Hamilton's Pleasures

By CBSNews.com Staff

September 29, 1998 / 9:52 AM EDT / CBS

When George Hamilton walks through a room, he knows people are looking at him, even if they aren't exactly sure why.

"I'm only famous for being famous," says Hamilton. "People on the street say, 'I know you! You're that guy that's famous for - famous'."

Famous for almost 40 years, Hamilton says he knows his place in Hollywood: "I'm the poster boy for pleasure. Will work for caviar."

In his new book, Life's Little Pleasures, he shares his philosophies of life and living well. He says it's all about learning how to enjoy the simple things.

For example, Hamilton likes to eat Tastee Cakes or Krispy Kreme donuts with "a nice crisp bottle of champagne...makes a lot of difference."

The actor compares himself to Elizabeth Taylor in his fondness for the gifts that often land in the laps of the famous. It's not the size of his bank account, but the quality of such tributes that matters to Hamilton.

"[Taylor] didn't care about the money," Hamilton explains. "She didn't care about all of it, because I think as a child star she never saw any of that. All she would see would be a new stuffed animal or something that they would give her."

For his part, Hamilton says, he does not look at the money he makes, but at the things it can buy.

"I don't see any of the residuals," he says, "but I do see, 'Boy, I like that shirt!' [and] 'Oh, I'd like that thing. That's a great gimmick.' That just sort of gets my day going."

Hamilton says, early in his career, it was Cary Grant who taught him the value of a good tan. An actor with a good tan spends less time in the makeup chair, and, according to Hamilton, a tanned man gets the best women - although your skin is like leather.