Fame
& Fortune: Dick Cavett
Multitalented star can't get a grip on his finances |
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| Bankrate: Over
the years, then, how have you defined yourself as a performer?
Dick Cavett: I never
sought the need to define myself. I suppose if someone said, "I understand
you've been in show business for some time, what did you do?" I would tell
somebody that I got in the right places somehow, partially on my own instinct.
The fact that my voice could always attract attention wherever in the world I
was, even at an auction. When I make my bid, the entire room turns. And I did
that all my life. That's a very important factor. You don't know how much you
owe to having a distinct voice. And I've gone back and done plays. Bankrate:
So would you say, then, that voice-overs and plays have been your main living
over the years? Dick Cavett:
I honestly don't know. I don't know how much money I have spent. Nobody's ever
said, "It's belt-tightening time." The guy who manages stock-type things
for me called about two hours ago. I wasn't here for the call. Something awful
hasn't happened in the market, has it? Bankrate:
Not for a few years, no. So, are you one of these people who just has someone
looking out for your money, and you don't really think about it? Dick
Cavett: That's true. Bankrate:
Are you into investing at all, into real estate, or the stock market or anything? Dick
Cavett: No. It just bores me stiff. You hope that a guardian angel will
keep your man from becoming a pirate with your alleged wealth. Bankrate:
Do you own any real estate?
Dick Cavett: (In a
cockney accent.) Well, that's a bit personal, isn't it? (Back to
normal) I do a cockney maid at the drop of a hat. Yeah, I own where
my house stands in Long Island. I don't own any of Manhattan Island.
Bankrate:
Is there anything else you can tell us about the business end of your business,
or finance, or anything else of that sort?
Dick Cavett: Well,
I got really screwed once, years ago. I'd forgotten that. A whole
bunch of us were constantly being asked to write checks for $75,000.
Bankrate:
What were these checks for? Dick Cavett:
It had to do with tax shelters. A lot of them were closed down by the government.
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