It's said that living is the best preparation for an actor. If that's so, Patti D'Arbanville is better equipped than most. At 14, while a disc jockey in a Greenwich Village night club, she was discovered by Andy Warhol and cast in his movie classic Flesh. At 15, she began modeling in Paris and London, where she worked with Francesco Scavullo and Richard Avedon, and met Cat Stevens, who wrote two songs for her: "Lady D'Arbanville" and "Wild World." She starred in the erotic film Bilitis and, back in America, had roles in such films as Rancho Deluxe, Big Wednesday, The Main Event and Modern Problems. Most recently, she played John Belushi's drug connection, Cathy Smith, in Wired. Patti is also Ken Wahl's continuing love interest on TV's Wiseguy. In real life, she has been married twice and shares a son, Jesse, with Don Johnson. Contributing Editor David Rensin met with Patti at her Santa Monica home. He reports: "Her living room is cluttered with Catholic artifacts and all sizes of framed photographs, including one group shot of Patti, best friend Pamela Des Barres and Melanie (Mrs. Don Johnson) Griffith. She was dressed in jean cut-offs and a T-shirt and was surrounded by workmen who were remodeling her house. Outside, it sounded like the attack of the Mexican lawn blowers. She has amazing powers of concentration."

Q 1

PLAYBOY: Your latest film, Wired, the John Belushi bio-pic, received enormous pre-release publicity--most of it critical. Even the actors who took roles have been chastised, in effect, for betraying one of their own. And it was a long time before the movie found a distributor. Did you think about any of that when you accepted the part of Cathy Evelyn Smith, the woman who gave Belushi the injection that led to his death?

Patti D'Arbanville: No, it's a relatively small part that I thought I really could do something with. I knew Cathy once, and I wanted to make an antidrug statement. The publicity has worked to my advantage, because I've been able to say what I feel about anybody's picking up a drug. Actually, I've made more antidrug statements doing interviews about it than the movie is ever going to make. It's a powerful piece, but as far as I'm concerned, they could have been a little bit stronger with what really happens when you use drugs. Otherwise, I'm sick of it all. Wired seemed like "the movie that never would be." And I just don't get it. I'm tired of talking about it. I wish people would judge this poor fucking movie on what it is instead of this big hoopla around it.

Q 2

PLAYBOY: In 1975, you were Jeff Bridges' girlfriend in Rancho Deluxe. Since then, he has landed steamy roles with every beautiful leading lady in Hollywood. What about him first appealed to you?

Patti D'Arbanville: He can dance. Figuratively and literally. Jeff's way with women makes complete sense to me. We danced like crazy. We never stopped.

Q 3

PLAYBOY: Which of your movies should all knowledgeable and hip video collectors have in their library?

Patti D'Arbanville: Wired! [Laughs] Nah. Bilitis, the one I did with David Hamilton. It's pretty, but it's a piece of kaka. I don't really like anything I've done except the Wiseguy episodes I've recently been in. I say turn on the video recorder Wednesday nights, because that's what I'm most proud of.

Q 4

PLAYBOY: As the woman who was with Don Johnson in his early Miami Vice days, tell our female readers how to handle a stubbly man.

Patti D'Arbanville: It never bothered me. I don't like full beards or mustaches, but a little stubble here and there is fine. What I don't like is when men shave their bodies, like these muscle guys. I have an actor friend, a big Italian guy, and he's built. He's got a body that makes me say, "Please, yes, help." You puddle when you see him. But he shaves his body. I love hair. I love hairy arms and chests and legs and the whole area that's supposed to to have hair--except on the back. I'm not too crazy about that. In other words, Peter Sellers would not have worked for me.

Q 5

PLAYBOY: You and Don remain friends. You're also close to his wife, Melanie Griffith. Now that they've remarried each other, give us a short course in converting a love affair to a lasting friendship.

Patti D'Arbanville: It takes love and respect. Compromise. Accepting each other the way you really are and not the way you want each other to be. Lowering your expectations sometimes.