There I Go Again

Daniels has plenty of tales to share in this, his autobiography. From his childhood spent as a child actor at the behest of his mother to his successes on Broadway and in television and film as a character actor, Daniels has led a fascinating life, one that will appeal to those who know him from 1776, St. Elsewhere, and Boy Meets World alike.

I pounced on this book the moment it was offered in NetGalley; I’ve been a William Daniels fan since ST. ELSEWHERE and watch 1776 each Independence Day. I was not disappointed: I fell in love with this book from the first paragraphs of the Acknowledgements, where Daniels states “I wrote this manuscript in longhand on yellow legal pads, so I have to first thank Rachael Lobermann, who spent many hours typing it all up. I have excellent handwriting, but I don’t know a damn thing about computers.

“Laurie Horowitz took the typed pages and made them resemble something that looked like a book, with paragraphs and everything.”

If you are a Daniels fan, the narrative of this book will draw you right in--it sounds exactly as you would expect it to sound: matter-of-fact, brisk, and often acerbic and, sadly, sometimes a little bitter. The bitter comes in during the story of his early life, which began in Brooklyn, where he suffered from having a stage mother who would put Mama Rose in GYPSY to shame. By the time he was ten, both he and his sister had been treading the boards for years and appeared in two different radio shows, while his education was neglected and his childhood lost. Even when he was fearful or sick, Mama Irene taught him the show—and he—must go on.

The book opens with the story of Daniels’ brilliant years as the blustery, sarcastic and selfish Dr. Mark Craig on ST. ELSEWHERE, a part, he admits, was partially based on the surgeon he shadowed to give his performance an authentic touch, and partially on his own personality. He’s up-front about himself the whole way, as he chronicles his life as a performing artist forced into appearances by his ambitious mother to his first role on Broadway as an understudy in LIFE WITH FATHER and then to independence after his service in the Army, plus his marriage to fellow actor Bonnie Bartlett, which nearly gave his mother apoplexy.

The subsequent chapters discuss everything you would expect: his noted roles of John Adams in 1776 and Mr. Feeny on BOY MEETS WORLD, and how he did KNIGHT RIDER for years without ever performing with David Hasselhoff. (People still ask him about being the voice of the “intelligent vehicle”; one man at an autograph session even asked him where they had him stashed in the car!) He talks about working with Broadway legends like Jerome Robbins, Sandy Dennis, Barbara Harris, and Jason Robards (where the one important thing was not to allow Robards to wander off and get drunk). He even chronicles his two-year stint as President of the Screen Actors Guild. The book is rounded off with photographs from Daniels’ collection, from himself as a child through all of his most memorable roles. I particularly loved the photo where he is posing as John Adams next to a painting of the man.

As a bonus, the Appendix is a reprint of New York City Center’s interview with Daniels chatting with Lin-Manuel Miranda of the hit musical HAMILTON!, discussing the similarities between this new play and 1776 and Miranda’s appreciation of the John Adams and Mr. Feeny roles. A must for William Daniels fans or perhaps even for someone who wants to see the behind the scenes machinations of setting up and producing plays.

This is {pick your superlative...I have too many}. Wonderful, charming, humbly self-effacing for a man with an 80 year career. I admit to never having seen him for even one second in the first role listed in the subtitle, and only snippets of the third - I wasn't a fan of St. Elsewhere, and know nothing of Boy Meets World, but I loved him in 1776. As for an uncredited voice role, I remember being in (US Navy) boot camp in January/February 1984 and we were getting a lecture from our Company Commander EM1 Wycoff on a Sunday night before we were wrapping for the day when he stopped and said, "What time is it?!" ... and took off mid-lecture. You see, Petty Officer Wycoff drove a black Trans Am, and was obsessed with Knight Rider, and the *real* star of the show, KITT.

Wonderful memoir. Clearly so, because I used "wonderful" more than once in this "review".

I have loved his various roles in shows that defined my childhood, such as Knight Rider and Boy Meets World. It was a privilege to read his story and hear about his times on these and more projects. Would definitely recommend to my friends, especially one who loves reading memoirs!

I recently received this book for free from Net Gallery. Mr. Daniels book was a pleasure to read. I didn't know much about him or the some characters that he has play in the past. What a tremendous life he has lived. My adult daughter is more familiar with his character from Boy Meets World but I think Mr. Daniels appeals to all ages. Thank you Mr. Daniels for sharing your life's story with us. You have done yourself proud.

I've been a fan of William Daniels ever since I saw 1776, over 30 years ago, so I was delighted to discover that he has written a book. The details of his early life were fascinating, and I was charmed by his tales of the Army and of Northwestern. I felt the section of the book about his work in the 1950s and 1960s would have been appreciated more by someone (not me, unfortunately) with a background in theatre of that period; most of it didn't resonate with me. I wished that Daniels had spent more time on his SAG presidency: he did a really good job of explaining the problems he solved during his term, but I would have loved to read more about the politics of SAG, especially among the different interests SAG has to represent. Still, it was a good book, and I'm glad I read it.

I would like to start out by saying I am a huge fan of William Daniels. I always found him fascinating as Mr Feeny, from both Boy and Girl Meets world. I felt like that character inspire me to do better with my own education and he still inspires me. So when I found this book, I thought it would be a great read and one I would truly enjoy. So when Netgalley granted me access to this book, I was incredibly happy. So lets get right to the book.

As this book begins, Mr Daniels tells you about how he came to write this book on a legal notepad, which is something I as a reader can truly appreciated. I love when an author actually chooses to write their own story and then has it edited, especially in a biography. This note just drew me into the book even more. As the story continues, Mr Daniels starts to talk about the first time he won an emmy and then proceeds to take you back to how his acting career begin. He tells the reader how his mother invested her time into her children career all the while maintaining her own career. He really takes the time to give great little details to the reader like the examples above. I love how this book is written, how its more like family stories being told then an actual book being written and read.

I love that as the book continues you really great to know Mr William Daniels better, you also appreciate his talent even more, and isn’t that what an autobiography is all about. Overall this book was a charming story about an actor’s life that I truly admire. I will also be purchasing the actual book when it comes out because I love this story so much, I would encourage you to do the same. I give this book a 3.5 out of 5 stars for the excellent writing and the great little details. I especially think if your a Mr Feeny Fan, you will truly enjoy this book. I felt like I was listening to a family member tell me childhood stories instead of an actor talking about his life. I just can’t get over how will written and detail this biography was and how much more I will enjoy Mr Daniels now as Mr Feeny after reading his stories.

William Daniels' autobiography, "There I Go Again: How I Came to be Mr. Feeny, John Adams, Dr. Craig, KITT, and Many Others," tells the story of a man fans will recognize from many of the characters he has played: smart, irascible, talented, and frank. In fact, Daniels notes that he's a lot like Dr. Mark Craig, the character he played on the TV show "St. Elsewhere:" "I can be rather abrupt, very critical, and sometimes judgmental -- a real martinet." Fortunately, he is clearly not like John Adams, his character from "1776," who was "obnoxious and disliked."

Daniels also reveals a deeper, more nuanced person than any of his roles, a man whose early life as a child performer in New York left him with crippling self-doubt, despite his lifelong success in the competitive acting profession. He shows considerable generosity in relating the story of his childhood, making clear that his relentless mother had pushed him and his siblings into performing, but questioning (years later, with the help of analysis) why he never rejected the blueprint she created for him.

Those who enjoy entertainment biographies will appreciate Daniels' backstage stories from Broadway and his behind-the-scenes looks at TV and film in Hollywood. Although he has worked with some of the biggest "names" of the past century, he is not much of a gossip about his fellow actors, telling generally positive stories, apart from a few drunken escapades and frustrating performances. He is actually much tougher on producers and directors, particularly Jerome Robbins.

His descriptions of the acting profession, from countless takes and difficult performances to unemployment and stardom, reveal a man who is completely dedicated to his craft. He seems to have had a career-long, single-minded devotion to offering the best performances possible, even when that means turning down roles he judges as sub-par or tangling with producers and directors. Daniels circles back to his childhood to suggest the roots of his perfectionism, but he seldoms strays too far from the narrative for deep introspection.

Daniels is notably humble in describing two of his biggest successes: His term as president of the Screen Actors' Guild and his seven-decade marriage to actress Bonnie Bartlett. In the chapter discussing his work with SAG and the successful re-negotiation of favorable contract terms, for instance, he spends considerable time congratulating other actors, who worked in the negotiations or contributed to the union's strike fund. (His assessment of the SAG professional staff is scathing, though.)

Regarding Bartlett, he paints a glowing portrait of a talented, successful, steady, long-suffering spouse, who is the ideal counterbalance to his turbulence. The book made me want to know more about her -- I'd be fascinated to read her autobiography!

"There I Go Again" is a thoughtful, entertaining memoir. Daniels' fans -- and film, TV, and theatre fans -- will enjoy it.

(Review copy courtesy of NetGalley.)

This is a very informative memoir by someone who's been performing since the age of 4. I never knew so many of these things about William Daniels. He's an amazing person with such a history on stage and screen. I fondly remember watching Boy Meets World as a teenager and I never knew the backstory behind this actor and all the stage experience he had. Wonderfully written by a wonderful actor, a true gem of this era.

A funny book by a funny man. It is always fun to read about celebrity's lives.

I received an advance reading copy of this book from netgalley.com. William Daniels has always been one of my favorite actors so I was intrigued when I heard he was writing a memoir. I learned a lot about Daniels I didn't know including his tremendous success on Broadway. His dry humor and ability to laugh at himself comes through clearly in his book. To me, he will always be Dr. Mark Craig from the ground-breaking television series 'St. Elsewhere'. My kids probably know him better as the voice of KITT (the car) in 'Knight Rider' and as Mr. Feeny in 'Boy Meets World'. But I was delighted to learn there is so much more to the man. His dedication to his wife, Bonnie, is so refreshing in this day and age. They have been married since the fifties and raised a family together. I had no idea that he was pushed on stage at a very young age by a relentless mother who wouldn't take no for an answer. As a result, he developed a pattern for turning down most of his major parts when first approached. (He finally got to say 'No'.) Thank goodness, he had the good sense to say 'yes' eventually. He has worked with some of the greats (i.e., Kirk Douglas) and met even more (i.e., Marilyn Monroe). I am sure he has more stories to tell, but this book is a good indication of a life well led.

Surprising and delightful. Wanted to read this one since I have always admired his work. Okay, I confess I have to admit I do tend to think of William Daniels as THE quintessential John Adams but it has never taken away from his other fine performances. I suppose I was surprised, although I don't really know why, to learn of his pressurized childhood.. I assume I was taken aback because he reveals her wasn't making money as a childhood performer - he and his sister were living his mother's dreams and if anyone was profiting from their sweat - it wasn't his family. You always hear of the showbiz parents pocketing the profits but here it seemed to be enough for Mrs. Daniels just to be proud of her kids. The high price for that pride being of course that they were never allowed to have a normal childhood. and Mr. Daniels discloses just how difficult leading that life has been. He still harbors mixed feelings regarding his parents and justifiably so.. But even when he talks of the ups and downs of his career, his marriage, (and whenever he divulges a bump in his enduring marriage he credits his wife with keeping things together, it is obvious he adores her!), he manages to maintain a very positive upbeat attitude about not only his life, his family, but the whole showbiz industry itself. I very much enjoyed reading his memoirs - I'm so very glad he decided to write and share them. Nice touch at the end to include the interview he did with Lin-Manuel Miranda. Well done.

What an interesting life he has led. While I did wish there were more Boy Meets World anecdotes, as I'm a massive fan, it was wonderful getting to know William Daniels as opposed to "Mr. Feeny."

Thank you to NetGalley for my copy of this novel.

Oh my Gosh I grew up watching Mr Feeny an I would have never thought any of this! Wow just wow!!

Whether you know him as Mr. Feeny, Dr. Craig, KITT or any of the other characters William Daniels has played, there is one thing that you should know—there's so much more to the story. In <i>There I Go Again: How I Came to Be Mr. Feeny, John Adams, Dr. Craig, KITT, and Many Others
</i> Daniels tells the tale of his life, which is at times sad, always fascinating and sprinkled with an extraordinary amount of good luck.

What many may not know about Daniels is that his career had started from the time he could walk, talk and sing. It was at the insistence of what we now call stage mothers, and this was the time before laws were in place about how hard a kid can work. From there, readers get to learn about early theater and radio jobs, the author's time in the service and his wide-ranging theater career, along with personal anecdotes and his long-standing marriage to wife Bonnie.

If you know him only from television, this book may open you up to new information, though not a lot on the shows themselves because there was so much else to talk about. Readers who have a particular interest in New York theater and some of the history of it will love a great deal of this book. I loved the book for the simple fact that Daniels had an impact on so many with his range of characters, yet nearly every one of his iconic roles he initially turned down. Talk about having a bit of luck on your side.

I’ve been a fan of William Daniels forever – he was terrific in 1776, I loved how he voiced KITT in Knight Rider, his portrayal of Dr. Craig made that my favorite character on St. Elsewhere, and of course Mr. Feeney dispensed wisdom across the back fence in Boy Meets World. This book takes us behind the scenes of these and many other shows in which Mr. Daniels performed and gives us a look into the life of this Emmy Award winning actor. I never knew he had been a child star or that he’d been president of the Screen Actors Guild. Lovely book for anyone interested in acting and of course any fan of the lovely William Daniels.

This book focuses largely on the early career of William Daniels, which, for me, makes the title a bit misleading. Daniels has had a very interesting career starting as a song and dance duo with his sister. Large parts of this book were dry, but I was interested in learning more about him regardless. I'm ashamed to say I had no idea what he has been able to accomplish throughout his career, being mostly familiar with Mr. Feeny. Sadly the chapter on Boy Meets World was brief, but I enjoyed it. In the appendix there's a phone conversion between Daniels and Lin-Manuel Miranda!

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

William Daniels, who I remember as Captain Nice , a situation comedy from the mid sixties designed to capitalize on the Batman craze can really write and that is what separates his memoir from other show biz memoirs. He can really write. Not just a tell all- but there is some of that, his memoir details the life of a true working actor and is an inspiration for for those trying to break into the acting world. . Reccommended.

I'm of the generation that knows William Daniels from his role as Mr. Feeny on Boy Meets World, so I absolutely wanted to read this book for that reason. However, it turns out that this is a really lovely rumination on his long, varied career, and also on his admirably long and successful marriage. I enjoyed reading his memories of the many legends of the stage and screen he's worked with throughout his many years in the business, as well as his take on what has made certain productions he's been involved with successful (or not). This is certainly best a book for those who know Mr. Daniels from one of his many iconic roles, but even casual readers may find something admirable in the way he's conducted his life.

I received a free electronic copy of this autobiography from Netgalley, Bill Daniels, and University of Nebraska Press, Potomac Books, in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all, for sharing your work with me.

William Daniels is one of those actors you 'know' as soon as you see their face, you can do the whole filmography by heart, but the name.... Not fair, is it, but he played an important roll in the lives of us baby boomers. The respect is there, for the memories and life lessons learned, even if the name escapes us. This memoir brought back lots of those memories, and lots of laughs, as well. I managed to skip TV most of the 80's and 90's so I will be catching up on Dr. Craig soon if Netflix carries it. I do remember KITT though I saw few of them, as well. My memories go to films, The Closer and Grey's Anatomy - and he was in a bunch of them. Thank you, KITT - Dr. Craig - John Adams, for the memories....

William Daniels, aka "oh yeah that guy", is a wonderful actor and interesting person. If you are looking to hear about what it was like to be KITT and Mr Feeny, then this book is going to fall below your expectations. However, if you are interested in what it is like to have a stage mom, grow up in theater and navigate the Broadway waters, then this will be for you.

It is obvious that Mr. Daniels is very proud of his work on the stage and that his true passion is there, although he has been more well known for his work on the screen.

The book is enjoyable, full of interesting behind the scenes look at the world of the stage and its players, and even gives you a hint of politics.

I am of the Boy Meets World generation and that is why I know who William Daniels even is. (Unlike my 10th grade history teacher who said he was the principle from Saved by the Bell when she made us watch 1776). He is someone I grew up with and still makes appearances whenever I find reruns.

He is not someone I would have ever associated with the "long" past. Working with Kirk Douglas, Audrey Hepburn or going to gatherings where Marilyn Monroe shows up is not how I ever thought of him. Of course as I already said I only knew him from the one show so it's not like I thought too much about it but I just feel like that's a different time.

And that's what I really enjoyed about this book. We're taken back into time, to things that really weren't that long ago. I find it pretty special to have the stories from firsthand sources, everything moves so fast now that it's great to see everything that was before what we know now. I love his style of telling his story, he's not trying to tell you a story, just what happened.

"This is how it is, this is what I thought about it." And many hindsight thoughts of everything he learned from those experiences.


William Daniels is not like other actors, he wasn't "discovered" nor was it his dream, he was pretty much thrown into it at a very young age by his mother. Therefore this isn't like other actors stories. As someone who was once a film student and met many people with different aspirations for the field I always say they had stars in their eyes, and I don't think Daniels ever did have those stars. He just did it to do it, maybe to be a part of the creation of something.
He never had those "stars" and kept it real, there's no camouflaging the truth to make him look good, it's just an honest story of his life in show business.

I've always enjoyed memoirs by celebrities and this was no exception. It's fun to see 'behind the scenes' and get an idea of what people are really like.

William Daniels isn't someone I would consider a 'big star', but rather someone who seems to be a dependable and accomplished actor (and isn't that actually better than just being 'a star'?) He's one of those actors that most people won't know by name but they'll recognize his face. And his voice!

I especially enjoyed the accounts of Daniels' interactions with other actors and learning which ones are the 'good guys' and which ones aren't.

A well-written, entertaining read.

I knew William Daniels from St. Elsewhere, Knight Rider, Boy Meets World, and countless appearances on other television shows. But what I didn't know is that that is only the tip of the iceberg. 

Starting out as a school-aged "song and dance man," Daniels has worked in show business for over eighty years. He went from the Broadway stage into the Army, then off to Northwestern to study theater, and on to New York to figure out how to be a working actor. It was there, in Lee Strasberg's acting class, that he finally learned what it meant to be an actor, not just an entertainer. From there, everything changed. 

His career went on to include lots more Broadway plays and musicals, films, television, and a stint as President of the Screen Actors Guild. His dedication to his art, his craft, and his family took him through the lean years to the award-winning years and brought him every success, even when he had to be dragged there by others. His new memoir, There I Go Again, is packed with stories from throughout his amazing career.

It's certainly not a how-to book for aspiring actors, as Daniels' penchant for turning down jobs is a habit even he sees as self-destructive, but fortunately for all of us, others had the good sense to talk him into changing his mind. (Seriously, who says no to Mike Nichols offering you a part in The Graduate?!) And while his career choices may not be what you expect, they are always fascinating and keep you reading until the end. This is a compelling read for actors and fans. 



Galleys for There I Go Again were provided by the publisher through NetGalley,com.

Whether you call him John Adams, Dr. Mark Craig, Kitt, or Mr. Feeney this book will let you see how his early life and career, made him into the actor and person that generations of people have gotten to watch over the years through his presence on stage, tv, and movies.

I'm a child of the 80s and a teenager of the 90s, so William Daniels is Mr. Feeny & KITT to me.

I loved his memoir! I found his story- which he wrote in longhand, to be transcribed for print - engaging, and I feel I learned a lot about the actor behind the "Hey, aren't you that guy?" face.

From his start as a child actor to his two years as SAG president, Bill Daniels tells us candidly about his roles, both personal and professional, over the past eight decades in show business. It's an impressive run and a worthwhile read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy.

As soon as I saw this book was written by Bill Daniels, I knew I had to read it. My introduction to Mr. Daniels was the stereotypical millennial path via Boy Meets World. From there, I fell in love with the man that played Mr. Feeny and set out to watch all of his movies and shows. I fell in love with Bill Daniels all over again when, within seconds of picking up his memoir, I read:

"I wrote this manuscript in longhand on yellow legal pads, so I have to first thank Rachael Lobermann, who spent many hours typing it all up . . . Laurie Horowitz took the typed pages and made them resemble something that looked like a book, with paragraphs and everything.”

This book reads exactly as any longtime fan would expect. Daniels is to the point and matter of fact, leaving little room to doubt or misinterpret his true feelings. My heart broke a little bit when Daniels told the story of his early years in show business. There is bitterness is his voice as he recounts his somewhat abusive childhood at the hands of his mother who lives vicariously through her children's forced performances on stage, screen, and eventually television. It is a side of Daniels that often comes out in his blustery, non-nonsense characters, but the back story gives context to the man behind the mask.

I cried a little bit (not even kidding) while reading the chapters on Daniels time as Mr. Feeny. That show meant so much to me during my middle school and high school years. I often longed for my own real-life Mr. Feeny but was more than happy to settle for Daniels words of wisdom. To know that the show touched the actors in much the same way was moving.

The real cherry on top was the interview with Lin-Manuel Miranda as an epilogue. I'm a huge fan of Hamilton and Miranda is a huge fan of 1776 so it was a really great intersection for man Bill Daniels fans. It was one of the main reasons why I ran out and immediately recommended this book to another longtime Mr. Feeny fan and Hamilton enthusiast.

Finally, what was even more moving than reading about Daniels' memories of Broadway, radio, and television, was discovering that he truly is a deeply caring and devoted person. His dedication to his wife and children is so, so beautiful. Bill Daniels memoir presents a man who is genuine which is incredibly difficult to find in this world of false celebrity and reality television stars.

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I knew of William Daniels mostly from Boy Meets World and while I knew he'd been in other big shows, they weren't any that I watched. Reading about his prolific career was such a treat! I found him very charming and down to earth in this quick read!

I enjoyed reading all about Mr. Daniel's adventures in acting. He has certainly lived an interesting life and has met so many great actors. He is of course is a great actor himself. I especially enjoyed chapters discussing his personal life. I also loved to read about his experience on Boy Meets World.

I knew William Daniels had been in a number of things but I will always know and love him as Mr. Feeny. I am a child of ABCs Friday Night Family and grew up on Boy Meets World. (Let's ignore the abomination that is the sequel). His dry delivery never failed to tickle me and his underlying warmth brought a tear to my eye, especially in the finale (omg when he touches that desk!!!).

BUT I was very impressed to learn that he has been in show business nearly his entire life, thanks to his domineering stage mother Irene. Lord Irene, many a therapist has probably put their kids through college thanks to the number Irene did on Mr. Daniels. I do like that amount of introspection he has and the openness he shared about undergoing counseling, the problematic periods in his marriage, the loss of his first child (heartbreaking!!) and the adoption of his two sons. He is able to cover his life in enough detail for the reader without overwhelming us with minutiae, something other "stars" sometimes have trouble with (we know you're famous but we don't literally need to know EVERYTHING). Great vignettes about his work and personal life are sprinkled throughout the factual recountings keeping the book interesting and well-paced.

His sense of humor and warmth came through as he often poked fun at himself, admitting he has stumbled somewhat ass-backwards into some of his biggest roles, and even while sharing negative stories about others is able to point out some of their positive characteristics and try to see things from their point of view. It was cool to read about all of the people he has met and worked with during his career. I thought this was a great example of how an autobiography should be done.

First off let me state that I am not a particular fan of Mr. Daniels. I don't mean that I dislike his work or have anything against him, I am just saying that I have never sought out anything simply because he was in it.

I was only vaguely aware of his career prior to reading this book and most of what I was familiar with was the television work. I had no idea that he had been a child performer, was on a show in the early days of radio or really much at all about his stage career. I simply chose this book because it seemed like it might be interesting.

Mr. Daniels relates how he began his entertainment career as a "song-and-dance-man" around the age of four and became part of a family act with his two younger sisters before branching out into acting in the theater. He takes you through his career as a young actor up to starring on Broadway and then the move to television which made him familiar to a wide audience.

The book is told in an easy to read conversational style, a bit curmudgeonly but I think that's just Mr. Daniels personal style showing through. It was interesting to share some of his experiences of the old days in show business, it would have been nice if he would have gone a little bit more in depth on some of the great old stars that he met and worked with but you can't have everything.

All in all, There I Go Again is an interesting book about someone who quite literally spent almost his entire life in show business. If youre a fan of one of his television shows looking for deeper insight into what is was like making those shows or working with those casts you will almost certianly be disappointed as he touches only briefly on his television series.

***Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this title.

INTERESTING LIFE

Most of us have grown up with William Daniels in one form or another be it TV or films. The problem is if you asked someone if they like William Daniels the odds are that they wouldn’t know him by name. Once you showed them his picture there is little doubt they’d recognize him immediately.

Daniels has been acting since the sixties in films and on TV, most recognizably in the film 1776 and the TV series ST. ELSEWHERE and BOY MEETS WORLD. My first memories of him was a short lived television comedy called CAPTAIN NICE. I still think it was an underrated show. But the fact is most of us don’t know the stories that took place behind the scenes. Daniels wasn’t one of those stars to make a splash when off camera. No scandals and no protests. And yet he was a well-respected member of his craft having been the president of the Screen Actors Guild at one time.

This autobiography tells the story of how he came into acting, his family life before that and during. It talks about the various interests he’s had other than acting. It talks about the politics of organizations like the Screen Actors Guild. And it tells the story of a man who was fortunate enough to land in a profession that he loved.

I for one was completely unaware that he was married to Bonnie Bartlett since 1951. Such a long marriage is rare in the acting field and something to be proud of. Perhaps I wasn’t aware because their marriage and lifestyle wasn’t one that garnered the attention of the paparazzi. Good news for both of them.

In the end the book was an entertaining read. Daniels writes well and covers his entire life. It made me come to appreciate him more.

This is such an interesting book about the life of William Daniels from the time he was a child and on through his many years of performing. His mother was a "stage mom", pushing him to stick with it when he didn't want to act or sing or dance but just wanted to be a "normal" child. He laments about missing out on his childhood, but he also talks about the many experiences - both good and not-so-good - he had through the years.of his career.
Readers will remember him as the schoolteacher, Mr. Feeny, in Boy Meets World, or the voice of KITT the talking car in Knight Rider, or Dr. Craig in St. Elsewhere. He had many roles and met and worked with many other famous people through the years.
His mother was not happy about his marriage to fellow actor Bonnie Bartlett, but their marriage has lasted for decades, she being his loyal partner, encourager, and grounding,
Mr. Daniels wrote this book with a natural conversational style, taking the reader through his life without leaving out the things that still bother him and the things he found most troublesome about other actors or the jobs he had.
He's a very interesting and talented man.

Overall reaction to the book? I love autobiographies to pieces and wish more celebrities and other prominent figures would write them. As it is I only know William Daniels as Mr. Feeny from Boy Meets World but that character made such an impact on me as a kid that I had to know more about the actor that portrayed him so well.


And what an interesting life Mr. Daniels has had.


From his early beginnings as a child actor, to Broadway, to tv, William Daniels’ life is one interesting experience after another. Through his roles, readers get to know the man behind them. He reveals which of his many characters is most like him, and which character he enjoyed playing the most.


There I Go Again isn’t all business though, it delves into Daniels’ personal life as well, giving readers a fascinating look into his start as a child actor. For example, he reveals that it was his mother who all but forced him and his siblings into performing. Her relentlessness caused him to suffer from an overwhelming amount of self doubt throughout his entire career, despite the fact that he has been one of the most successful actors out there. It was only years later and with the help of an analyst that he questioned why he never went against what his mother wanted for him. This is important to remember since it seems his mother’s insistence on a quality performance may have played a role in Daniels’ way of picking what characters he would and would not play.


I could go on and on about what he discusses but it would inevitably fall short of what and how this book is written. Even though he has worked with some very notable people in his long career and has undoubtedly seen and heard some interesting things behind the scenes, Daniels is not a gossip. He doesn’t tell all about anyone which is great because There I Go Again is an autobiography of HIS life, not a chance to rat out fellow actors. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t get candid about the industry, he does, but it mostly pertains to his various work environments involving directors and producers.


He is unapologetically candid about himself as well. He spends time discussing the rough spots in his life, his marriage, and his career without trying to sugar coat anything or make himself look like the victim in every scenario. To some it may portray him as a difficult person, and that may be true but to me it showed him to be a real human being, not a fake product of the acting industry. As much as I love a fun character, at the end of the day that’s all it is, a character. Not the measure of a person.


By the end of the book I realized that William Daniels, or Bill as he refers to himself, isn’t just another actor, he’s a man who has done his rounds with and gotten roughed up a bit by life and has come out on the other side with quite a bit of insight and wisdom. That’s not something everyone can do. He is his own man but in a way he’s a little bit of all the characters he’s played too.


Click It or Skip It? Click It. This is one autobiography that sticks to what an autobiography should be.

I never watched St Elsewhere or Knight Rider or Boy Meets World, but I knew William Daniels from other movies and tv and know him to be a wonderful character actor. This memoir tells of his start on Broadway & radio in NYC through his career in Hollywood. I enjoyed the stories, especially those about the movies & his costars. In the realm of celebrity memoirs, this one is ok, but not remarkable. Although the content is likely new to readers, I suspect it's only because Daniels is not an "A-list" celebrity, so has not been all over the pages of People. An interesting read with some insight into child stars in the 30's and some fascinating anecdotes, but not likely to have a broad appeal.

I started this book last summer thanks to Netgalley providing me with an advance copy. Unfortunately, real life with college kept me away, so I needed to re-read and I'm glad I did. I would give this 4.5 stars.

Overall, I found Mr. Daniels' writing style to my liking (though some might not). There was something about how he presented his life with his asides appealing to me and made him feel more like an everyday guy who struggled with the everyday happenings despite having become a well-known actor. Sometimes there were a lot of names given, and though sometimes I felt a bit overwhelmed by the amount, I did find it quite extraordinary just how well Mr. Daniels could recall these vary encounters he had decades before--it made me wonder how he could still remember. Sure, he's an actor who needed to memorize lines, etc., and maybe he has kept personal diaries or the like to help. Still, I found his life so interesting. I asked to receive an ARC based on the name of the book, especially because of KITT and Mr. Feeny in the title (plus I remembered him from St. Elsewhere and hoped this would be included and it was) and wanted to know more about this actor. I enjoyed his recount of the way he retold the way he was cast for the voice of KITT the most!

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading autobiographies told from a very down-to-earth point of view from an actor who seems, at least to me and my impression after reading, quite humble and genuine.

(for my own notes: began re-reading again from beginning June 1st and completed June 22nd, 2018)

An entertaining look at the life and career of this accomplished actor. He sheds light on his numerous roles, starting with his beginnings in radio as a child performer. I enjoyed it.

Celeb biographies are rarely that good in my opinion, but Mr. Feeney/KITT?!?! Great read! William Daniels is as charming and humble as I imagined with a long career. He discussed his child actor years, role as SAG President and 80 decades of experiences.