AUG. 20, 2009 — The man with the most famous tan on the planet — the incomparable George Hamilton — has spoken out once again about bogus reports slamming his life-long passion for UV exposure.

“I love it when doctors tell you, ‘You may have a pre-cancerous lesion,’ and I say, ‘Pre-cancerous, you mean like pre-dead? You’re either dead or you’re not dead.’ Hamilton told the Hollywood press this week. “I say, ‘Is it melanoma? Now we’re talking.’ Melanoma you find in countries where people have never been in the sun, where the sun doesn’t shine.”

Hamilton’s career is once again in a resurgence. The tanned actor, now in his 70s, just received a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and is the subject of a movie premiering this week, “My One and Only.” The movie is based on Hamilton’s childhood recollections of his mother’s story and stars Renee Zellweger and Kevin Bacon.

And that has once again attracted attention to his famous tan.

“We have a lot of people who believe that everything is wrong. Now we’re starting to find out that people are suffering from lack of vitamin D which can be gotten from the sun. My brother said some day they’ll find out that a cheeseburger is the best thing for you!”

Hamilton has spoken at Smart Tan conventions in 1999 and 2003 — the latter of which he hosted Smart Tan’s “TAN-ight Show” — a talk show format in which he interviewed Vitamin D guru Dr. Michael Holick, “The Sun” and performed comedy skits. Hamilton is a firm believer in the principles espoused by Smart Tan and remains in touch with the organization.