Customer Reviews

Pimps, Hos, Playa Hatas, and All the Rest of My Hollywood Friends: My Life

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

How'd you like to spend a couple of nights, sitting down for a bunch of beers with Johnny Legs, and talking with him about life, liberty and the pursuit of meaning in the manic world of "showbiz". Well he's so mad busy performing, writing, directing, producing, voicing (bring on Ice Age III!!) and raising his family, that reading Pimps, Hos etc. is as close as you'll probably ever get to this creative Tazmanian Devil. But that's pretty much what this expansive autobio feels like, in a unique and engaging way - a deeply personal, brutally honest conversation with one of America's most illuminating observers of the dog-eat-dog entertainment scene, the harsh realities of a first-generation immigrant family, and the struggle and rise of the Latino demographic in America. The bonus is that he does all the talking, and all you have to do is listen (not enough of that going on in the world), laugh out loud, wince uncomfortably now and then, and join John on his amazing journey from young class clown to cutting edge star of stage, screen and centerfold (I mean...book reviews). As Pimps opened, I was afraid it was going to be merely a written reprise of his one-man tour de force, Sexaholix, because he starts out with a hilarious introduction of his boyhood crew. But very quickly, he is taking you much deeper into his private, personal experiences and the profound impact each had in shaping the kind of artist - and person - he is today. Let me tell you, he's amazingly divers and complex. Don't get me wrong, the book is frikkin' ridiculously funny; I couldn't stop bothering everyone, reading excerpts out loud. The difference between Pimps and the stand-up/HBO material is that you feel less like an observer, and more like an intimate insider; you really appreciate WHY the images, characters, situations, conflicts, arguments, triumphs and tragedies are as funny as they are. The personal connection he makes for you is SO much more satisfying. John covers a lot of ground in this work, opening a lot of old wounds and opening some new ones as well! But he is never unfair (unless some maricone really deserves it!). John's life has so far been an amazing ride, and there are a lot of lessons in it for everyone. Give a copy to all your homies, pimps, hos, playas, conos, maricones, and grandparents for Christmas, Qwanza or Hannukah. If you're a friend of Patrick Swayze or Steven Segal, you might want to get them a snowglobe instead...

I bought this book for my husband for his birthday -He is not much of a reader -We really like John Leguizamo as an actor and saw him on David Letterman promoting the book -It sounded so interesting and my husband was like -I want to read that -I was kind of surprised because he rarely ever reads. He loves the book -He's even got me reading it -John did a great job -If you like John and movies -You will love this book -It's got a lot of dirt on celebrities -But done in a playful way -Even some of the names have been changed -I would recommend this book -Excellent work John!

I can't complain at all about this book. John Leguizamo is hilarious. I felt like I was sitting front row at one of his stand up comedies. He talks about his struggles and some 'beefs' he has with actors I certainly never knew about. I also admired the way he was completely honest about every role he played and every person he worked with.

If you think John Leguizamo is funny (and who doesn't?) -- then you'll love this book. Clearly he's a "playa" ... but when you get the whole back story, you see that he's an "authentic playa." I'm agreeing with the NYTimes ...this book is "brutally funny."

-BookHO, NYC

John Leguizamo's autobiography is fun, sincere and well written. Didn't expect it to be such a can't-put-it-down page turner, but that's how it went. Highly recommended as casual reading or to anyone interested in show business.

John Leguizamo at his best, hot stuff and furiously funny. Leg's voice really comes through. It's like spending a day and night on the town dishin' with your fav comedian--nothing held back! Awesome read!

While I LOVE LOVE LOVE this man, from head to toe, this book left me a little (shoulder hunch). I could forget about it. I found it interesting, funny, and John, but I felt like the title had nothing to do with the book.

This book is very much like John Leguizamo's show's - introspective and intersting. While I didn't think it was too hard-hitting against his fellow thespians, I enjoyed an inside perspective into the real lives of Hollywood actors. I also really enjoyed that Leguizamo shared his failures and weaknesses. It was clever, funny, and sad all at once. A true John Leguizamo experience.

I am a huge John Leguizamo fan. My son introduced me to him because of his love for Leguizamo's short lived TV show House of Buggin. In addition to his films, we have seen him perform Freak on Broadway and John Leguizam Live before it was renamed Sexaholic. With a background like that, I found this autobiography to be very revealing and entertaining. However, as a long time librarian I am very familiar with how people react to book titles when they are unfamiliar with the author or the subject matter. And just as Leguizamo acknowledges bad career choices and mistakes that he has made in his career to date, I am afraid that he will have to eventually accept the fact that his unfortunate title choice has repelled rather than attracted many potential readers. By doing so, he has missed a golden opportunity to use this entertaining vehicle to expand his fan base.

THIS BOOK WAS NOT AS JUICY AS I WAS ECPECTING.... IT WAS FUNNY AND READ WITH ENJOYMENT BUT IT WAS EASY TO PUT DOWN AND FORGET ABOUT! IT WAS OK