What do I have in common with a Texas-born, New York City transplant, middle-aged gay theater actor? Absolutely everything, apparently. This was such a lovely memoir, humble and heartwarming, kind and funny.

I do enjoy a celebrity memoir, and clearly so does Jeff Hiller as he uses fellow memoir titles as his chapter headers for his memoir Actress of a Certain Age: My Twenty-Year Trail to Overnight Success, using those individuals' ages as examples on when they got their start in the industry. I must say I probably have seen Jeff in commercials or side bits in movies in the past, but I really know him through the GEM of a series Somebody Somewhere which has an all too short three-season run on HBO (seriously, if you have not seen you must, though it's hard for me to envision someone picking this book up without having seen the show).

Hiller focuses much of this memoir on on the slog he had to go through in the industry to finally get a co-starring role on a series as he approaches middle age. He highlights crap jobs he had (Olive Garden server was a doozy), weird commercials he has been featured in (though Snickers was a money maker), and the day to day grind of rejection but still putting yourself out there. His writing about the sweet relationship his fellow cast member of Somebody Somewhere and him had was very sweet to read about and absolutely tracks with the show. A lot of his character on the show overlaps with Jeff's personal life. It was great to read about Hiller finding the right vehicle for him on TV, and how he got to that point. His childhood (growing up gay in Texas) was tough to read, but I really appreciated how much his mother in particular supported him. This was not a particularly revelatory memoir, but fans of Jeff's TV work will appreciate learning more about his background.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster via NetGalley for the advance reader copy in exchange for honest review.

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I adored this book! You can hear the words in his voice as you read the book. I learned a lot about the author from reading this, and would love to read another book by him as I'm sure he has plenty of tales to tell. I enjoyed the show he was on ."Somebody Somewhere", and was sad to see there won't be a season 4. So this book was a welcome read.

I loved this incredibly honest book by Jeff Hiller. You know him as the actor who can play anyone, but most recently Someboby Somewhere with Bridget Everett. It is an incredibly wonderful refreshing program and I’m sad that HBO canceled it. It’s probably the best thing on TV currently ……anyway it was wonderful getting to know Jeff, reading his book.
He’s had quite the life being gay, which cannot be the easiest thing in the world. Anyway, Jeff, thank you for this brutally honest book! I loved reading it. Highly recommended reading!

A few years ago, I found the series Somebody Somewhere, starring the great Bridget Everett. Jeff Hiller was a revelation as the best friend, Joel, whom her character, Sam, gained after moving back to her hometown, Manhattan, Kansas. I was excited to read Jeff Hiller’s memoir of the years leading up to this breakout role, and his time on the series, which ended (unfairly!) after three seasons on HBO.

Hiller is self-deprecating and has an amazing sense of humor about being bullied nonstop growing up gay in Texas, feeling the call to become a pastor, losing the call to become a pastor, and slogging through 20 years of marginal jobs while doing improv and small and short-lived roles in TV commercials, TV series, movies, and off Broadway. He’s a voracious reader of actor memoirs and each chapter starts with the title of a memoir appropriate to the theme for that chapter and ends with an entertaining factoid from the memoir.

This is such a hilarious and touching book. I hope to see him regularly on my TV soon.

I have only seen a few episodes of Somebody Somewhere, so I am mostly familiar with Jeff Hiller from his appearances on the Gilmore Guys podcast and on a couple of episodes of my favorite show, 30 Rock (which he mentions in this book!). But in my limited experience with him, I thought him to be very witty and fun and seemed like a genuinely lovely person. This book confirms that he is indeed all those things. The writing is conversational and fun and you can tell he's great at telling stories. I loved the framework of using the titles of other celebrity memoirs for the chapter titles/themes, and that he is very tongue-in-cheek about the idea of a celebrity book throughout. I laughed out loud in almost every chapter, and cried during a few, especially when he talked about his mother. Definitely recommend this if you're looking for a funny and heartfelt memoir, even if you are not familiar with his work.

Thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the eARC for review!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

After enjoying Somebody Somewhere, an HBO show where the author plays Joel, a positive, quirky, and deeply religious gay man in the Midwest, I fell in love with the dynamic of the the cast and this character. It would seem, after reading this book, Mr. Hiller was, at least in part, playing himself as Joel.

The author shares his story of growing up being mercilessly bullied as he is “recognized” by others as gay before he acknowledges it himself. He is matter of fact about the treatment he received by his peers while feeling wholly loved by his parents and finding his own way in his church community. He does not waste a lot of time feeling sorry for himself but instead practices doing better, being better, than the small minded people he encounters.

The book ultimately tells his winding path to mid-life success in Somebody Somewhere. It was an often difficult road but he persevered through many humiliations using his humor and self-deprecation. He tells the story well and I was rooting for him along the way, despite knowing he “makes it”. He comes through as incredibly kind and likable, he recognizes the value of hard-work, community and doing for others. He lives it. He is funny and the book laid his story down in such a readable and relatable way. This author is the friend we all should want.

I became a huge fan of Jeff Hiller after watching Somebody Somewhere. I jumped at the opportunity to read his book. Not only reading his hilarious lines and his own love of celebrity memoirs made this a great read, but Jeff Hiller really shines in this book. His anecdotes of bullying, his career changes, and just his life was just fantastic.

This was a delightful book with a lot of depth. Jeff Hiller is most recently known for his work in HBO's "Somebody, Somewhere." People familiar with the show will see a lot of his character "Joel's" traits and communication style in Jeff's own narrative voice, which makes the book familiar and conversational. It covers Jeff's early years, his actor journey, and his personal life, with a strong chapter devoted to "Somebody, Somewhere." The author brings his complete self to the pages, sharing with honesty, which encourages and inspires others. While those looking for insights into the show will enjoy "Actress of a Certain Age," the majority of book is devoted to Jeff himself, and makes the reader experience even better.

I'm extremely confused, but I think I received the wrong book. Instead of Hiller's memoir, I received a chapter each from a bunch of celebrity memoirs Including Rachel Dratch, Alan Cumming, Tori Spelling, & Amy Poehler)? The front cover and dedication and acknowledgments seem to come from the right book, but everything in between is not, ha. If I could, I'd leave this unrated, since I didn't get to read the final book, but that's not an option.

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.