| International Standard Book Number |
9781668031858 (hardback)
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| International Standard Book Number |
166803185X (hardback)
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| Personal Name |
Hiller, Jeff, author.
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| Title Statement |
Actress of a certain age : my twenty-year trail to overnight success / Jeff Hiller.
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| Edition Statement |
First Simon & Schuster hardcover edition.
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| Production, Publication, Distribution, Manufacture, and Copyright Notice |
New York : Simon & Schuster, 2025.
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| Physical Description |
viii, 258 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations ; 24 cm.
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| General Note |
Chapters are titled after memoirs by other actors.
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| Formatted Contents Note |
Girl walks into a bar by Rachel Dratch -- Finding me by Viola Davis -- Stories I only tell my friends by Rob Lowe -- Little girl lost by Drew Barrymore -- Scrappy little nobody by Anna Kendrick -- Are you there, vodka? It's me, Chelsea by Chelsea Handler -- I don't know what you know me from by Judy Greer -- Around the way girl by Taraji P. Henson -- So, anyway by John Cleese -- This will only hurt a little by Busy Philipps -- Inside out by Demi Moore -- STori telling by Tori Spelling -- Baggage: tales from a fully packed life by Alan Cumming -- Yes please by Amy Poehler -- Out on a limb by Shirley MacLaine -- The greatest love story ever told by Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally -- Don't stand too close to a naked man by Tim Allen -- Guts by Kristen Johnston -- Speedbumps by Teri Garr -- A very punchable face by Colin Jost -- Every day I'm hustling by Vivica A. Fox -- My life so far by Jane Fonda -- The bedwetter by Sarah Silverman -- The house of hidden meanings by RuPaul.
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| Summary, Etc. |
A humorous collection of autobiographical essays from comedian and Somebody Somewhere actor Jeff Hiller, who shares his journey from growing up 'profoundly gay" in 1980s Texas to his experiences as an inept social worker and how he clawed, scraped, and brawled to Hollywood's lower middle-tier.While struggling to find success as an actor and pay the bills, something accidentally happened to Jeff Hiller: he aged. And while it's one thing to get older and rest on the laurels of success from the blood, sweat, and tears of your youth, it's quite another to be old and have no laurels. At forty, stuck in a temp job making spreadsheets, the dream of becoming a star seemed out of reach. But after twenty-five years of guest roles on TV and performing improv in a grocery store basement, he finally struck gold with a breakout role on HBO's Somebody Somewhere, playing Joel -- the kind of best friend everyone wishes they had.In his book, Jeff dives into the grit and grind of climbing the Hollywood ladder. It's a raw and often hilarious tale of the struggles, triumphs, and humiliations that shaped him into the wonderfully imperfect person he is today. With a mix of awkward charm and heartfelt honesty, Jeff shares his journey: growing up very Lutheran in Texas, navigating bullying as a gay kid, working as a social worker for unhoused youth and HIV prevention, and the endless ups and downs of being a struggling actor. For every one of us who have a dream that we're chasing -- and chasing, and chasing -- his is a funny, moving, and utterly relatable story.
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| Summary, Etc. |
Jeff Hiller's memoir is a funny, honest account of his long, often unglamorous journey to success as an actor. After decades of temp jobs and small roles, he finally found his breakout on HBO's Somebody Somewhere at forty. Blending humor and heart, Hiller reflects on growing up gay and Lutheran in Texas, facing rejection, and holding on to dreams despite setbacks. It's a relatable story for anyone who's ever struggled to make a dream come true.
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| Subject-Personal Name |
Hiller, Jeff.
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| Subject-Personal Name |
Hiller, Jeff Anecdotes.
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| Subject Added Entry - Topical Term |
Television actors and actresses United States Biography.
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| Subject Added Entry - Topical Term |
Gay actors United States Anecdotes.
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| Subject Added Entry - Topical Term |
Gay actors United States Biography.
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| Subject Added Entry - Topical Term |
LGBTQ+ people.
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| Index Term-Genre/Form |
Biographies.
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| Index Term-Genre/Form |
Autobiographies.
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