Thanks to NetGalley and Hachette for the digital copy of this book; I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Most people might recognize Tim Matheson as Vice President John Hoynes on The West Wing, or his breakout role of Otter in National Lampoon’s Animal House. But did you know he got his start on the 1950s favorite, Leave it to Beaver? Or that he was the voice of Johnny Quest cartoons in the 1960s? No kidding, 7 decades in Hollywood is for real!

Matheson writes in a very conversational style that makes this Hollywood memoir easy to digest. He talks openly and frankly about his dysfunctional family dynamics and how he became an actor, not because of a stage mother, but rather as a way to help his mom pay the bills. He got his start simply with natural talent but eventually started to study his craft seriously. After appearing in the Lucille Ball/Henry Fonda film Yours, Mine, and Ours, he served in the military during the Vietnam years but never saw combat.

He acted with Kurt Russell in a television series, worked on Bonanza the last year it was on TV (and pissed off Michael Landon), and took any job he could until he landed Animal House. That movie catapulted his career to another level, and found work easy to come by for several years. However, the good graces that served him well from that film had all but dried up in the mid-1980s. So, he turned to directing to supplement his acting jobs.

Eventually, he landed the job on The West Wing, and a whole new generation of fans was born. He earned two Emmy nominations and had mostly good things to say about his time on the show. Since then, he’s dabbled with acting and directing as a true journeyman. He has plenty to say and does so with wit and intelligence and is the kind of Hollywood memoir I enjoy most. Highly recommend!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Tim Matheson's book. It was great reading anecdotes about different portions of his career. As well as the legends he worked with and learned from. I especially liked his boot camp notes for actors, directors. Having read many other memoirs it is refreshing to finish Tim's and still like the person he is!

Thank you to Tim Matheson, Hachette Books and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. My review is voluntary and all opinions expressed are my own.

I absolutely loved reading this biography. I was so excited when I saw that it was available and I couldn't wait to find out more about one of my favorite actors. Now while reading this I laughed so hard when Tim said everyone asks him what it was like working with Belushi. Well I sir would never ask that question because I loved learning what it was like for you to work with a true legend and one of my all time favorite actresses Lucille Ball!! I was so happy to hear how much you learned from her. The first thing I ever watched with Tim Matheson was Drop Dead Fred!! Almost no one knows that movie but as a kid (yes I know now as an adult I shouldn't have watched some of those scenes..LOL) I couldn't watch that movie enough. Then when I fell in love with Lucy it was Yours, Mine and Ours. Then I was a Lifetime TV girl so I watch all of his but my favorite was Sleeping with the Devil. Then he stole my heart on Hart of Dixie and of course now on Virgin River. I watch everything Tim is in. LOL...I learned so much from this book about his wonderful but hard career. His tough childhood, his struggles in life and marriages, his ups and downs but through it all he come out stronger and on top! Tim is truly a remarkable actor and person. I was shocked how many people have been role models in his life and helped him become the director and actor he is today. I could go on and on! This is a MUST READ biography! I HIGHLY recommend this book!


Thank you NetGalley and Hachette Books for allowing me to read this ARC for my honest opinion.

Damn Glad to Meet You
by Tim Matheson

Expected Publication Date: 12 Nov 2024

Memoir ~ Child Actor ~ California ~ Family ~ Hollywood ~ Career Pitfalls ~ Military Life ~ Animal House ~ Underdog Stories ~ Second (and 3rd) Chances ~ Acting Lessons ~ Recommended

Many thanks to NetGalley, Hachette Publishers, and the author for the complementary audio copy, in exchange for my honest review.

I’ve always enjoyed Tim Matheson and thought this would be a fun book to read.
So many stories from when he started out and shows that I didn’t even know he was in, He shared lessons he learned from people he worked with and the personal parts of his life. The book was a lot slower than I expected and at times felt like I was slogging through. All in all it was an ok book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

Somehow, I was unaware that Tim Matheson had begun as a child actor. He’s 76 now and still a working actor, so that means the guy has a long, long list of experiences in movies and on TV, mostly as an actor, but also as a director and producer.

Of course, many readers will want to hear about Matheson’s experience playing Otter in Animal House. And that’s there, in detail. But this book is packed with anecdotes from all his decades in show business. It’s overwhelming; I thought it was easiest to just read one chapter at a time.

The book includes frequent asides about what Matheson has learned about being in show business. Matheson also includes a lot of detail about his love life, which includes womanizing and infidelity, at least when he was a younger man. Good for him to be honest about his less-than-admirable side, but I could have lived without quite so much content about his philandering.

3.5 stars rounded to 4.

I was amazed and inspired learing Mr. Matheson's life.

Young and innocent at the beginning of his career.
Super professional and appreciative for every step along the way

My only disappointment is the lack of his work on Evil

I know Tim Matheson as Otter in Animal House, a movie I've seen about a million times, and the older sad dude in the Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. I like reading bios/memoirs and getting the behind-the-scenes scoops. I wasn't sure how interesting I would find this book or Matheson's life since I don't have a lot of exposure to him. Surprisingly I enjoyed it than I thought I would.

Matheson starts off in the beginning with his childhood (alcoholic parents, broken family and discovering acting at a young age) and brings us up-to-date with what he's doing today (happily married for the third time and in a Netflix series). He's been in many movies and shows, which I didn't know as they aren't shows I watch or have watched.

I liked the writing style ... it was conversational as if he was telling his story to you in person over a cup of coffee or glass of wine. It's fairly high level with just enough detail. I liked his honesty and humor ... he doesn't shy away from the fact that it sounds like he was a slimy dog when he was younger (his second marriage and becoming a father seemed to have settled him down) but I still found him likeable (he sounds like a nice guy). It was interesting to read about his relationships with others in and out of show business and how he always had to keep reinventing himself. I wish there had been photos scattered throughout the book. As a head's up, there is swearing.

As soon as I saw this book, I requested it and then went home to rewatch Animal House. Matheson was honest about his personal and professional struggles. The behind the scenes information about the characters and films was really fun. It's so interesting how long his career has been and how many people he's met along the way.

My first introduction to Tim Matheson was as Otter in Animal House. I thought he was hilarious, and have enjoyed watching his career over the years. This memoir is full of funny, behind-the-scenes takes on his past projects. It's also a searingly honest look at poor choices, failed relationships, and the parts that got away. Between stories, Matheson offers tips and suggestions for people aspiring to succeed in media. As a person in their 50s, I enjoyed the nostalgic mentions of long-forgotten tv shows, movies, and actors. I really enjoyed the memoir and reading about the ups and downs of Matheson's life and career.

I would like to thank Net Galley and Hatchette books for the chance to read this book as an ARC. I really liked this book,. It has an open honest approach to life in general and Hollywood in particular. Tim Matheson has a natural easy way of describing his life, warts and all. It is almost like sitting down with a friend and a drink and sharing stories. He has a long career , in both acting and directing, and shares it all. From being Beaver Cleavers friend, to Animal House's Otter, to the West Wings Vice President,he shares his personal and professional life. I was" Damm Glad" to read it.

With Animal House being one of my all time favorite movies, I was more than excited when I saw Tim wrote a book and the title was one of his most iconic lines in the movie. It's always hit or miss when you read a book by a celebrity as to where the story will go and what you'll be able to take away from it. There are some celebrities whose books are more or less a compilation of other famous names more than actual stories & then there are those that are rooted more in the stories that the reader can relate to on a personal level, Tim's story was a healthy mix of both. Yes, he did the celebrity name drop thing but it was always in the context of a project he was a part of or someone that influenced him, but he also had stories about being a child of divorce, reconnecting with his father & what dating was like for him. While I've definitely read books where the author appears to just be writing to stroke their ego (and in some cases hear their own narration), in my opinion this book was not in that category. It seemed more about leaving a legacy for his kids & sharing his story with those who have followed his career.


Thank you NetGalley & Hachette Books for providing me with an ARC for my honest opinion.

As a fan of Tim Mathewson I was really delighted to read this book .Following his long career through many of my favorites shows West Wing no. One.This is a fun nice biography a pleasure to read.#netg#hatchettebooks

From rush chairman at the Delta Fraternity to the Vice President at the white house Tim Matheson has had a long career in show business.
Matheson can be seen on old shows Like Leaver it to Beaver and the last season of Bonanza. His latest work is the Netflix series Virgin River.
While "Damm Glad to Meet You!" is Matheson's unctuous iconic line from Animal House, his autobiography is both candid and informative. Matheson provides a boatload of detail about the challenges of being an actor. You quickly realize that being an actor is not all makeup and limousines.
He takes full responsibility for his mistakes in both his personal and professional life, and regrets the family time he missed while pursuing opportunities in front and behind the camera.
Like and well written memoir, Mathseon furnishes ample evidence of a mostly dysfunctional family life that forced him to be independent and the family breadwinner at an early age.
Damm Glad to Meet You is a great read for anyone especially if you were in college when Animal House was in theaters and you were an adult when West Wing premiered on television.

Sympathy-Grabbing by an Overpaid Hollywood Insider
A first glance at the first chapter, “Fade In”, promises this book is an echo of the no-content style of the previous title in this set. While the lines are similarly short, and most of it is empty dialogue, the contents in the opening paragraphs are a bit surprising, as the author confesses he is having troubles: he is newly divorced, “the two TV networks I’m currently working for are suing me”, and he is anticipating bad medical news. The doctor through tells him he is fine, and has only had a “panic attack”. Instead of focusing on the negative, I decided to search for key terms that promise some interesting content within this book. The first term I search for is “lawsuit”. In “Marrying My Sister”, he explains that his “creditors responded with lawsuits”, after his Universal and other contracts had been “canceled”, and he was attempting to pacify creditors “with a $10 check” (85). He repeats that two studios were threatening to sue him, but does not clarify why. It seems a miscommunication between his “acting agent and directing agent” caused this. Both studios “were threatening to sue me for millions if I didn’t make myself exclusive to their show.” He apparently double-booked despite an exclusive contract because he was attempting to double his money “postdivorce”. The threat was that if he didn’t end one of the jobs, he “would never work at their networks or studios again”, despite 50 years in the business (314). This seems like a rich-person problem, as just quitting one of the shows surely would have immediately ended this turmoil. Then, he notes the studios are surprised when a phone calls solves scheduling issues. He promised both studios to pay for their expenses associated with this double-booking and this allowed him to work at both. This is a ridiculously over-hyped problem that was just instantly deflated after being built-up across this book. I was hoping to read about a Hollywood actor being dramatically sued into bankruptcy…
Then, I searched for “Lucille Ball” and mostly found mentions of her in lists of puffed actors. One exception is a brief mention of “appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show” in a “scene… with Lucille”, which was “terrifying”. No details about this encounter follow (125). Mostly he just keeps mentioning her when he needs to prove that he was an expert at acting because he worked with this antique celebrity.
I searched for “Spielberg”. There’s a mention of a call from Spielberg. After a puffery of Spielberg, the first thing he says is an invitation for the author to be in his movie. Spielberg gives a brief spiel about his movie. He adds that he has two different parts, and he wants the actor to chose one, which he does. Spielberg does a presentation for him of the storyboards: the author puffs himself: “I was being courted by the wunderkind—the new king of Hollywood.” Then, he is surprised to learn that he would be paid the same amount for this lead role, as he was paid for a supporting role in the previous film. He learns that “Spielberg… couldn’t care less about playing games with actor-salary negotiations” because he was offering the lowest possible rate, and was threatening a take-it-or-leave offer. He might have called most Hollywood actors with this type of a “I have two roles for you” deal that basically categorized actors into male-old vs female-young etc.
While this is somewhat curious. It really says the bare minimum about the realities of life in Hollywood. And the pufferies of those in this industry are deeply annoying. Thus, I do not recommend this book.
--Pennsylvania Literary Journal, Summer 2024 issue

A fun memoir from the guy I loved to hate on "The West Wing," lol! Tim Matheson played Vice President John Hoynes on my all-time favorite TV show. He has had a long career in show business, starting as a youngster in "Leave it to Beaver." Matheson's book is a celebrity memoir without graphic sex scandals or bad mouthing. He takes readers through his life and acting career, with lessons learned along the way.

Thank you #Netgalley for the advanced copy!

Wow Tim has done so much! He has always been that friendly face in so many things but it was nice to learn more about his past and all his work behind the scenes as well. So many interesting stories of people he has worked with all tied with little film boot camp stories with his take on advice. I particularly enjoyed the story about his acting time in Yours, Mine and Ours and how he was actually going to Marine Bootcamp at the same time and how Bob Hope got involved with his drill instructor. So crazy! For those fans of Hollywood and connections, this is a great read!

I loved this book! I have watched Tim Matheson since he was the oldest child of Lucy in Yours, Mine and Ours. You forget about some of the many shows he has appeared in until you start this book. He started out as a friend of the Beaver and then is Vice President and several Doctors. What a career he has had. He gives us the good, the bad, and the ugly of the entertainment industry. Most of us thinks that it is all great and wonderful but Tim shows us that it takes a lot of hard work and determination to be a success. And who doesn't remember him in Animal House. I need to rewatch that one. This is a very entertaining book. It will make you laugh out loud, You might even find yourself looking up Virgin River on a streaming service. I'm really glad I read this book.

Damn Glad To Meet You, Tim Matheson! Great insider’s view of Hollywood, movies and tv. It is a personal reflection on an acting and directing career that has spanned decades. Matheson combines celebrity anecdotes and personal insights with humor and honesty that reveals the glamorous and sometimes not-so-glamorous side of a lifetime in Hollywood.

I received a copy of the book, "Damn Glad to Meet You" by Tim Matheson from Netgalley. I was pleased to see Tim Matheson wrote a memoir. I have memories from my childhood in the 1960s when he was the voice of Jonny Quest, and one of the 18 children in "Yours Mine and Ours" the author writes of a tough childhood. Both parents were alcoholics. His dad left when he was a kid leaving him with his sister and a mother who was working two jobs. Being a California kid he started taking an interest in acting. He soon was cast in the lead role of the cartoon Jonny Quest. he had other roles on TV and landed the role in Yours Mine and Ours. this was the start of a career that has lasted six decades. he writes of the ups and downs of his life. the success in the roles in movies he has starred in. LIke "Animal House" and many other roles in movies and TV He is stll acting today. I liked getting the chance to read his memoir.