This is a great, fun, moving read. I've seen Jeff Hiller perform improv many times over the years in NY, and his work on Somebody Somewhere was outstanding. It's not surprising that he's a very good, very funny writer as well! I really enjoyed reading these autobiographical essays about someone pursuing their acting dreams, developing their comedic chops, and finding their voice and place in the entertainment ecosystem. Hiller is open, vulnerable, and spins comedic gold out of his past (the story about studying abroad in Namibia because he was too polite to say no had me rolling). Just a wonderful read I will be recommending to artists and comedy fans alike.

I must confess that I was unfamiliar with actor Jeff Hiller prior to picking up "Actress of a Certain Age: My Twenty-Year Trail to Overnight Success," a light and humorous collection of autobiographical essays from the actor who spent 20+ years struggling to find success as an actor until landing a memorable role in HBO's "Somebody Somewhere." (which I've also never heard of nor seen).

Despite being mostly unfamiliar with Hiller, this didn't impact my ability to appreciate this often humorous, occasionally quite poignant collection about his growing up "profoundly gay" in 1980s Texas, working for awhile as an "inept" social worker, and then stumbling his way toward the lower middle-tier of Hollywood success.

It feels almost cliche' to acknowledge that I found the most meaningful essays in "Actress of a Certain Age" to be those involving Hiller's growing up and, quite especially, his journey toward self-discovery and coming out. Hiller possesses a rather refreshing honesty with just the right amount of vulnerability to really bring these essays to life. While I seldom laughed out loud here, I consistently enjoyed "Actress of a Certain Age" and I always appreciated it.

You may not know Hiller when you begin reading "Actress of a Certain Age," however, by the time you've finished the book you'll likely wish you did.

If you only read one memoir this year let it be this one. It was so inspiring, raw and very funny. It gave a lot of insight on not giving up on your dreams. Thanks NetGallery!

I read tons of celebrity memoirs, and none have ever been as funny as this one. The best celebrity memoirs are always written by people who aren’t necessarily A listers, but you know them when you see them. My favorite celebrity memoir of all time is Minka Kelly’s TELL ME EVERYTHING. Jeff Hiller’s is my favorite comedic celebrity memoir.

When I first saw Jeff Hiller in the HBO series Somebody, Somewhere three years ago, I fell in love with his and Bridget Everett’s characters. It’s a show about misfits and underdogs, played by misfits and underdogs. This comes through in the show and in his memoir.

He writes about childhood bullying, which, unsurprisingly, was pretty brutal to a gay kid growing up 1980s Texas. He makes it funny, though. His mom tries to help him dress like the cool kids and it backfires spectacularly. I laughed out loud so many times reading this book.

Did I mention that he accidentally studied abroad in Namibia because he was too polite to tell the study abroad adviser at his school that he would have preferred Ireland? On his third plane ride ever, he flew to Africa.

Jeff is so funny, it hurts. He played a flight attended many times despite being 6’5”. No airline would ever hire someone that tall!

There are so many beautiful, tragic, and hilarious lines in this memoir. When he tells you he’s read dozens of celeb memoirs, you believe it because his writing is so open and captivating and compelling.

I love this book, but I love that Jeff Hiller became a household name in his forties even more. It’s never too late to be an underdog.

I was THRILLED to see that my favorite actor from Somebody, Somewhere had his own collection of personal narratives. Jeff is as witty and charmingly self-deprecating as Joel. Their stories are also similar, as queer people growing up Christian, and it was interesting to read about his difficult path to semi-fame. With this book and his story becoming more public, I'm excited to see what other projects will come his way!

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you #Netgalley for the advanced copy!

This has been such a fun read learning more about Jeff Hiller! I loved him in Somebody, Somewhere and want to see him in more things. I was surprised to learn of some of the similarities of her persona life that carry over into the show. He describes how hard it was to make his way into entertainment and really getting his break until later in life. Love his personality, stories and and relatable stories!

I love Jeff Holler’s work and was thrilled to get an ARC, however this book is so badly written that it was a struggle to finish.

Funny book. Love it.
Thanks to author, publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free it had no bearing on the rating I gave it.

A perfectly fine celebrity memoir! I would guess that it works better as an audiobook since he knows how to tell a story well, and it probably is more engaging for other struggling Hollywood actors that are aging.