Synopses & Reviews
In this personal book from the star of many beloved and classic film comedies from
The Producers to
Young Frankenstein,
Blazing Saddles to
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory Gene Wilder writes about a side of his life the public hasn't seen on the screen.
Kiss Me Like a Stranger is not an autobiography in the usual sense of the word, and it's certainly not another celebrity "tell-all." Instead, Wilder has chosen to write about resonant moments in his life, events that led him to an understanding of the art of acting, and more important to an understanding of how to give love to and receive love from a woman.
Wilder writes compellingly about the creative process on stage and screen, and divulges moments from life on the sets of some of the most iconic movies of our time.
In this book, he talks about everything from his experiences in psychoanalysis to why he got into acting and later comedy (his first goal was to be a Shakespearean actor), and how a Midwestern childhood with a sick mother changed him. Wilder explains why he became an actor and writer, and about the funny, wonderful movies he made with Mel Brooks, Woody Allen, Richard Pryor, and Harrison Ford, among many others. He candidly reveals his failures in love, and writes about the overwhelming experience of marrying comedienne Gilda Radner, as well as what finally had to happen for him to make a true and lasting commitment to another woman.
A thoughtful, revealing, and winsome book about life, love, and the creative process, Kiss Me Like A Stranger is one actor's life in his own words.
Review
"[A] gracious, endearing book....Though this book is true to the nice-guy persona that Mr. Wilder has used to such fine comic effect as an actor, it is not without claws. But he writes with an introspection that keeps these opposite sides of his nature reconciled." Janet Maslin, The New York Times
Review
"Pure Gene Wilder! Uproarishly funny and at times very moving. It made me want to go out and see every Gene Wilder movie again." Mel Brooks
Review
"[A]n honest, affecting look at his life. Strong, tender, and revealing." Kirkus Reviews
Review
"A wonderful addition to the entertainment memoir Gene pool." Library Journal
Review
"I always knew Gene Wilder was a remarkable person, but I didn't know how remarkable until I read this brave, riveting book." Charles Grodin
Review
"It's impossible not to feel deep affection for Gene Wilder....Affection for this desultory, confessional memoir...will vary according to one's desire to see that persona in extended therapy. (Grade: B-)" Entertainment Weekly
Synopsis
One of the great comic actors who defined screen comedy in the 1970s and 1980s. Wilder selects the most personal moments of his life to present an intimate glimpse of the man behind the images on film.
Synopsis
Although not an autobiography in the usual sense, in this personal book, actor Gene Wilder selects the most personal events in his life ones that have led him to an understanding of the art of acting, and of how to give and receive the love of a woman.
Synopsis
"Gene Wilder's frank, charming memoir, KISS ME LIKE A STRANGER, is refreshingly free from the two major sins of show-biz autobiographies: self-aggrandizement and score-settling."--
Los Angeles Times
In this unusually personal book from the beloved star of many beloved and classic film comedies--from The Producers to Young Frankenstein , Blazing Saddles to Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory--Gene Wilder writes about a side of his life the public hasn't seen on the screen. Wilder talks about everything from his experiences in psychoanalysis to why he got into acting to the funny, wonderful movies he made with Mel Brooks, Woody Allen, Richard Pryor, and many others. He writes candidly about the role of women in his life, about the overwhelming experience of marrying comedienne Gilda Radner, and about what ultimately had to happen for him to find true love. KISS ME LIKE A STRANGER is one actor's life in his own words.
"Uproarishly funny and at times very moving. It made me want to go out and see every Gene Wilder movie again."--Mel Brooks
"an intimate, unusual memoir...His book candidly explores his own faults and feelings, as well as those of the people he's loved and lost."--Publishers Weekly
Synopsis
Gene Wilder is one of the great comic actors who defined the 1970's and 1980's in movies. From his early work with Woody Allen to the rich group of movies he made with Mel Brooks to his partnership on screen with Richard Pryor, Wilder's performances are still discussed and celebrated today.
Kiss Me Like A Stranger is an intimate glimpse of the man behind the image on the screen.
In this book, Wilder talks about everything from his experiences in psychoanalysis to why he got into acting (and later comedy-his first goal was to be a Shakespearean actor) to how a midwestern childhood with a sick mother changed him. He writes about the creative process on stage and on screen, and divulges moments from life on the sets of the some of the most iconic movies of our time. He also opens up about his love affairs and marriages, including his marriage to comedian Gilda Radner. But the core of Kiss Me Like A Stranger is an actor's search for truth and a thoughtful analysis of why the choices he made-some of them so serendipitous they were practically accidental-changed the course of his life.
About the Author
Gene Wilder has been acting since he was thirteen. After a small role in Bonnie and Clyde pulled him away from a career onstage, he was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Supporting Actor for his role as Leo Bloom in The Producers, which led to Blazing Saddles and then to another Academy nomination, this time for writing Young Frankenstein. Wilder has appeared in twenty-five feature films and a number of stage productions. He lives in Connecticut with his wife, Karen.