Anthony James (4) (1942–2020)

A Myrt's Review

Acting My Face by Anthony James

So Much More Than a Pretty Face

This autobiography by Anthony James, actor, painter, poet and now, writer is an interesting look behind his 'mask'. Mr. James' face is a familiar one. You know you have seen him somewhere but you're probably not sure where but you suspect he was the bad guy. And you're right. Anthony James consistently appeared in films and on television starting in 1967 when he debuted as the villain, Ralph Henshaw in 'The Heat of show more the Night' to 1982 when he played Skinny, the whorehouse owner in Clint Eastwood's 'Unforgiven'. I also had that same familiar feeling when I saw Anthony James' face on the cover and recognized him from various roles.

Mr. James lets the readers know up front he won't be revealing any information about his personal romances out of respect for the women he was involved with and he won't be sharing negative stories about those he worked with. However, James' book is a tribute to love, the love of a son for his mother. Through his mother Marika's love, strength and positive example while under extreme conditions she encouraged and supported her son to stand up for himself and go after his dreams.

Mr. James' Hollywood story is a well written description of the life of a strong character actor working his stereotypical villainous looks. He gives many entertaining anecdotes of the impressive cast list of people he worked with as well as the reactions over the years his bad guy looks have received. Bette Davis played a part in promoting his current career as a successful painter. James has also written a book of poetry.

James is the antithesis of the characters he played and shares his story and his mother's story with an honesty, sensitivity and humor. This is a lovely book and well worth enjoying!

I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. show less

Okay, I admit it, I like stories about actors and the Hollywood film industry. James was often cast in Westerns as scary, sleazy and disgusting villains. In his first film, James is especially memorable as the hateful racist diner counterman in the outstanding "In the Heat of the Night." His long career in film and television brought him close to many celebrities, a career that ended in retirement just after his last film: Clint Eastwood's "Unforgiven."

I'd like to thank the author and publisher for the advanced reader copy I received via netgalley in return for an honest review.

In all honesty, I had never heard of Anthony James prior to receiving this book. I enjoy reading autobiographies as a rule, even if I have limited prior knowledge of the author.

Unfortunately, this book just didn't grab my attention. I really tried to persevere with it and give it a fair chance, but I quickly got rather bored. The timeline of the story jumps about show more all over the place, and this, combined with the very poor grammar, really annoyed me.

I really wanted to like this book, but unfortunately I found the title the most interesting thing about it. show less