Publisher's Weekly Review
In this candid memoir, actor Keach tells his story, sharing both professional and personal details. From his rock-bottom moment (imprisonment for cocaine possession) and his most successful acting gigs to his successful (and failed) relationships, the author presents a full picture of his life. Keach is the logical choice to narrate his own book, and fans will enjoy his deep gravelly voice, professional delivery, and genuine emotion. Reading reads the book's foreword by Alec Baldwin-a casting decision that may seem odd to some listeners. However, for fans of the famous actor, this is must listen. A Lyons hardcover. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
An actor's autobiography that emphasizes the hard work more than the lush life. Not that the life Keach has led--including romances with some famous and talented women, most notably singer Judy Collins; a high-profile drug bust, trial and jail term in London in 1984; and quality time hanging with celebrities like John Huston, Orson Welles, Paul Newman and others--isn't worthy of higher billing. But Keach, while sharing plenty of amusing anecdotes and interesting insights about his peers, doesn't linger on those details. Instead, he takes us into the fertile mind of an intelligent, envelope-pushing artist of stage, screen and any other format where actors ply their trade, and he methodically (and with charming immodesty) lays down the outline of his amazing career, examining the thoughts behind the choices that shaped it. That may sound dull to the average nonactor, but the career in question belongs to one of America's most talented classically trained actors who has played the most significant roles of Shakespeare--Hamlet, Richard III, Lear and Falstaff (once as a young actor in a fat suit and again 40 years later under the weight of life fully lived)--almost always to great acclaim. While pursuing his first love of theater (from classical to experimental), he also pushed himself to take risky roles in film (memorably in End of the Road, The New Centurions, Fat City, The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean and American History X, to name a very few) and developed indelible, often hard-boiled characters for TV (including Mike Hammer for CBS and Ken Titus on the short-lived Fox sitcom Titus). Nonactors should find this relatively short, fast-moving memoir a pleasure to read, but drama, media and film students will find Keach's insights invaluable, particularly his coda ("Curtain Call"), which shares the fundamentals learned over a lifetime of honing his craft.]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Library Journal Review
Prolific actor Keach, candidly narrating, here reflects on a career that has included numerous credits in film, television, and theater. He discusses his most memorable roles in film (Fat City) and television (The New Mike Hammer) as well as some infamous ones (Up in Smoke) and the big parts he lost out on (The Exorcist). He is passionate about the theater, and the concluding chapter on what he's learned about the craft of acting should be invaluable to students. Keach also discusses more personal subjects including a romantic relationship with singer Judy Collins, his 27-year marriage to actress Malgosia Tomassi, and an addiction to cocaine that resulted in a six-month prison term in England and almost ended his career. Listeners will also enjoy anecdotes about Orson Wells, John Huston, Richard Burton, and Elizabeth Taylor. -VERDICT Recommended for those who enjoy celebrity biographies and have an interest in acting and the -theater.--Phillip Oliver, Univ. of North Alabama Lib., Florence (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
