Rick Barbarette (aka Bill Korn) Interview

(interview conducted in 1997)

1. Did you enjoy taking part in Pete and Pete?

I LOVED doing the show. it, so far, has been one of the best experiences of my life. I would never trade any of the memories I have from the show for anything.

2. Why weren't you in the 3rd series and would you have gone back for another series if asked?

Your guess is as good as mine! I guess in a way, it worked out for the better considering I really wouldn't have had time, but I guarantee I would've made time. So, I would definitely gone back for another season if they asked me to.

3. How did you get the part of Bill Korn?

Well, my manager is my mom's best friend back from high school, and she's the one who hooked me up with an audition. It's pretty weird because I think the audition for this role was only the 3rd or 4th audition in my whole life. I didn't start acting or auditioning until I was 15 in August of '93, and I got this job in September of '93. I guess I got really lucky.

4. Are you at all like Bill in real life?

In a way I am. I do a lot of joking and fooling around. Plus, I guess in my own way, I'm kind of eccentric. But those are really the only qualities me and him share.

5.  Is there anything you didn't enjoy doing in Pete and Pete. What was the worst thing...?

There was definitely one thing I didn't like doing in Pete-n-Pete. During the filming of "Yellow Fever", the last two days we were all cooped up in a damn school bus for about 10-11 hours each day. It turned into a real hell. I would never wish it upon anyone.

6. ...And what was the best?

I think the coolest thing I got to do was also in "Yellow Fever". At one point during the show, I had to smear shaving cream all over my face (it was actually whipped cream). I got it all over everyone who was in a 10 ft. radius of me. Alison (Ellen) got it pretty bad and I almost slapped her in the face by accident because my arms were flying all over the place. Damn that was good.

7. What was your favourite episode to film and to watch?

I think my favorite episode to film was "Don't Tread On Pete" because I got to meet Juliana Hatfield (she was in the show). And my favorite to watch was "Yellow Fever" cause I had a pretty good part in it. Plus I just have a lot of memories from that show.

8. What were the rest of the cast like

The rest of the cast were really cool. No one had any type of attitudes or anything like that. Everyone was there to just have a good time. My best friends on the set were the entire cast. We were all really close and had so much fun together.

9. Did you keep in contact with any of the cast after finishing the show?

Unfortunately, I don't keep in contact with anyone. I did for a little while after the show, but my whole life did a complete 180 and I lost contact with everyone, although I did see Mike Maronna at an audition about 4 months ago.

10. What if you could have one million dollars a year for the rest of your life, but from now on your eyes had to be on your butt, would you do it?

Yep! I wouldn't even think twice about it.

11. Have the producers of the show ever asked you back for anything?

Unfortunately, the producers haven't asked me back for anything (*sniff, sniff*). As a matter of fact, I haven't talked to them in a long time! I think I'll have to give them a call........hmmm............

14. What have you been doing since Pete and Pete?

Since Pete-n-Pete was over, I've been keeping really busy. Besides for acting, I'm going to college here on Long Island in NY. I'm majoring in secondary math education. I'm also playing baseball for my school too. I'm really excited about playing for them considering they're a really good team. And as for acting, I've been really busy. I've done a couple of commercials (Pizza Hut and Frosted Flakes), I was an extra in the movie "Sleepers", I did an episode of "One Life To Live", and I also filmed a pilot for The WB, but it never got picked up (*boo, boo*). but I've also been really busy working in theater now instead of TV. I finished an off-Broadway production of "West Side Story" a couple of months ago and I'm now busy rehearsing another off-Broadway show called "Blood Brothers". So I'm really looking forward to that.

A big thanks to Rick Barbarette for answering our questions