The book: Actress of a Certain Age is a collection of autobiographical essays by Jeff Hiller, an actor who spent 20 years playing mostly bit parts and commercials before being cast in Somebody Somewhere on HBO. He talks about his childhood in Texas, his process of coming out, trying to find work he enjoyed, what it’s like to be a struggling actor, and a whole lot of other stuff besides.
Why I read it: Somebody Somewhere was an absolute gift during the pandemic, and Hiller was a huge part of that for me. He played Joel who was best friends with Bridget Everett’s Sam, and he was just my favorite part of the whole show. Joel is a delight and I can’t imagine anyone else playing him. When I think of my favorite scenes from the show, they’re his scenes. When I saw that he’d written a book, I immediately pre-ordered it. I wanted to support him, and I also hoped it would be as funny and meaningful and light-giving as Somebody Somewhere (a huge ask, as this show was just so good).
What I thought of it: I’m very pleased to say that Hiller seems just as delightful as Joel. This is a funny, quick, light read, so if you like celebrity memoirs in general, you would probably enjoy it, but if you haven’t seen Hiller in anything, you should rectify that first. As I read, I could hear his voice in my head narrating which made it all seem funnier and more enjoyable (I think Hiller narrates the audiobook himself, but I’m not an audiobook person). I particularly loved hearing about the other careers he tried before acting (social work and public health), because I’m a former social worker who now works in public health. Hiller was able to find a balance between humor and vulnerability, and I just really enjoyed his voice. A good book if you need something fun and funny to take your mind off the world.