Adventures of a No Name Actor [Hardcover]

Marco Perella (Author), Molly Ivins (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 9, 2001

Marco Perella is a very successful actor. Which is not to say that he is a famous actor. The co-star in some made-for-TV movies, a bit player in major Hollywood productions, guest star on a late night cable TV series-Marco has seen every aspect of what is, by anyone's account, an absurd business. Whether he has been hired to float down the Guadalupe River dressed in a Jester's suit, recruited to teach Kevin Costner how to dance, or paid $250 to stand in front of a plate glass window while a runaway convertible hurtles through it, screeching to a halt only inches from his body, Marco Perella has met his acting challenges head on. In Adventures of a No Name Actor, he recounts his experiences with a storyteller's eye for detail and a Texan's light touch, proving that you don't have to be famous to be funny.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this well-written, laugh-out-loud account of an actor's almost Zelig-like film and television career, often playing thuggish character parts, Texan actor Perella both pokes fun at and admits to his pretensions. "I decide that my motivation is to save J. Edgar Hoover from the Mafia before they release photos of him in drag," he wisecracks about his bit role as an FBI agent in JFK. Aspiring actors and entertainment trivia nuts alike will enjoy Perella's witty perspective, including his deconstruction of made-for-TV and B-movie plots: "Tonight James Coburn gets impaled on his backyard satellite dish. My part consists of continuing to be dead." For the most part, Perella's humor is gentle, although he does skewer some celebs, including Charlie Sheen, Judd Nelson, Kevin Costner and Ned Beatty; yet presumably because he's a politically astute minor actor who wants to remain in the profession, his touch remains light. But when Perella discusses some of the dangerous stunts he's been asked to perform, we glimpse the serious underbelly of all the belly laughs. There's also the rather depressing advice he gives to his acting students: never be an extra or stand-in, because it gets you nowhere. Still, just as his students do, Perella disregards such warnings and relishes his crazy craft. So, too, will his readers. (June 12) Forecast: Perella will launch his wry account of the ridiculousness and rewards of show biz with an event at Book People in Austin, Tex., to be hosted by Molly Ivins. From there, he will tour the Lone Star State and then head to Los Angeles. Expect solid niche sales.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Who would think you could be a working film actor and live in Austin, TX? Yet Perella has worked with the likes of Kevin Costner, Clint Eastwood, and Ren?e Zellweger. When companies film on location in Texas, Perella is there. Never mind that most of his roles are along the lines of "Starbucks Guy" (Miss Congeniality), "Good Ol' Boy in Pickup" (Home Fries), and others such as "Reporter #2" or "Townsperson." Yet it is not an easy life; Perella describes a time when he had auditions in Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio all in one day and had to be back in Austin for a theater role that night. Still, he seems to be enjoying himself. His anecdotes about such famous folks as Ned Beatty, Oliver Stone, and Meg Ryan, among others, are revealing. This title offers a well-written, very funny look into the life of a working actor whom no one has ever heard of. Purchase if funds allow. Rosellen Brewer, Monterey Cty. Free Libs., Salinas, CA
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA; 1st U.S. ed edition (June 9, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1582341559
• ISBN-13: 978-1582341552
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,640,740 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hilarious, August 7, 2001

By 

Dennis Pierson - See all my reviews

This review is from: Adventures of a No Name Actor (Hardcover)

My daughter once conned me into taking her to a casting call for a TV movie. I was sitting in the lobby awaiting her when someone came up, took my picture and a few minutes later I'm talking with some assistant to an assistant director. They wanted me to be in the film, despite my pleas that I was not an actor. "We don't necessarily want actors," they told me. So I agreed to giving them a day (my daughter, of course, did not make the cut). And what a day it turned out to be! Directors screaming at prop people, myself and my fellow extras being herded into holding pens, endless delays, star tantrums. I knew for certain it wasn't going to be my cup of tea when we extras were lined up late in the afternoon for some scene that had to be reshot. As we prepared for inspection, the assistant director queried the director as to the type of people he wanted. He looked at her as if she were crazy and yelled, "Oh, I don't know. Choose a dozen of the better looking ones." Talk about acting -- the feigned indifference between us extras rivaled anything that ever appeared in this production. That was just one day. This actor has done it for years and skillfully tells of the highlights...and lowlights...of being a regional actor. I tried to stifle the laughs but had to abandon the effort. His writing is laugh-out-loud funny and is dead on. I wasn't ready for it to end. I hope he keeps acting long enough to write a sequel.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the real thing, September 28, 2001

By 

Lou Michaels (DALLAS) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Adventures of a No Name Actor (Hardcover)

Marco knows of what he speaks. Truth is stranger than fiction and Marco tells the truth funnier than anyone else on the planet. Whether you're in the business or not, this book is for EVERYBODY!!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A quick, funny, interesting read and a great gift, July 15, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Adventures of a No Name Actor (Hardcover)

As an Austinite, I have been aware of Marco Perella for years--here in a commercial, there in a movie, here emceeing a Children's Symphony, there with his wife taking over the dance floor at a club. He's always seemed like a very pleasant, hardworking guy. Suddenly he's also one of my favorite writers! I just finished reading this book, and I immediately started reading it again. It is HIGHLY entertaining. I believe just about anyone would think it is very funny, but it is particularly funny and interesting if you enjoy going behind-the-scenes in the acting world. Marco is literate and savvy, with a real gift for finding the irony and humor in a situation. I find myself wanting to telephone friends and read particularly hilarious or juicy passages to them. My guess is that while you're reading it, you--like me--will be making a mental list of people you're going to give it to as a gift.