Adventures of a No Name Actor

by Marco Perella

Marco Perella is a very successful actor. Which is not to say that he is a famous actor. Content to live in Austin, Texas, with his wife and children, he makes do with the parts that come his way. Whether he has been hired to float down a river dressed in a jester's suit, cast alongside a leading Hollywood lady as a deranged killer, or recruited to teach Kevin Costner how to dance, Marco Perella has met his acting challenges head on. His varied career has brought him into contact with some of Hollywood's biggest stars (including Michael Caine, Jon Voight, Eric Stolz, James Spader, Helena Bonham-Carter, Sandra Bullock, Renee Zellwegger, Drew Barrymore, Clint Eastwood, Oliver Stone, Barbara Hershey and Meg Ryan), and the tales he tells provide a little insight into these very recognisable names - not to mention an insider's view of an industry that continually fascinates us.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography

224 pages, Hardcover

First published June 9, 2001

Reviews

[Hákon Gunnarsson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't read biographies often, and when I do, it is usually about someone I'm interested in for what they have done. This one was different, I still don't know if I like Marco Perella as an actor. I have seen some of his movies. I have seen A Perfect World, JFK, and The Chase, just don't really remember him especially. That is because he is no-name actor as the title calls it. What I do know is that Perella can write. The stories he tells are funny and show a different side to the movies than the star biographies I have read. It is very different to have one or two lines in a movie than the starring role, the view is not the same and the hotel rooms most certainly aren't as big. Now I have to try to catch one of his movies again to see him in action.

[Penny · Rating 4 out of 5]

This week a friend mentioned a film, Keys to Tulsa, which I remember from this book, which I read years ago. I pulled it out and re-read the chapter about the Eric Stolz-James Spader film, and it was so funny and self-effacingly witty that I kept reading. Marco is a delightful storyteller. He rarely tells stories about the big names in the movies he's acted in, though. This book is more about the situations regional actors find themselves in if they're serious about making a living as an actor outside Hollywood - industrial films, commercials, auditions, corporate extravaganzas, trade shows, bit parts, feature films, break-through scenes that end up on the cutting floor, etc. I rarely re-read a book, but this one was worth it.

[Dillon Stewart]

Didn't finish. I was drawn to this book because I am an actor in Hollywood. For the last 5 years I have made a good portion of my income doing background acting and I, too, have had some crazy experiences. Although the first 3 chapters (that's as far as I got) had some relatable material, it didn't hold my attention. I finally put it down for good because I reasoned that most of these stories are going to be about films and actors from the 80s/90s, and I'm 27.

So all that's to say, it isn't bad! I just didn't connect with it enough to keep going.

[Oscar Maquito · Rating 5 out of 5]

*5/5

[Eve Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good insight in to the life of an actor. I would have probably rated it 5 if I had watched the films that Marco had starred in.

[Jude]

Marco, the no-name actor of the title of this book, is an actor who you will probably recognise, but be unable to name. He's been 'cop at roadblock' or 'baddie #2' in many films and TV shows - enough to earn the cash to qualify for the health insurance that comes through his Screen Actors Guild membership.

This series of entertaining anecdotes gives a witty, dry and unpretentious insight into the world of a man trying to make a living in a frankly ludicrous industry. We learn that a hard days work can consist of waiting most of the day in an un-air-conditioned 7-11 for your big scene which involves lying on the floor and growling threats at the Hollywood Star, or it can result in trying to pick leaves and twigs out of impossible places after spending 5 hours battling the forces of pretend nature in a simulated hurricane. Still, it's better than spending 8 hours a day at a desk. Allegedly.

Highly recommended for pure entertainment value, even if you have no dreams of the silver screen.

[Mediaman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This title is only partially correct--the author is a no-name actor. But adventures? Not so much. It's a pretty tame set of memories from appearing in Texas movies, almost none of which you've ever seen or even heard of. The main problem is that there aren't any great stories about the big names that this guy has appeared with. How he can act with Kevin Costner, Drew Berrymore or Charlie Sheen or be directed by Clint Eastwood and Oliver Stone and have pretty much nothing to say about them is shocking. The book jacket says that he was in Walker Texas Ranger but there are no stories about that either. Instead the book is mostly plot summaries of the movies and minor stories of him getting hurt. Dull and only worth reading if you are a film student that wants to know what it's like to be an extra or regional actor that takes small, low-paying gigs.

[Alyse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disturbingly true and frightingly hillarious. If you want to know what it is like to be a "working actor" read this

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't think it was very interesting at all. Fellow-Texan Molly Ivins wrote the foreward, making it appear as though she co-authored it, hooking in potential buyers.

[Brit Wittman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun!

[Leeann · Rating 4 out of 5]

All aspiring actors should read this.

[Alisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Notes for me: Light, quick, cheerful, fun read. Laughed out loud and felt the pleasure of recognition over Marco's on set adventures. He approaches this job with joy and appreciation. Rather than whine over the unfairness and ludicrous situations he chooses to see the humor. Definitely a compatriot and a man with no chip on his shoulder over the "no name" position. Someday I'm going to try on the Clint Eastwood squint.