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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Written very much in the tone of THE Lando Calrissian. Growing up well off, BDW met and knew many famous people, including author James Baldwin (“Jimmy”). I liked the pictures of his artwork and personal photos even more so, as this connected you to BDW instantly in an intimate way, images that spoke for themselves. I found the latter part of the book the most insightful, once BDW discusses coming back to art later in life, and on aging.
If Billy Dee Williams writes a memoir and reads the audiobook himself, OF COURSE you listen to it! Duh.
Like most people my age, I knew Billy Dee Williams from Star Wars as Lando Calrissian. Though after listening to his book, I'm glad that I didn't have to wait after the cliffhanger to Empire Strikes Back and I knew that Lando wasn't a bad guy who got Han Solo killed. Lando actually helps save Han in the next movie!
But more than that, it's always wonderful to hear one of the greats talk about their life and experiences and points of view and how they grew as a person. Billy Dee is no different. His is a refreshing perspective on life, family, social issues, and how to relate to people. I love his outlook and philosophies - even if there are some I disagree with him, there's a lot more that he and I share opinions on.
Great memoir, great audiobook, take the time to give it a listen.
Like most people my age, I knew Billy Dee Williams from Star Wars as Lando Calrissian. Though after listening to his book, I'm glad that I didn't have to wait after the cliffhanger to Empire Strikes Back and I knew that Lando wasn't a bad guy who got Han Solo killed. Lando actually helps save Han in the next movie!
But more than that, it's always wonderful to hear one of the greats talk about their life and experiences and points of view and how they grew as a person. Billy Dee is no different. His is a refreshing perspective on life, family, social issues, and how to relate to people. I love his outlook and philosophies - even if there are some I disagree with him, there's a lot more that he and I share opinions on.
Great memoir, great audiobook, take the time to give it a listen.
This was so good!! It wasn’t really on my list to read but caught my eye so why not? A well written memoir documenting a well-lived life. Billy Dee Williams is one of those actors that seems universally loved and this book reiterates why.
Memoirs are an image that is presented to the world. No matter how honest a writer is determined to be, it is still an image. Sometimes that image allows for tea spilling – the image that Brian Cox, for instance, has in part allowed him to spill in his book. Other times that image is very front and center or at least an attempt to keep that image front center- say like Patrick Stewart’s memoir. So, yes, Williams’ memoir is also part of crafting image or keeping an image.
Yet, it is also very much what you want in a memoir.
It reads like you are setting across from at a dinner table drinking wine as he relates his story. In part, this is to showcase to younger generations and non-football fans, that he is more than Lando (though he loves Lando). Yet, it is simply more than just a list of roles. Williams admits that he isn’t an activist, except though his acting, but he does point out how racism in Hollywood hindered his success and curtailed his roles. There is the disappointment that he could never play Ellington.
Part of the charm of the memoir is Williams’ relating of his childhood and young adulthood, something that he admits he views though rose colored glasses. It is clear how much he loved his sister, parents and grandmother. He presents the richness of the family life and the family history. He also presents a time and place.
There are also poignant parts- Williams’ relationship with James Baldwin and their learning of Martin Luther King Jr’s assassination. Williams’ would go one to play King in play, performing a monologue at Ford’s Theatre in front of an audience that included Carter. There are Williams’ deep pride and love for his children. Williams may be the sexy lover man - he is proud of how he got the Avon contact – but he also appears as a loving father.
The book includes two photo sections but there are also black and white photos spread throughout the book, giving the memoir a intimate feel – like he is showing the photos at that dinner table. I also need to note that this is the first memoir I’ve read by a man who actually explicitly notes, and takes pride in, giving a woman an organism as opposed to the standard this is how I lost my virginity story, if you know what I mean.
There are three sections where you could argue that Williams is holding back. The first has to do with Williams’ performance in The Blacks, a play in which he co-starred with, among others, Maya Angelou. During a performance, he poured sugar into his co-star’s hair. It was unscripted, and Williams notes the importance of Black women and their hair. A little more reasoning – why he did it, does he regret it here would not have been amiss (he also might not simply remember) Another time, occurs when he is addressing the incident in 1996 when he was accused for his assaulting his live in girlfriend. He details the events but he doesn’t mention the counseling or the lawsuit he brought against her, which seemed a bit strange, nor does he discuss if race played a part in the arrest. The third is when he mentions briefly losing two cousins to drugs. While one can understand holding back (the rawness of at least two of those experiences), it does stand out when he does.
It is worth noting that Williams speaks well about his ex-lovers and ex-wives (the book is dedicated to his children and his wives), and he doesn’t use the “its an acting hazard” excuse that another certain actor did when it comes to his marriages ending.
If you are reading this simply because of Star Wars, there is a bit about Star Wars. Williams’ discussion of what attracted him to Lando as well, brief, stories about filming. (As an aside, it was a sin that Lando did not make an appearance in the sequels until Rise. He should have been in the Force Awakens. And spare me that sh*t about because he was Empire, he should have appeared in Last Jedi first. That’s BS. Quite frankly, if Lando had married Leia, their child would not have turned to the Dark Side and destroyed seven planets in a temper tantrum. While we are at, Rose deserved better than JJ giving into fanboys. Leia deserved better than the overused comic book plot of powerful woman giving up her power for her son. Read far too much of that in the 90s).
What I really liked best about this memoir, outside of the name dropping stories was Williams name dropping about books and poets who you can tell he read, and Williams discussion about his painting. He said in an interview that he wants do a book about his artwork. I hope he does.
Yet, it is also very much what you want in a memoir.
It reads like you are setting across from at a dinner table drinking wine as he relates his story. In part, this is to showcase to younger generations and non-football fans, that he is more than Lando (though he loves Lando). Yet, it is simply more than just a list of roles. Williams admits that he isn’t an activist, except though his acting, but he does point out how racism in Hollywood hindered his success and curtailed his roles. There is the disappointment that he could never play Ellington.
Part of the charm of the memoir is Williams’ relating of his childhood and young adulthood, something that he admits he views though rose colored glasses. It is clear how much he loved his sister, parents and grandmother. He presents the richness of the family life and the family history. He also presents a time and place.
There are also poignant parts- Williams’ relationship with James Baldwin and their learning of Martin Luther King Jr’s assassination. Williams’ would go one to play King in play, performing a monologue at Ford’s Theatre in front of an audience that included Carter. There are Williams’ deep pride and love for his children. Williams may be the sexy lover man - he is proud of how he got the Avon contact – but he also appears as a loving father.
The book includes two photo sections but there are also black and white photos spread throughout the book, giving the memoir a intimate feel – like he is showing the photos at that dinner table. I also need to note that this is the first memoir I’ve read by a man who actually explicitly notes, and takes pride in, giving a woman an organism as opposed to the standard this is how I lost my virginity story, if you know what I mean.
There are three sections where you could argue that Williams is holding back. The first has to do with Williams’ performance in The Blacks, a play in which he co-starred with, among others, Maya Angelou. During a performance, he poured sugar into his co-star’s hair. It was unscripted, and Williams notes the importance of Black women and their hair. A little more reasoning – why he did it, does he regret it here would not have been amiss (he also might not simply remember) Another time, occurs when he is addressing the incident in 1996 when he was accused for his assaulting his live in girlfriend. He details the events but he doesn’t mention the counseling or the lawsuit he brought against her, which seemed a bit strange, nor does he discuss if race played a part in the arrest. The third is when he mentions briefly losing two cousins to drugs. While one can understand holding back (the rawness of at least two of those experiences), it does stand out when he does.
It is worth noting that Williams speaks well about his ex-lovers and ex-wives (the book is dedicated to his children and his wives), and he doesn’t use the “its an acting hazard” excuse that another certain actor did when it comes to his marriages ending.
If you are reading this simply because of Star Wars, there is a bit about Star Wars. Williams’ discussion of what attracted him to Lando as well, brief, stories about filming. (As an aside, it was a sin that Lando did not make an appearance in the sequels until Rise. He should have been in the Force Awakens. And spare me that sh*t about because he was Empire, he should have appeared in Last Jedi first. That’s BS. Quite frankly, if Lando had married Leia, their child would not have turned to the Dark Side and destroyed seven planets in a temper tantrum. While we are at, Rose deserved better than JJ giving into fanboys. Leia deserved better than the overused comic book plot of powerful woman giving up her power for her son. Read far too much of that in the 90s).
What I really liked best about this memoir, outside of the name dropping stories was Williams name dropping about books and poets who you can tell he read, and Williams discussion about his painting. He said in an interview that he wants do a book about his artwork. I hope he does.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
fast-paced
funny
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Drug use, Homophobia, Racism, Death of parent
Minor: Death, Drug use
informative
slow-paced
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced