Big Kiss: One Actor's Desperate Attempt to Claw His Way to the Middle [Paperback]

Henry Alford (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 15, 2001

Henry Alford was a well-adjusted, critically acclaimed author living quietly in New York City.

Then he decided to become an actor.

Thus begins Alford's hilarious romp through the uncanny world of the struggling actor, with its horrible headshots, gleefully sadistic acting teachers, and mutilated Shakespeare. Alford is rejected by directors, ignored by casting people, and educated in the finer points of Shakespearean thespianism at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in England, where he fails to convince the Queen to attend his final performance. Along the way, he auditions for the role of Wilbur the Pig in Charlotte's Web, triumphs as an extra in Godzilla, and takes his sixty-nine-year-old bird-watching, chain-smoking mother to improvisational-comedy camp. Original, absurd, and written with true comic grace, Big Kiss captures in a new and unforgettable way the experience of being a performer.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"As Whistler said to Wilde, 'Very witty.'"
--Vanity Fair

"In the tradition of George Plimpton and David Sedaris? Incisive wit twinned with snappy prose makes for some maliciously funny vignettes, rife with the command of someone who has found his niche as commentator, voyeur, and, in truth, showman."
--The Village Voice

"Arguably the definitive work on theatrical humiliation."
-?The New York Times

"While his style is reminiscent of writers like David Sedaris and Paul Rudnick, [Alford] has his own voice, one that is as charming as it is gleefully sardonic."
--Harper's Bazaar

From the Inside Flap

Henry Alford was a well-adjusted, critically acclaimed author living quietly in New York City.

Then he decided to become an actor.

Thus begins Alford's hilarious romp through the uncanny world of the struggling actor, with its horrible headshots, gleefully sadistic acting teachers, and mutilated Shakespeare. Alford is rejected by directors, ignored by casting people, and educated in the finer points of Shakespearean thespianism at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in England, where he fails to convince the Queen to attend his final performance. Along the way, he auditions for the role of Wilbur the Pig in Charlotte's Web, triumphs as an extra in Godzilla, and takes his sixty-nine-year-old bird-watching, chain-smoking mother to improvisational-comedy camp. Original, absurd, and written with true comic grace, Big Kiss captures in a new and unforgettable way the experience of being a performer.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Broadway (May 15, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0767907418
• ISBN-13: 978-0767907415
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,181,293 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Alford's Kiss is Tempting but Ultimately Unsatisfying, July 25, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Big Kiss: One Actor's Desperate Attempt to Claw His Way to the Middle (Paperback)

Big Kiss *sounds* funny. It really does. You thumb through the pages and see glimpses of humorous-sounding anecdotes. A musical adaptation of Noah's Ark. Bringing your mother to improv camp. Donning tights and playing Oberon in London. Alford obviously has a wealth of experiences to choose from, and there are several laughs and chuckles lurking in the pages of his memoir. He's obviously an extremely intelligent and observant person, and has the vocabulary and eye for detail to prove it. But it's the decidedly un-funny tone - and perhaps Alford's own disillusionment - that ruined the book for me. Maybe that's just because I'm a struggling actress as well and was hoping for a little note of hope to balance out his cynical, dry observations. Reading this book was like reading a dry shell - it's got the talk, but it failed to produce the walk.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A hilarious account of one man's search for celebrity..., February 12, 2002

By 

E. M. Carey "LGW" (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Big Kiss: One Actor's Desperate Attempt to Claw His Way to the Middle (Paperback)

When I pulled Big Kiss of my bookshelf the other day, I could not for the life of me remember what exactly had inspired me to buy it. Whatever the reason was, I am extremely glad that I did, and I would encourage others to do so without hesitation. Big Kiss is an absolutely hysterically funny, well-written, fascinating, perceptive account of Henry Alford's career switch from journalist to actor/performer/celebrity.

The book opens with Henry's attempt to skip the performer stage and jump straight to celebrity status, and almost immediately I found myself literally laughing aloud - on the subway, no less. In order to facilitate his career change, he enrolls in a variety of acting classes that he describes with comedic brilliance, none more so than his stint at the Royal Academy in London. The book details his search for work and success along with the effects on friends, family - mainly his mother, who accompanies him to an improv workshop with yet again hilarious results - and his significant other.

What makes Big Kiss so good is Henry's ability to convey the humor in a situation so well, which isn't alway easy, and the voice he uses throughout, which becomes very clearly and uniquely his own. Although many of the situations in which he finds himself are fraught with humor on their own, he manages to dig deeper and find a whole other level while also tossing off some pretty astute perceptions about celebrity, life, etc. I must say, I went within a very few pages of this book from wondering why I bought the hard cover to encouraging everyone I know to getit, even reading some passages aloud - particularly some laugh-out-loud funny scenes involving a performance at Elaine's - for encouragement. If you are looking for a truly entertaining, intelligent read, Big Kiss is for you. Henry Alford deserves any success he can find, and I certainly hope that I encounter more of his excellent and hilarious work.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Henry Alford=God, September 25, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Big Kiss: One Actor's Desperate Attempt to Claw His Way to the Middle (Paperback)

Like his earlier book, Municipal Bondage--very possibly the hardest I have ever laughed was when, during his attempt to pass the dog grooming certification test in that book, he put lipstick on his Cocker SPaniel and told the judge, "I like a dog with a face"--this new book has a lot of brilliant moments. Admittedly, the topic--the acting profession--seems like shooting fish in a barrel. But, oh, what a fabulous barrel.