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Actress of a certain age : my twenty-year trail to overnight success  Cover Image Book Book

Actress of a certain age : my twenty-year trail to overnight success / Jeff Hiller.

Hiller, Jeff, (author.).

Record details

  • ISBN: 9781668031858
  • ISBN: 166803185X
  • Physical Description: 258 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations, portraits ; 24 cm
  • Edition: First Simon & Schuster hardcover edition.
  • Publisher: New York : Simon & Schuster, 2025.

Content descriptions

Summary, etc.:
Jeff Hiller's memoir is a funny, honest account of his long, often unglamorous journey to success as an actor. After decades of temp jobs and small roles, he finally found his breakout on HBO's Somebody Somewhere at forty. Blending humor and heart, Hiller reflects on growing up gay and Lutheran in Texas, facing rejection, and holding on to dreams despite setbacks. It's a relatable story for anyone who's ever struggled to make a dream come true.
Subject: Hiller, Jeff.
Hiller, Jeff > Anecdotes.
Television actors and actresses > United States > Anecdotes.
Gay actors > United States > Anecdotes.
Genre: LGBTQ+ autobiographies.
Gay autobiographies.
Autobiographies.
Biographies.

Available copies

  • 0 of 1 copy available at GRPL.

Holds

3 current holds with 1 total copy.

Location Call Number / Copy Notes Barcode Shelving Location Status Due Date
Main 791.45028092 H557a (Text) 31307026363632 New Checked out 07/30/2025

Syndetic Solutions - Summary for ISBN Number 9781668031858
Actress of a Certain Age : My Twenty-Year Trail to Overnight Success
Actress of a Certain Age : My Twenty-Year Trail to Overnight Success
by Hiller, Jeff
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Summary

Actress of a Certain Age : My Twenty-Year Trail to Overnight Success


A humorous collection of autobiographical essays from comedian and Somebody Somewhere actor Jeff Hiller, who shares his journey from growing up "profoundly gay" in 1980s Texas to his experiences as an inept social worker and how he clawed, scraped, and brawled to Hollywood's lower middle-tier. While struggling to find success as an actor and pay the bills, something accidentally happened to Jeff Hiller: he aged. And while it's one thing to get older and rest on the laurels of success from the blood, sweat, and tears of your youth, it's quite another to be old and have no laurels. At forty, stuck in a temp job making spreadsheets, the dream of becoming a star seemed out of reach. But after twenty-five years of guest roles on TV and performing improv in a grocery store basement, he finally struck gold with a breakout role on HBO's Somebody Somewhere , playing Joel--the kind of best friend everyone wishes they had. In his book, Jeff dives into the grit and grind of climbing the Hollywood ladder. It's a raw and often hilarious tale of the struggles, triumphs, and humiliations that shaped him into the wonderfully imperfect person he is today. With a mix of awkward charm and heartfelt honesty, Jeff shares his journey: growing up very Lutheran in Texas, navigating bullying as a gay kid, working as a social worker for unhoused youth and HIV prevention, and the endless ups and downs of being a struggling actor. For every one of us who have a dream that we're chasing--and chasing, and chasing--his is a funny, moving, and utterly relatable story.

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