Holy Headshot! is an amazing collection of the funniest, strangest, most captivating performers' headshots and resumes you have ever seen. The book throws open the door to the casting director's office and gives an entertaining peek into the amazing -- and sometimes bizarre -- world of show business. Authors Patrick Borelli and Douglas Gorenstein pored over 50,000 headshots to put together this remarkable gallery, which showcases everyone from aspiring amateurs who are striving to live out their Hollywood dreams to seasoned professionals that you might recognize from the big screen. A celebration of our national obsession with getting famous, Holy Headshot! offers up plenty of "What were they thinking!?" hilarity, but just as often you'll find yourself rooting for the characters that populate its pages.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
"Not since the young Norman Mailer returned from World War II and penned The Naked and the Dead has a first book delivered such a powerful portrayal of bravery in the face of unimaginable horrors. A profound and disturbing insight into the human condition, and a clarion call for reason in our troubled culture. Borelli and Gorenstein may be the next titans of American letters." -- Todd Hanson, writer and editor, The Onion, America's Finest News Source
"This is a strange and beautiful gallery of brave dreamers; their pictures are like the illustrations in a dictionary in which every entry is "HOPE." And even when the wardrobe is very bad, or the facial hair regrettable, or the poses inexplicable, these people deserve your appreciation and applause." -- John Hodgman, author of The Areas of My Expertise and contributor to The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
"Why must we laugh at others in order to feel better about ourselves? Oh, right -- because it's fun. Enjoy this fun book!" -- Triumph, The Insult Comic Dog
"This book is amazing. I can't believe how many people I know in here. You'd expect a few because of my connections to the Wiccan community and my early forays into puppetry and competitive snake breeding, but still I was shocked at how many people I recognized. I found a ton of ex-girlfriends, one roommate, some former collaborators, and even my third grade teacher -- who knew she had a tattoo there?" -- Matthew Diffee, New Yorker cartoonist
"In acting, the Meisner Technique is based on living truthfully under imaginary circumstances -- what Meisner neglected to say is that there are some imaginations that just shouldn't be tapped. Holy Headshot! tapped and bottled it!" -- Karith Foster, Imus in the Morning
"Holy Headshot! only increased my appreciation for such actors as Pete Traina (Angry Man in Balcony in The Last Dragon) and Dale Greeber (Angry Farmer in the industrial film Pork: Know the Dangers). It also made me destroy every headshot of me in existence." -- Andy Borowitz, The Borowitz Report
"Flawless skin and a winning smile? BORING! Tall, dark, and handsome? NEXT! As a casting professional, one of my greatest workplace joys is to come across the kind of headshot gems found in Holy Headshot! Now you, too, can experience the magic! Welcome to my world, World!" -- Anne Harris, Comedy Central Talent Executive
"I cried myself awake after reading this book. Truly amazing headshots." -- Cecelia Pleva, Late Night with Conan O'Brien Casting Director
"Holy Headshot! has earned a rightful spot in my vast, temperature-controlled library of leather-bound classics. I cannot wait for the audio version!" -- Jimmy Fallon
"There has never been a good headshot of Human Giant. Look at this dumbass picture of us on a bike. It sucks. It's not cool to laugh at other people's crappy headshots. Not cool at all." -- Human Giant, MTV
"This is a strange and beautiful gallery of brave dreamers; their pictures are like the illustrations in a dictionary in which every entry is "HOPE." And even when the wardrobe is very bad, or the facial hair regrettable, or the poses inexplicable, these people deserve your appreciation and applause." -- John Hodgman, author of The Areas of My Expertise and contributor to The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
"Why must we laugh at others in order to feel better about ourselves? Oh, right -- because it's fun. Enjoy this fun book!" -- Triumph, The Insult Comic Dog
"This book is amazing. I can't believe how many people I know in here. You'd expect a few because of my connections to the Wiccan community and my early forays into puppetry and competitive snake breeding, but still I was shocked at how many people I recognized. I found a ton of ex-girlfriends, one roommate, some former collaborators, and even my third grade teacher -- who knew she had a tattoo there?" -- Matthew Diffee, New Yorker cartoonist
"In acting, the Meisner Technique is based on living truthfully under imaginary circumstances -- what Meisner neglected to say is that there are some imaginations that just shouldn't be tapped. Holy Headshot! tapped and bottled it!" -- Karith Foster, Imus in the Morning
"Holy Headshot! only increased my appreciation for such actors as Pete Traina (Angry Man in Balcony in The Last Dragon) and Dale Greeber (Angry Farmer in the industrial film Pork: Know the Dangers). It also made me destroy every headshot of me in existence." -- Andy Borowitz, The Borowitz Report
"Flawless skin and a winning smile? BORING! Tall, dark, and handsome? NEXT! As a casting professional, one of my greatest workplace joys is to come across the kind of headshot gems found in Holy Headshot! Now you, too, can experience the magic! Welcome to my world, World!" -- Anne Harris, Comedy Central Talent Executive
"I cried myself awake after reading this book. Truly amazing headshots." -- Cecelia Pleva, Late Night with Conan O'Brien Casting Director
"Holy Headshot! has earned a rightful spot in my vast, temperature-controlled library of leather-bound classics. I cannot wait for the audio version!" -- Jimmy Fallon
"There has never been a good headshot of Human Giant. Look at this dumbass picture of us on a bike. It sucks. It's not cool to laugh at other people's crappy headshots. Not cool at all." -- Human Giant, MTV
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review
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Did you ever snicker at some hapless bride who trips and falls into her wedding-cake on America's Funniest Videos, only to feel guilty about finding humor in someone's humiliation? If so, then you might want to pass on this book. But for the rest of us insensitive jerks, HOLY HEADSHOTS will provide much more than a dirty little chuckle.
Collected are one hundred diverse, starry-eyed hopefuls with hunger and desperation on the breath, all-waiting for their big break. And for the lucky few, it comes in the guise of an extra on a afternoon soap opera, a local commercial pitchman, the lead in a community theater production of 42nd Street, or a supporting role on a direct to video horror flick. (While thumbing through, I did recognize some the actors from various projects; so now I have names to put to that faces in the crowd scenes on Law & Order and NYPD Blue.) Included with the 8x10 glossies are the actors' resumes, and some will give you chilling insights into their hopes and dreams (I'm looking at you Clement Dyer on page 34!)
This book is a must for anyone who ever dreamed of fame but woke up and got a civil service job.
Collected are one hundred diverse, starry-eyed hopefuls with hunger and desperation on the breath, all-waiting for their big break. And for the lucky few, it comes in the guise of an extra on a afternoon soap opera, a local commercial pitchman, the lead in a community theater production of 42nd Street, or a supporting role on a direct to video horror flick. (While thumbing through, I did recognize some the actors from various projects; so now I have names to put to that faces in the crowd scenes on Law & Order and NYPD Blue.) Included with the 8x10 glossies are the actors' resumes, and some will give you chilling insights into their hopes and dreams (I'm looking at you Clement Dyer on page 34!)
This book is a must for anyone who ever dreamed of fame but woke up and got a civil service job.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
The two guys who put together this book (Patrick Borelli & Douglas Gorenstein) looked at over 50,000 headshots to choose these 100 headshots. Don't be fooled into thinking (as I initially did) that this was a collection of freak shots of D-list actors tossed together for amusement. Far from it.
Along with photos (some zany, some serious, all unique) there are `resumes' ranging from the basic of weight and height to the details of special skills, interests and acting history. They could almost be all your neighbors acting out in their wildest ways; they all look so average (or not normal). As David Cross says in the foreword, "In life you only get one chance to make a good first impression".
Trivia: Meryl Streep was cast in "Sophie's Choice" once the director saw the headshot wherein she was wearing what looked like a prom gown, sucking on a lollipop, and making "crazy eyes". After reading that, I had an entirely new perspective and respect for all these "Head Shots".
Along with photos (some zany, some serious, all unique) there are `resumes' ranging from the basic of weight and height to the details of special skills, interests and acting history. They could almost be all your neighbors acting out in their wildest ways; they all look so average (or not normal). As David Cross says in the foreword, "In life you only get one chance to make a good first impression".
Trivia: Meryl Streep was cast in "Sophie's Choice" once the director saw the headshot wherein she was wearing what looked like a prom gown, sucking on a lollipop, and making "crazy eyes". After reading that, I had an entirely new perspective and respect for all these "Head Shots".
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
I laughed, I cried, I considered getting my own wonderfully horrific headshot. One of the funniest books I've had the pleasure of reading in a long time. Once I got it I couldn't put it down--it was like not being able to turn your eyes away from a really bad car accident. I started by just flipping through and looking at the headshots. And oh, there are some headshots in this book. Headshots that will make you feel good about yourself in a way Oprah Winfrey never could. Next, I read the resumes that went along with said headshots. I recommend paying particular attention to the handwritten ones--they're by far the best of the lot! This book will have a prime space on my coffee table in my living room for all of my friends to see. Maybe they, too, can discover the marvelous wonder that is Holy Headshot!
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Creating a photo/resume that gets attention
Some casting offices get thousands of submissions a week, most of which get thrown in the trash.
For ideas of which types of submissions will not be unnoticed, this book... Read more
For ideas of which types of submissions will not be unnoticed, this book... Read more
Published on December 16, 2009 by AFTRA SAG member
Waiting for the sequel
I'm looking forward to the author's hilarious representation of disability, both through birth and acquired. Read more
Published on August 10, 2009 by EgusHdus
Often Hilarious and Hard-to-fathom actor Headshots.
I have to be honest... I can't stop thinking about Mr. Greeber, and I've had this book for 3 months. Read more
Published on February 25, 2009 by Mister Charlie
hollywood hopefuls
I thought i would recognize more of the people. i felt i wasted my money. it would probably be good for someone getting into the entertainment business.
Published on February 5, 2009 by judith a
A must have
I gave this book to my brother for Christmas and he loved it. He's a movie reviewer and avid reader, so this was the perfect gift and he could not put it down from the time he... Read more
Published on January 22, 2009 by Just a Girl
A Hoot of a Book
A fun book that is aptly described by its title. Part of the beauty is that the headshots and resumes are presented without commentary, just as they were presented (presumably) by... Read more
Published on January 18, 2009 by Mickey D. Hadick
Very Entertaining
This book is especially for people who are celebrity nuts, or who have worked in the business, or would like to. Read more
Published on December 3, 2008 by New Bride
Interesting enough, especially if you're in the industry
If you've ever sent out a casting call or had to review resumes/headshots/auditions, you most certainly will find the profiles and headshots in this book interesting and amusing,... Read more
Published on November 20, 2008 by Jish M.
If you like to laugh buy this book.
I happened upon this book in the book store & began flipping through it. Then I bought it. Then I couldn't put it down. It had me doubled over. Read more
Published on November 19, 2008 by L. Murphy
More Pitiful Than Funny
Holy Headshot! is a soft cover coffee table book that can easily be dipped into at any point and left to browse more later. Read more
Published on November 13, 2008 by christinemm - The Thinking Mother
Inside This Book
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Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs):
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guest star Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
New York, Day Player, Brown Eyes, Director Lead, The Glow, Licensed Driver, Featured Roles, Los Angeles Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | First Pages | Surprise Me!
guest star Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
New York, Day Player, Brown Eyes, Director Lead, The Glow, Licensed Driver, Featured Roles, Los Angeles Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | First Pages | Surprise Me!
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