I’m about a third of the way through, in the part where he’s shed his Irish accent and working-class, hardscrabble home, devoted mother and difficult father, gotten himself trained as an actor, and has a gig traveling with a repertoire group with Vivien Leigh. He’s bummed out because he’s been cast as an understudy for a character with an 8-line role.
It’s a lovely read, especially suited to drowning out this moments’ cacophony of politics. Patrick Stewart sounds like he was a really nice human being as well as a hunk... what can I say, I have a thing for kind, smart men with bald heads.
Are any of you fans of Star Trek, and if so which iteration? And if not, is there a series (movie? Tv?) that intrigued you enough so that if one of the lead players wrote an autobiography, you’d read it? Who piques your curiosity??
RHYS BOWEN: I remember the first shows of the original Star Trek (how that dates me!) I didn’t think I was a fan of sci-fi but I was staying with friends in New York and they had to rush home to watch the show. How stupid, I thought Then I watched and I was hooked. Even though the scenery was paper mache rocks in those days and the special effects were… not too special.
When my oldest daughter Clare was a teenager she and her friends were obsessed. They taught themselves Vulcan and greeted each other with weird signs. I’ve enjoyed all the incarnations but none as much as the original.
I’m trying to think which other series have hooked me enough that I’d want to read autobiographies. I’ve read Carol Burnett’s. She always impressed me so much. Maybe Judy Dench. I’m a big fan.
DEBORAH CROMBIE: Hallie, what a great post.
I got hooked on the original series when I was in college and it first went into syndication. I watched every episode multiple times, and then I watched every incarnation of ST from then on. Of them all, I think The Next Generation was my favorite. Such a great cast, not least, of course, the great Patrick Stewart.
I have to admit to having watched hours of the tributes to him last week. What a remarkable man, and such a good one. He was also, apparently, wickedly funny.
We have liked the newer series, ST Discovery, and also ST Strange New Worlds, but we are behind on the latest of that. (Ethan Peck as Spock!) But overall I think the ideals of Star Trek have gone a long way towards shaping my world view.
LUCY BURDETTE: Not a Star Trek watcher here.
John and I have been re-watching Nashville and so John has been listening to Hayden Panatierre’s autobiography, published shortly before her overdose death. He’s reporting to me what he learns as I don’t have time to read it right now. Hearing her real-life story is so sad, and it actually mirrors some of the worst twists in the TV show. I was disappointed to hear that she didn’t enjoy the filming of that series–we want all our fictional friends to have gotten along in real life!
JENN MCKINLAY: LOVED the original Star Trek. Caught it in reruns after school in the 70’s. Such a great show. Way ahead of its time but when I learned Lucille Ball was a producer, it made sense as she, too, was way ahead of her time.
I fell away from some of the franchise offshoots but did love The Next Generation and especially Patrick Stewart. I’m glad to know he was as good of a man as he seemed.
HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Ah, yikes. I am not sure I have ever seen a Star Trek .::Ducking:: I must have, right? It all feels very familiar, but ..it might just be all the references that make it feel like I’ve seen it. Should I start now? And if there were an autobiography of Aaron Sorkin, I might read that. The West Wing is so brilliant.
LUCY again: Hank, speaking of Aaron Sorkin, we saw the revival of A FEW GOOD MEN at Lincoln Center last week. I worried that it would seem dated, but it was wonderful. By the way, Bradley Whitford was the evil military man in the show, and he plays Todd Penn, the president’s husband, on THE DIPLOMAT. All that to say yes, I’d read Aaron Sorkin’s autobio!
HANK: Oh, lucky you! I’d adore to see that. Brad Whitford as Jack Nicholson! Amazing.
JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: I’ve been a Trek fan since I discovered there was a show in local reruns that had the same kind of science fiction stories I loved reading. I’ve been a Patrick Stewart fan since I had the pleasure of seeing him at the Barbican for the Royal Shakespeare Company’s ‘82-83 season - he was in Tom Stoppard’s play Every Good Boy Deserves Favor, and in A Winter’s Tale and Henry IV Parts 1 and 2. Stewart played Leontes in the former and the eponymous king in the latter.
So unlike most American viewers, I was stunned when I first saw The Next Generation. What’s that Shakespearean actor doing in a body suit? (TNG was arguably the best of all the Star Treks, but those were the silliest uniforms.)
Rhys, Judi Dench wrote a delightful book, SHAKESPEARE: THE MAN WHO PAYS THE RENT. It’s half memoir, half commentary on the various plays. You would love it!
HALLIE: So are you fascinated by the real lives of theatre folk? Is there a theatrical autobiography you'd love to get your hands on?
And if you were "into" Star Trek, what do you think has accounted for the way so many of us are still "engaged"?
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