William Daniels (1) (1927–)

I love William Daniels - if I could, I'd adopt him as my TV grandad. He is the voice of my childhood, but not as Mr Feeny of Boy Meets World, and when I say 'childhood', I mean from the age of 6 right through until now. William Daniels will always be KITT, the artificially intelligent car from the hokey 80s series Knight Rider, for me. That show, and the character, mean so much to me that I was actually a little bit apprehensive to even start reading Mr Daniels' autobiography, but I needn't show more have worried - he is absolutely lovely. Modest, witty, honest, he remains my ideal TV grandad.

Having reached that 'OK Google. Is William Daniels still alive?' stage of his life and career, the experienced actor takes us right back to the beginning, as a child 'entertainer' - forced into tap dancing and singing by his pushy mother - in the 1930s. Born in Brooklyn, he traded his natural accent for the cultured, slightly stuffy 'Boston' voice that has become his trademark, and made him instantly identifiable as KITT, even though he asked not to be credited - although he doesn't mention here that his inspiration was the actor playing 'Father' in the play 'Life With Father' that he acted in during his teens.

Having survived his mother's 'promotion' as a child star, Bill then went onto college, where he met his (very patient and understanding) wife, Bonnie Bartlett, and served in the army for the last couple of years of the Second World War, DJing in Italy. He and Bonnie then found theatre work - she more successful than him at first - and even trained with Lee Strasberg (Bill name drops working with Marilyn Monroe at these sessions, along with his good friend Gene Wilder, who stood in for Bill during the adoption of his first son, and an early, inspirational meeting with Bill 'Bojangles' Robinson!) TV and film success, from The Graduate to St Elsewhere and, yes, Knight Rider ("Is this the voice of a car?" he asks Glen Larson incredulously, during a first test reading). He's been constantly in work, and hard-working, even since.

His story had me smiling, laughing and occasionally close to tears (the death of his baby son), to the point where I raced through every chapter and actually hugged the book when I finished. Perhaps for fans only - people might know his voice, but I doubt few would recognise his name - but definitely worth a read. William Daniels is a humble star and a lovable personality, 90 years young. show less

In There I Go Again: How I Came to Be Mr. Feeny, John Adams, Dr. Craig, KITT, & Many Others, William Daniels chronicles his long life in theatre, television, and film, beginning with his earliest experiences in show business at his mother’s behest during the Great Depression. He fills his memoir with wit and wisdom, but it never feels self-indulgent as he freely admits his mistakes and where he feels his personality got him into trouble. Already a beloved actor, this honest further endears show more him to the reader. His stories are poignant, insightful, and shed light on the changing field of acting during the twentieth century. He never sought celebrity, however, so his discussion of roles and the craft reads like an oral history, though with real humor. For example, after describing his time as John Adams in the Broadway and film versions of 1776, John Quincy Adams in The Adams Chronicles, and Samuel Adams in The Bastard, Williams quips, “I have now played every important member of the Adams family, except for Abigail” (pg. 157). Daniels ends his memoir by reprinting a particularly insightful conversation between himself and Lin-Manuel Miranda about the power of theatre to help people connect to their history. show less

The long sub-title sums up what this book is about quite nicely. The way Mr. Daniels describes it, he sort of "fell" into show business, starting with the insistence of his mother, and just never could find his way out of it, not that he tried very hard. Eventually he came to realize that it was what he wanted to be doing. In this book, he tells the story of his most iconic roles, and everything in between--how he came to have them, and even what it was like to play them.

My interest in this show more book initially came from my love for Boy Meets World. I was 11 when that show first aired, which pretty much made me the same age as the main characters. My husband and I have quoted certain lines from the show to each other for so many years that our kids do it now too (and have both watched at least some of the show themselves, and my daughter loves Girl Meets World). Anyway, all that to say, Mr. Feeny is near and dear to my heart. Now I know that the man who plays Mr. Feeny (yes, present tense, because he'll always be Mr. Feeny to me) is a real person and has faced some real struggles in his life, which has only deepened my appreciation of William Daniels.

Truth be told, I don't know much about the rest of the roles he has played. I've never seen Knight Rider, 1776, or St. Elsewhere. And I did wonder if I would be lost or uninterested while reading most of this book. I wasn't. Maybe a little, when he talked about other actors and actresses he worked with at different times, producers, directors, etc. But not enough to cause a lack of enjoyment in or understanding of the book.

My only difficulty in reading the book was due to the writing itself; a couple of times the stories left me confused because it seemed like it was missing just another line or two of explanation before moving on. The book wasn't published by a big-name company (which surprises me, but kind of goes right along with how Daniels describes himself as never being a "big star," while being recognizable as the characters he's played), and I wonder if most of the people who edited or proofread it were close to Daniels, knew his stories or life well enough to not be confused by a slight lack of explanation. Or maybe it's just me.

I am so glad that I read this book. And the chapter about Boy Meets World was pretty much what I would have wanted it to be and made me tear up just a little. I would suggest that if you know William Daniels from any of his roles, or are simply interested in memoirs of celebrities, you check out this autobiography. show less

This is an excellent autobiography by an excellent actor. The narrative is engaging throughout, as the author has had a far from boring life. He had the ultimate stage mother, who pushed him into singing and dancing from an early age, and later acting.

During his acting career, he’s worked with, or at least met, some of the most famous film stars in history, such as Marilyn Monroe. William himself never hit those same heights, but there’s no doubt he’s a great actor. I’ve always show more thought there’s something about him that – if I met him – I’d want to earn his respect.

As he remarks in this book, his face is often recognized by viewers and other actors, though most of these same people never remember his name. In his first chapter, he recalls a scene from the 1980s where his car broke down, and as he set off walking, two elderly women offered him a ride. One of them remarked, ‘It’s all right, we know who you are,’ but they didn’t address him by name.

From the second chapter, he goes back to the late 1920s and works forwards chronologically.

I’ve been a fan of William Daniels since my boyhood during the 1980s when he portrayed Dr Mark Craig in ‘St. Elsewhere’. I also loved ‘Knight Rider’ in the ’80s, for which I eventually realised WD was supplying the voice for KITT. It’s only recently that I started watching repeats of the highly entreating ‘Boy Meets World’, featuring Mr Daniels as Mr Feeny. I’ve also seen him in numerous films over the years, though nothing pre-1980 yet.

If you’re unfamiliar with William Daniels, but are interested in books about actors and actresses, then you should still enjoy this engaging autobiography. show less