's charities. We were told we couldn't have children, but through the miracle of God, we had one! I am mindful that much of my success came from children.

Bankrate: Do you manage your own money?

David Cassidy: No, I have somebody who helps me diversify my portfolio. He's a family member and he does it very well. I do stay abreast of what's going on, but I'm not preoccupied. He's been helping me for 13 years. He's an attorney who does all kinds of investments, wills and estates. He's my cousin and I trust him. We've been very close for over 20 years. I never could find anyone I could trust in Hollywood, I went through 10 managers. I used to be very naive; people in my group were all about peace and love.

Bankrate: Do you see residuals from "The Partridge Family"?

David Cassidy: I own a piece of my renegotiated contract. I was originally making $600 a week. They were making half a billion. Dolls that sold for $2 now sell for $30. I should have had about $20 billion.

Bankrate: $20 billion?

David Cassidy: Sure! You do the math. There were hundreds of millions involved over a period of 30 years.

Bankrate: Well, how did you get them to sit back down at the negotiating table?

David Cassidy: I was under 21, which was the age of majority at the time. They didn't get my parents' signature. I was able to go back. I was groundbreaking in this, it was one of the significant factors in actors getting residuals today.

Bankrate: Did your dad teach you lessons in handling money?

David Cassidy: No! He had absolutely no business acumen whatsoever. He would get paid $1,000 and spend $950 on clothes. He wouldn't even have money for rent.

Tamar Alexia Fleischman is a freelance writer and lawyer based in Baltimore.