With Nails: The Film Diaries of Richard E. Grant

by Richard E. Grant

First comes Grant's first big break, the starring role in Bruce Robinson's Withnail and I, the cult film that set Grant's career on a path bound for stardom—"I had no notion that, almost without exception, every film offered since would be the result of playing an alcoholic-out-of-work actor." Like Dante's Virgil he guides the reader through the hell of the making of Hudson Hawk. He knows he's an insider when Carrie Fisher reminds him, "You're no longer a tourist, you’re one of the attractions." This heady mixture of eating spaghetti with the Coppolas, window-shopping with Sharon Stone, and working with and learning from the best actors and directors in Tinseltown will be irresistible to anyone who loves movies or aspires to be a Hollywood player.

Genres: Nonfiction, Film, Biography, Memoir, Autobiography, Biography Memoir, Diary

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Richard Esterhuysen Grant.

Reviews

[Antonomasia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This would have been completely fabulous if I were more interested in Hollywood. I had some reservations for a while, thinking I preferred it when I knew less about Richard E. Grant and had the image of him as Withnail-but-sober, but by the end I was completely won over by his wonderful blend of OTT campness, anxiety and moments of witty bitching tempered by his self-awareness and fundamental human decency. He made me interested in material I wouldn't otherwise have cared for. Straight afterwards starting a similarly structured diary-memoir by Belle & Sebastian frontman Stuart Murdoch - in style pretty dull and earnest, and seems unlikely to change - really showed me what entertaining and likeable company Grant is. (Writing about the UK music scene in a style like Grant's, now that would get 6 stars from me.)

Regardless, there is too much about Steve Martin. He's a good friend of Grant's; it's just that I find anything to do with Steve Martin terminally boring, with the exception of three films.* (This review replaces a less complimentary one I wrote during a Steve Martin chapter.)

I've had copies of With Nails kicking about since university, but only started reading at the start of last year to hear more about Bruce Robinson. Then after about p.100 I ignored it for ages because of, you guessed it, Steve Martin. There were more snippets about Robinson afterwards, it turned out.

Other than Withnail & I, the films I most liked hearing about were ridiculous fantasy adventure Warlock, which I hadn't heard of before and now want to see, Henry & June, one of those things I've always meant to watch but never quite got round to, and camp comedy Hudson Hawk (chapter also includes high-octane diva madness from Sandra Bernhard, Sharon Stone and a couple of shouty minor actors). Even if you aren't one of the select few who regard Hudson Hawk as a hugely fun cult film, and not a turkey, this chapter contains so much ridiculousness, it's a great read.

The weirdest thing, though, was reading that Grant was the first choice to play the Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood: Price of Thieves. R.E.G. is every bit as good a scene-stealer as Alan Rickman, so objectively it would have been interesting. But that film was out in the cinema when I was just the right age for things to imprint on me strongly, and even more strongly because it's not like I would have talked to anyone about something so weird and confusing as finding aspects of a villain sexy ... different casting and it might not have imprinted and bits of my lovelife would have been different. A surreal reminder of how, generally, little decisions in the entertainment world can have such an effect on audience members, especially the early-teen/pre-teen. (Grant narrates a wonderful account of a humungous boyhood crush on Barbra Streisand, and his later experience of being introduced to her at a Hollywood party, gabbling ridiculously at her.)

Most of the people gossipped about in With Nails are 80s & 90s Hollywood staples. (There's also an interesting scene at home with Madonna. Unfortunately the bit about Spiceworld mentioned in the blurb for some editions is missing from my copy.) I had high hopes for the chapter on Prêt-à-Porter when he reeled off a list of fellow cast-members I was much more interested in, including Lauren Bacall (whom he also met at a dinner in an earlier chapter, and who sounds ace whenever she's mentioned), Sophia Loren, Anouk Aimee and Marcello Mastroianni - but there was very little about them, and in any case this was 30+ years later than their heyday.

In the end this was definitely worth it for the writing, and for Grant's rare mixture of diva-ness and genuine congeniality.

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How have I managed to exist in this country for the last 15 years without knowing that R.E.G. starred in a BBC adaptation of The Scarlet Pimpernel?! (my favourite book for a while when I was younger.) It's on Netflix (US); will have to watch that soon.


* As far as I'm concerned, Steve Martin has made nothing good since the 80s. I love Planes Trains and Automobiles, The Man With Two Brains and Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid. (I'd seen Dead Men three times before I watched any film noir proper; as a result I find it difficult to view even many classics of the genre as anything but self-parodic, and laugh at inappropriate moments.)

[Thomas Hetherington · Rating 4 out of 5]

Refreshingly bitchy and honestly narcissistic in a way that’s truly endearing.

[Steph Burt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lost a star for no mention of Spice World.

[Ceilidh · Rating 5 out of 5]

An immensely enjoyable read start to finish, further solidifying the notion that Richard E. Grant is one of the most delightful, honest, and deserving people to ever work in showbiz. While I enjoyed every chapter, the Withnail and I bits were exceptionally special (I am biased, after all, as it is my favourite film.)

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is ideal for anyone interested in the day-to-day business of being a working Hollywood actor. It also helps to be a fan of Richard E. Grant and to be familiar with his body of work, which this book details from 'Withnail and I' in 1987 to 'Prêt-à-Porter' in 1994 (though the epilogue touches on REG's performance in 1997's unforgettable 'Spiceworld').

With Nails is basically a collection of REG's journal entries from his time working on these films and in-between acting gigs. The entries are a little disjointed and tangential at times, often going on at length about minutiae, but sufficiently entertaining to make the book a pleasurable and breezy read. The book is peppered with anecdotes and vignettes that illustrate the comedy in both the technical aspects of being involved with a big-budget film and the hectic world of a minor celebrity. It also gives an interesting picture of the Hollywood scene of the late eighties and early nineties, capturing the infancy of the "blockbuster" action film, Steve Martin's mid-career renaissance, the tabloid sensation around Gary Oldman/Winona Ryder/Uma Thurman, etc.

REG is a fantastic narrator: honest, modest, and often hilarious. He is enough of a normal guy to see the inherent wackiness of Hollywood, offering us an insider's look without coming across as an insider at all. Again: highly recommended, but only for people who like Richard E. Grant and have seen at least a few of the films detailed within.

[Hannah Edmonds · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this book as I've loved Richard E Grant's work for years. I listened to A Pocketful of Happiness earlier this year and that was a delight.

Perhaps it's the shallow vapidity of Hollywood that left a bad taste in my mouth here. It certainly sounds as though the vast majority of actors are spoilt children playing dress-up, falling out with their co-stars and friends left and right out of sheer jealousy.

There are ten films covered in this book and only two were of any interest to me; Withnail and I and Dracula. The chapter on Hudson Hawk drags on for hours, which is unfortunate as the majority of the people Grant worked with on that film just got on my nerves. Sandra Bernhardt in particular sounds like a petty, spoilt little princess.

Grant's wit is still intact throughout, but he sounds much more bitchy here, and I couldn't help thinking less of him knowing he surrounds himself with these people; in everything else he's done, he seems very ordinary and down to earth, but here it's as though he's desperately trying to fit in with the weird, stunted maturity that Hollywood has normalised.

[Kiri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yep, it's official, I could not love this man any more. I am relieved that he is as deliciously eccentric in real life as he is on the screen. I read the section on Withnail and I with such gluttonous pleasure, I kept re-reading passages for their sheer perfection. The simple fact that Grant is teetotal in real life and yet played the best pisshead to ever live - is nothing short of genius. Not only did I love the madness behind the scenes of my favourite ever movie, I was bowled over by the personal tragedy that marked his life at the very same time. My heart kept exploding at these tender moments, where he so beautifully described the loss of his stillborn child. His yearning for his deceased father to see him garner success was particularly heart wrenching too. I literally laughed out loud at his take on the ridiculous world of celebrity. He is utterly hilarious and has such a way with words. If only all diaries were like this!

[Barry Hammond · Rating 4 out of 5]

British actor Richard E. Grant recounts in diary form his work on his first several films from "Withnail And I" through "Pret A Porter," during which he worked for the big three directors Robert Altman (twice), Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese, as well as several others. He recounts his adventures with candour, humour, and a brisk straightforwardness that is refreshing. He also has a distinct way with words and can record it with a startling turn of phrase. He goes from being an outsider (a young man originally from Swaziland in Africa) to a sophisticated (if still wide-eyed) film star in the matter of a few years. It's a striking and humorous journey, well worth the read. - BH.

[Ewan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dull, cold and boring. Thoroughly like Richard E. Grant. He's a grand actor and an engaging television host when doing his documentary rounds, but his writing is snooze-inducing and tries, once again, to capture this manic Withnail & I high that he never manages that because all he can do is WRITE IN CAPITAL LETTERS LIKE THIS instead of expressing his emotions in a formative and appealing way. A shame.

[Sean Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best showbiz autobiographies around, Richard E. Grant speaks through the page as if you are having a drink with a good friend and telling the craziest stories. The section on Hudson Hawk, and all its Hollywood extravagance and egotistical rampaging, is worth the price of purchase alone.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really 3.5 stars. Exactly what you’d hope for, except for the part where he doesn’t always name names, but hey, Grant’s gotta eat. (Also he published this when he was like 40, so…stories left to tell and all that.)

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read that gives you a front row seat to a film actor’s life

[Ross Maclean · Rating 3 out of 5]

There’s no denying Richard E. Grant’s inimitable voice is present throughout this gossipy, forthright, entertaining gallop through phase one of his career. He’s mostly unafraid to say how he feels and even those he evidently likes aren’t completely spared his barbs. The conversational prose is occasionally slightly overdone but the content about the making of the films covered is hugely insightful from a performance and craft perspective and it gives a great glimpse at the world behind the velvet ropes of celebrity. Self-examination is less obviously evident, peppered in occasionally but usually only focused on actorly neuroses rather than deeper assessments — although there are some very moving sections about personal tragedy. I’m really not one to judge a different time by today’s standards but there’s a certain unpleasantness in some of the glee taken in unflattering physical descriptions of others and Grant is clearly obsessed with appearance, rarely missing an opportunity to comment on someone’s weight, or teeth, or mannerisms — provided they’re just a passer-by or member of staff and not one of his celebrity peers, who escape his visually judgemental eye without harm. Despite that, the book hasn’t severely dimmed my opinion of Grant as one of the good ones and it’s mostly a joy to read him puncture this world, while simultaneously relishing being a part of it.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

A welcome re-read (I bought the book, according to a note I’d inscribed, in Bath in 1997 and read it that year) for the film diaries of Richard E Grant. REG, as he refers to himself, gives us a little of his pre-film history but most of the content covers his times working from “Withnail & I” through to “Pret A Porter” (“How To Get Ahead In Advertising” is referenced often, but his diaries covering the period aren’t included). As a diarist, REG is about the best company you could possibly have, never apparently afraid to tell it how he sees it and obvious in his complete enjoyment of things. He drops names because he’s thrilled to meet them and he rarely takes himself seriously. One of the few times he does is with regards to his family and this includes the painful circumstances around the stillbirth of his first daughter and how it affected him and his wife Joan. Powerful and harrowing, it’s hard to read at times (often through a veil of years) and he writes about something triggering more emotion, when he’s alone on location in the Lake District filming Withnail and it makes your heart ache. Wonderfully candid, very funny, often touching and never less than excited, this is a cracking read that I would highly recommend.

[chucklesthescot · Rating 1 out of 5]

There were funny bits to start with and I loved hearing Kevin Spacey telling his stories but the style of writing in this book was quickly getting on my nerves. Whenever Richard was repeating a conversation he had he WAS SHOUTING ALL THE WORDS OUT JUST LIKE I AM DOING AND IT WAS GIVING ME A DAMN HEADACHE!Every page had these lines and lines of capital letter ranting and it was bugging the hell out of me so I abandoned the book.

[AnneofGreenFables · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Gold Standard for diaries by the journeyman actor. Hilarious and sharply observed on ‘reel life’, yet so searingly transparent about real life, it takes an artist to create such a masterful tribute to the joys and heartaches of pursuing what you love most passionately. What’s most wonderful is that rereading it through the passage of time and the developments of Grant’s career makes it appear even more brilliant. I love reading this and then watching the films again.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Japanese-fiction-athon was to have lasted until the end of the month, but I'm ending it early to read "With Nails" as a tribute to Richard Griffiths who died yesterday.

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He's too kind! These nails are trimmed. Still fun, and interesting about how movies get made, but not a bitch-fest.

[Jim Long · Rating 3 out of 5]

With Nails is better than most actor's diaries, at least for someone like me, who's interested in the behind the scenes details of film production. And his writing style is so personal that the reader can hear Grant's very specific delivery. It's a voice that has made him so sought-after in a variety of very memorable roles. Recommended.

[Justin Robinson · Rating 2 out of 5]

The exhausting writing style ultimately not worth a few toothless anecdotes.

[Kirsten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ich kannte Richard E. Grant als Autor bereits von den "The Wah-Wah diaries", in dem er die Entstehung Des Films über seine Kindheit und Jugend in Südafrika beschreibt. Mehr glaubte ich nicht von ihm zu kennen.

Ich lag falsch, denn ich hatte schon mehrere Filme, in denen er mitspielt, gesehen. Allerdings habe ich mir seine Gesicht nie merken können, obwohl mir seine Rollen immer gefallen haben (oder er mir zumindest nicht negativ aufgefallen ist). Das fand ich schade. Sicher, in den Filmen die ich gesehen habe, hat er nie eine Hauptrolle gespielt. Aber dass ich ihn trotzdem so übersehen konnte...

Wie ich es schon aus den "The Wah-Wah diaries" kannte, schreibt Grant kurz und sehr humorvoll. Er nimmt sich nicht zu ernst und kann über sich lachen. Trotzdem redet er auch über ernste Themen. Nicht, um dramatisch zu sein. Sondern weil auch das zu seinem Leben dazu gehört.

Er spricht deutliche Worte: wie schwer es als junger Schauspieler ist, Fuß zu fassen. Wie schwer es auch als erfahrener und recht erfolgreicher Schauspieler ist, den Fuß in der berühmten Tür zu behalten. Und trotz seiner Erfolge flippt er jedes Mal aus, wenn er einen Kollegen mit einem wirklich großen Namen trifft und mit ihm arbeiten darf. Ein sehr sympathischer Typ.

[Cleo · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first time I noticed Richard E. Grant was when I saw "The Player." He had a small but memorable role, which he acted perfectly. Other than that, I haven't paid much attention to Grant, but I heard that his memoir was worth reading. It's true - this actor can write! His voice is frenetic and witty and very British. The anecdotes about the famous people he's worked with are funny without being mean, and he writes about them in a rich, novelistic way that doesn't lean on the reader already being familiar with them.

But the book doesn't have much of a narrative arc; it just goes from job to job to job, without much sense of a personal journey. And I could've done without the epilogue about the Spice Girls. At the time they may have been huge stars, but now? It feels anti-climactic to end with them, after we've heard about Altman, Coppola, Scorsese, Steve Martin, Hugh Grant, Daniel Day-Lewis, Winona Ryder, Bruce Willis, and so many others who have stood the test of time.

[Karen-Leigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderfully entertaining...fabulous use of language.
The star of the cult classic Withnail and I offers “a refreshing combination of comedy, confession, and coruscation” in this memoir of the movie business (Kirkus Reviews).

Richard E. Grant’s acting career has included memorable roles in some of Hollywood’s most critically acclaimed films, including Robert Altman’s Gosford Park and Francis Ford Coppola’s Dracula. But he attributes his success to his first film role, starring as a flamboyantly pathetic Shakespearean in the underground hit Withnail and I. As Grant explains, “I had no notion that, almost without exception, every film offered since would be the result of playing an alcoholic out-of-work actor.”

In With Nails, Grant shares his long, maddening, and immensely rewarding journey through the world of film. From the hell of making Hudson Hawk to befriending Steve Martin on the set of L.A. Story; and from eating spaghetti with the Coppolas, to window-shopping with Sharon Stone, and working with and learning from the best actors and directors in the business, Grant’s unvarnished memoir “is a biting and wonderfully funny look at the movie business by an actor who is as clear-eyed and observant about himself as he is about the craziness surrounding him” (Publishers Weekly, starred review).

[Isabella · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading and loving Pocketful of Happiness I was keen to listen to this book.

On the plus side Richard brings alive some classic/great/not so great films that he worked on in the 1980’s and 1990’s (Withnail and I, Henry and June, Hudson Hawk, LA Confidential, The Player). I have given up on some diaries/memoirs as they are just too dry and dull but Richard is so funny. Wonderful to hear about how Withnail and I developed and Richard grew from an unknown actor to rubbing shoulders with the best in Hollywood. Amusing stories, parties, dinners, great films and failures.

On the downside the extravagance, big egos and bitchiness of Hollywood is evident on every page. If it wasn’t Richard reading this I wouldn’t be bothered to continue listen as it sometimes was just a list of whose who and how they are moaning/ bitching. But Richard’s wit makes it bearable.

I am starting to watch the films again. You forget how many films he has been in. Great actor.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

As somebody who is generally interested in Hollywood, but couldn't care less about celebrity gossip, this still managed to hit a sweet spot with me in terms of being the story, largely, of a witty, attentive, nice guy cataloging the weirdest behavior of a species (directors, writers and actors, all) that we will never ever have to meet or see. It's not mean, as such, but often has a tone of bewilderment in the face of what happens.

Like The Kid Stays in the Picture, but written by a nice guy without ego, and unafraid to name names of people who behave nicely as well as badly. And the Hudson Hawk section, should one like that movie, is worth several times the value of the book by itself.

[Major Refuse · Rating 4 out of 5]

More warts and all from Richard. Wasn’t too keen on the ‘ugly as Belgians’ line, nor his weeping in shops after seeing a homeless man. Interestingly, Richard does often sound STAGGERED to be in Hollywood, and his punctuation often reflects this speaking style, but this does become somewhat wearing after a while. Still, it’s a riveting read and one that all actors should probably indulge in. It’s not a story of failure per se, but a story of a great many successes coming off the back of some failure. It’s a fairytale come true. He was certainly ruthless and dogged enough to chase the dream. And that is easy to see.

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a deliciously scabrous and revealing memoir by Richard E Grant of his early years in the movie business, where he vomits the contents of his personal film diaries into the public sphere. It’s definitely not a bland celebrity offering, designed to make the usual no-mark a bit of cash without really revealing anything. Mr Grant really lets rip; from Withnail to Pret-a-Porter he names names and dishes the dirt. Set largely in and around LA, where he hangs out with Steve Martin, it reveals the vacuity of the acting business, which seems to involve lots of hanging around for long periods of time, interspersed with small periods of chaos. Anxiety abounds and self doubt rules the roost. Apparently Richard found it hard to get work for a couple of years after publishing this book because it cut just a little too close to the bone. More power to his elbow for having the guts to do this.

Oh, and as suspected, Bruce Willis is an arsehole.

[Amanda Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grant's first memoirs are slightly less structured than his most recent diaries published as A Pocketful of Happiness, much more acerbic, and give as close a glimpse into the ups and downs of cinema legend as many of us will ever get. The construction falters a bit towards the end of the Pret a Porter chapter, but overall the narrative very securely carries us along as a friend and confidant. I can't help but wonder, at the finale, what witticisms Grant would string together about me.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grant's 'Diaries' consist of 10 entries regarding movies in which he appeared, along with plenty of behind the scenes info as well as the party circuit, mainly in LA and New York. Apparently, he has kept a diary for decades, and was asked to shape selections into this book. He has a droll sensibility, and it makes the reading enjoyable and fast-moving. He also doesn't hold back on the roles that got away, and the other actors who auditioned for his first - and signature - role in "Withnail and I". A must if you are a Grant fan - or just like movie dishing!

[Julie Zommers · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so entertaining. I absolutely loved it. I read it and at the same time listened to it on audiobook because I loved Richard E Grant’s fabulous narration. Full of anecdotes and the often hilarious take of an Englishman in Hollywood. A lovely romp through an actor’s life, with some poignant moments of the reality of working over the other side of the world while your family remains at home.

[Bleu]

I feel done with this book but for a good reason. The part that I'm most familiar with, and, therefore, interested in, is eloquently explored, and concluded, in Chapter One. The latter pages (or certainly those of which I got to) utilise the same charismatic drunken Oxford don writing style that's both fascinating and perplexing, in equal measure, yet on a topic I'm not overly fussed about pursuing.