The Stars Are Out Tonight
May 16, 2023
What makes celebrity autobiographies and memoirs so compelling? Perhaps it’s because, despite their star status, celebrities ultimately emerge as people just like us, with ordinary joys and sorrows, daily challenges, and triumphs. Check out this diverse selection of autobiographies and memoirs by some celebrities who overcame some of life’s obstacles with humor, insight, and grit.
A Life in Parts by Bryan Cranston
All of us have a story to tell but Cranston’s reflections on life and acting are especially revealing. A rising child star, his life took a major detour following the shocking disappearance of his father. Channeling these life experiences into his craft enabled him to take a deep dive into the psyches of his screen characters, particularly his character in Breaking Bad.
Finding Me by Viola Davis
Overcoming a litany of horrific childhood experiences, Viola Davis went on to become not only an award-winning actress but an overall inspiration to others. In addition to being a brilliant actress, she’s also a talented writer. Listening to her audio narration is highly recommended, further intensifying her very personal, gut-wrenching story.
Trejo: My Life of Crime, Redemption, and Hollywood by Danny Trejo
If struggling with heroin addiction, followed by stints in some of the most notorious state prisons—including San Quentin and Folsom—wasn’t enough for Danny Trejo, his career as an actor includes being the resident baddie who has been killed over 100 times in a variety of ways, in a variety of films. His life itself reads like a suspenseful Hollywood crime drama. His road to sobriety is brutally honest and redemptive.
Book / Large Print / eBook
If You Ask Me (And Of Course You Won’t) by Betty White
For those of us still missing Betty White’s funny, candid take on a whole range of subjects from celebrity, TV, fans, aging, to her love of animals, this is Betty at her best. Spanning her seven-decade Hollywood career, there are stories sure to entertain OFs (Original Fans) and newbie fans alike. Betty, you’re forever in our hearts.
Love, Pamela: A Memoir of Prose, Poetry, and Truth by Pamela Anderson
For fans of the Netflix documentary, Pamela: A Love Story and Hulu’s Pamela and Tommy, this memoir is a wonderful companion to both. A shy child, she became emblematic of 90s Hollywood glamor. Soon becoming tabloid fodder that relished seeing her life unravel at the seams, she eventually rebounded to reclaim her life and her narrative. A mixture of incisive prose and snippets of poetry, this is a highly readable memoir.
Unprotected: A Memoir by Billy Porter
Growing up gay and Black in America comes with a particular set of challenges. But the Grammy, Emmy and Tony award-winner Billy Porter embraced those challenges with undeniable verve and aplomb. Like the other memoirs shared here on this book list, Porter survived a precarious childhood to tell an especially poignant story of triumph over trauma.