I've seen Curtis Armstrong in so many roles (most recently, Metatron in Supernatural - we finished the series just the other week), and in each of them he was excellent. So, when I saw this available for review I was keen to give it a try. Revenge of the Nerd is a great memoir: packed with interesting and illuminating stories, well-written, and an amusing and enjoyable read.

A must for fans of Armstrong's work, but also for anyone interested in Hollywood/television and the lives of those who make their living in the entertainment industry.

I LOVE Curtis Armstrong, and the fact he has memoir up, it's so fantastic. He's the go-to 'nerd' actor I think of.

I was browsing the selection on NetGalley and thought it might be fun to see what was available in the non-fiction section, specifically memoirs. When I came across Curtis Armstrong’s memoir, titled Revenge of the Nerd, I knew I had to request it.

Now, I’ve never seen Revenge of the Nerds, or if I did I was very young and it was on cable TV and I wasn’t paying much attention. It’s a movie a little before my time. However, I recognized Mr. Armstrong as Metatron from the fabulous CW TV show Supernatural.

I haven’t read many memoirs (Um…. I think this is my 2nd ever!) but this makes me want to read more! It was so much fun reading about his offbeat early life in Switzerland and subsequent return to Detroit. It was awesome to read all the candid behind the scenes stories from the making of all of the movies and TV shows he was on. It was a little heartbreaking to hear about how he left the cast of Supernatural and how the crazed fans at the conventions didn’t like him much just because he played a villain. (I loved you as Metatron, Curtis! I’d stand in line for your autograph!)!

There were a lot of stories about actors I’ve heard of (Tom Cruise, Bruce Willis, Demi Moore, etc.) as well as many I haven’t. If this book has done nothing else for me, it has encouraged me to seek out old movies I’ve never seen before, like Risky Business and Revenge of the Nerds, just so that I can have a fuller sense of the stories I read.

Would I recommend this book? Absolutely! Fans of Curtis Armstrong and those who have never seen his work alike will get a kick out of his fabulous stories and (often self-deprecating) humor. A+ Curtis. Thanks for the ride!

Revenge of the Nerd is written by Curtis Armstrong who was one of the cast members of Revenge of the Nerds. I have never seen the movie but I knew a bunch of the cast was going to be at the Rhode Island Comic Con so I figured I'd check it out. (Fun fact: he ended up talking to my friends about the shirts I had made us. Of course, I was not with them at the time!) The book talks about Curtis' life with more of a focus on the movie and how it helped bring nerds to more mainstream. Curtis says that not only does he play a nerd, he also is one in real life! He is a big Beatles nerd. His family really wanted him to attend college, but he decided that he wanted to be an actor instead. Also throughout the book are some of his diary/journal excerpts. He actually was going to turn down the role of Booger at first! I thought the book was an interesting read despite not knowing much about Curtis or the movie beforehand so I think this book would be enjoyable for fans and those who are just curious as well :)

I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review, I was not otherwise compensated.

What’s a girl to do when one of the world’s most renowned nerds puts out a memoir? READ IT. I’ll admit, I picked up Revenge of the Nerd: Or . . . The Singular Adventures of the Man Who Would Be Booger because I grew to love Curtis after seeing him at #SupernaturalCon. I was a little unsure about how I would react, since he played one of the most hated characters on Supernatural (and my con was before his comeback). I loved getting a little peek into the world of Curtis, including Risky Business, Revenge of the Nerd, and projects that I hadn’t even known he had been in!

When I started Revenge of the Nerd, I was tempted to skip straight to the part about Supernatural. I didn’t because Curtis was easy to listen to and I’m fascinated by his journey as one of our favorite nerds. It’s an interesting look at the inside of Hollywood and how being in a creative position can be tough! Curtis managed it like a champ, though. If you’ve ever wanted to go behind the scenes, I high recommend this memoir! Check out the summary below and pick it up (on audio, if you can - he narrates it!).

A warm, funny and self deprecating look at the cult of celebrity as told through the eyes of the original nerd, Curtis Armstrong whose delightful prose make this an engaging look at his childhood (where he doesn't even mind you skipping ahead to the movies) to his work with Tom Cruise and Bruce Willis. An enjoyable read.

In this surprisingly thoughtful and charming autobiography, Armstrong takes us through the process by which he left a family of Detroit auto executives for a career as a scuzzy second banana, albeit it very well-read, pleasant to work with, feminist, grateful for his career scuzzy second banana. There's dirt to be dished, although it won't surprise anyone that young Tom Cruise was a tool, Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd were nightmares to work with and that John Goodman once partied so hard two fleeing robbers from the store down the street used the party as cover to get away.

I like reading bio/autobios and this one caught my eye because I have seen Revenge of the Nerds a few times so knew who Booger was, which was played by Curtis Armstrong.

This is the author's story. He was born in Detroit in the early 1950s. His maternal side is Italian-immigrant working class and his paternal side is American "executive class". As he was growing up, he was aware there was racial and class hostility between the two families. His father was transferred to Switzerland for a few years when Curtis was young and they eventually moved back to Detroit. Curtis became interested in acting and his first love was/is the theatre.

The book starts off with the telling of the author's childhood and then moves on to have a chapter devoted to some of the more well-known things he has done ... movies like Risky Business and Revenge for the Nerds and TV shows such as Moonlighting, Supernatural and The New Girl. It was interesting to get the behind the scenes scoop of his experiences from his point of view. Some of the things he talked about weren't overly complimentary (like how frisky Tom Cruise was during the shooting of Risky Business and the tensions between Cybill Shepherd and Bruce Willis during Moonlighting) but he did it in an honest and not mean manner.

For the most part, I liked the writing style and found it amusing. I think he'd be fun to have a beer with. I found the book a bit slow in the beginning, though, but thought it picked up with chapter about Revenge of the Nerds and onwards. The focus is on his career and there is very little about his personal life (his wife and famly). As a head's up, there is swearing.

I have always enjoyed this actor as he is very funny and does an excellent job in his craft of acting. I loved all the information we learned not only about on of his most famous roles as booger but also his life and other roles. I really recommend this as it was a very fun and interesting memoir.

Curtis shares the good times and the bad in a brilliantly funny read.

This was everything I wanted it to be. I mean obviously I was hoping for a bit more Tom Cruise gossip, like some legit crazy talk but Curtis Armstrong seems like a nice guy, so I get it. It's one of those books that has a little something for everyone. For example, I was very excited to read the teeny, tiny Peter Falk encounter. Just a little blip in the book and I was jazzed. I've been referring to it as the 'booger book' which sounds fun and people kind of know what I'm talking about.

Curtis Armstrong, is a god amongst men with this fully realised and deeply felt memoir of his coming of age and life as a character actor supreme.



I have been a fan of Curtis Armstrong ever since I had seen him in ‘Risky Business’ back in 1983 and have followed his career ever since. I would look forward to seeing him in ‘Revenge of the Nerds’ and I was even standing at line for the opening of ‘Better Off Dead’ which is one of my favourite films. Hell, I even have the soundtrack with the great EG Daily performing on the screen and LP/Cassette. When I think he may have disappeared from our lives, he would reappear in something bringing all the light and talent to whatever role he is given. He is a true actor and makes every character memorable.

I was hesitant to read this memoir as sometimes spending too much time with any one person can disrupt any preconceived ideas that you can have. I remember reading Meredith Baxter Birney’s autobiography and after 500 pages of her whining about how wrong her life is and how she is now a lesbian, I can’t even bear to watch reruns of Family Ties anymore. Anyway, I digress from the task at hand, it made me somewhat cautious to start to read this but I am glad I threw caution to the wind.



Curtis Armstrong has really put his thoughts and heart on the page and he is fully honest. He also looks at himself and embraces his flaws and doesn’t spend a lot of time apologising for who he is but deeply engages in his experiences. He has a magnificent way of writing that it feels personal and it feels like he is having a personal dialogue with the reader. From his early upbringing in Detroit and his being slightly out of step with those around him, to coming of age in Switzerland and finishing off his schooling back in Detroit. He tackled this with extreme insight and knew exactly with to deflect but embrace the person he was.

His acting education was very informative and he was able to allow the reader to fully get involved with his experience. He is able to embrace these years and involve you in where he was mentally and socially. He also has an impeccable way to bring the reader into this world and give them a totally understanding of the time and era. He has placed you firmly in his steps which are a very remarkable trait that he has really accomplished.



Armstrong does not shy away from his film experiences and is able to find the humour and pathos without being crude or mean. He was there at the start of some of the top names of film starting with Tom Cruise in Risky Business, John Crusak in Better Off Dead and One Crazy Summer and even television alumni such as Timothy Bufield in Revenge of the Nerds. He gives you a glimpse of their personalities and sometimes outrageous behaviour without being unwarranted. This is what really opens up his memoirs in the depth of the film making process and how the many personalities approach this medium.



The Moonlighting years were a real eye opener with the shenanigans taking place between his two co-stars Bruce Willis and Cybil Sheppard. Again, this could have been done scathingly but Armstrong takes the approach of revealing it for what it was. He doesn’t take sides and only provides the facts without being committal to who was the bigger brat. I did feel for him as he tried to stay afloat in a situation that must have been unbearable.

The author has enabled to keep friendships within his working life with some of his co-stars which tells you the kind of man he is. Someone who is able to keep friendships in an industry where people pass through your professional life as close until your next job and being able to maintain those friendships gives you an idea of the strong character Curtis really is.



His career has continued and his years working in the hit show ‘Supernatural’ and ‘The New Girl’ were a revelation on how the television industry has changed since the 80’s and how everyone seems to be getting their inner nerd on.

This book is a breath of fresh air and a real eye opener to an unforgettable talent. I could not put this book down and I could not read enough. The only negative I can really add, is that I wish there was more but it is always good to keep the people wanting more.



When celebrities are writing their memoirs, they should really use this book as a text book on the way that it should be done. Excellent and if I could give this more than five stars, it would be an easy fifteen. This is the must read and we will be placing this on our book of the month and Summer Reads for 2017 list. Phenomenal.

Delightful and well written. A witty and straightforward storyteller.

Curtis Armstrong is an absolute delight to read. He is a witty and straightforward storyteller. His honesty is tempered with kindness. I had so much fun reading this memoir that I resented having to put it down for work.
I expected to enjoy his stories about his career, but I was pleasantly surprised by how enjoyable his stories were about his childhood and school years. I love his unabashed embracing of being a nerd and nerdiness in general.
If you enjoyed Curtis Armstrong in any of his many notable roles, you will enjoy this book tremendously.

Not as interesting as expected. A quick read. Not recommended.