Hugh Bonneville

I haven't watched that many films or series starring Hugh Bonneville, but I really liked those that I have watched, so when I read rabbitprincess' review of his memoir, I immediately added it to my wish list. As I enjoy listening to memoirs narrated by the author, I decided to listen to it on audio, and now, a few years later, I finally got to it.

I really loved this book because it is both funny and pensive, humorous and deep. Hugh Bonneville doesn't take himself or the acting industry too show more seriously, although it becomes clear that he is absolutely devoted to acting, be it at the theatre or at a filmset. We follow him from early childhood and his first acting attempts all the way through to the final Downton Abbey movie, shot during the pandemic. He tells us about ups and downs, and I learned a lot about the acting industry and how demanding it can be. There is not that much about his private life in the book, although his relationship to this parents, especially his aging father, plays an important role. Bonneville also mentions many of the famous people he has worked with, but it never comes across as boasting or namedropping - he simply writes about his experiences. Still, I was in awe every time he mentions someone like Maggie Smith, Kenneth Branagh or Ian McKellen.

Bonneville's style of narration is lively, but never over the top, and I just enjoyed his voice and manner, which underlined the heartfelt and fascinating stories he shares with the reader (or listener).

I highly recommend this to fans of his works or British films and series in general. show less

I greatly enjoyed this memoir. Hugh’s writing style is delightful, and he doesn’t take himself seriously in the least. He’s met a lot of famous people and drops names in the best possible way (matter-of-factly). I did find that the timelines jumped around a little bit in places, but in some cases Hugh acknowledged that he did it for dramatic effect, as with the helicopter story. The book contains two sets of photos, which is great, although the later-life photos appeared in the first show more set and I did wonder if the early-life photos should have been first. Based on what is in this book, I feel that Hugh and I might get along: he brings Paddington for photoshoots with friends, cares about spelling and punctuation (the “Rhys Ifan” story is good, because it’s also a matter of respect for the actors), and quotes Python (the “A møøse once bit my sister” line cracked me UP because it was so unexpected). If you like Paddington or Downton Abbey, you’ll probably like this book. (I liked it a lot and have not watched a full episode of Downton at all!) show less

This was all about nothing but it was an enjoyable bit of nothing.

DVD