All in All: An Actor's Life On And Off The Stage

by Stacy Keach, Alec Baldwin (Foreword)

Stacy Keach is known for movie roles like Fat City and American History X and the television series Titus, and of course Mike Hammer , but he's also revered in the industry as a serious actor who's passionate about his craft. In his long, impressive career, he has been hailed as America's finest classical stage actor, earning acclaim for his portrayals of Hamlet , Macbeth , Richard III, and King Lear. He has worked alongside and become friends with the giants of American culture, from Joseph Papp to George C. Scott, from James Earl Jones to Oliver Stone. Keach’s memoir begins with the riveting account of his arrest in London for cocaine possession. He takes readers through his trial and his time at Reading Jail as he battles his drug addiction and then fights to revive his career. Keach poignantly reveals his acting insecurities and relationship struggles. All in All is full of priceless behind the scenes Hollywood moments and friendships—from his late-night pool and backgammon showdowns with John Huston to his passionate relationship with Judy Collins.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Memoir, Audiobook, Autobiography

272 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Born Walter Stacy Keach Jr.
Son of actor Stacy Keach Sr., brother of actor James Keach.

Reviews

[AndrewP · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am familiar with Stacy Keach from his role as Mike Hammer on TV, narrating the audio books of the same character and a few movies. When I saw this book I thought it might be interesting and being a slim volume, worth my time. Little did I know how interesting this book actually was.

First off, Mr Keach is a VERY accomplished and respected stage actor. He started out at the University of Berkeley, attended and taught at Yale Drama school and was also a Fullbright scholar at the London School of Music and Dramatic Arts. He studied in London to further his love and knowledge of the classics especially Shakespeare.

Most of the book details his struggle to break into movies and the various pitfalls he met along the way. For the most part he took jobs in a multitude of B-movies just to pay the bills while pursuing his stage career both on and off Broadway.

Lot's of fascinating 'wow I never knew that' moments in this book. Stacy Keach is actually Stacy Keach Jr as his father has the same name. His brother James is married to Jane Seymore, one of their children's Godfather was Johnny Cash, and James Keach produced the movie 'I Walk the Line'.

A great view into the life of this extraordinary actor.

[Carlease · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone who truly knows me or has been following my blog knows that I have mad respect for writers and authors. This is the first time I have had the opportunity to work with a person who has written a book about the very industry we are employed in simultaneously. Stacy Keach’s ALL IN ALL was a gift from him to me while working together on the new NBC show Crowded. As much as I would like to be selfish, it is actually a gift to the world, especially for actors at every level.
This book is filled with wisdom from a classically trained thespian with many years of experience in all areas of acting including voice over’s. He has studied in London and performed all over the world. I believe his longevity in this business is fueled by talent, passion and a love for his craft. And the love of his life – his beautiful wife Malagosia and their children Karolina and Shannon.
I must say it has been a joy to see this book come to life as I work along side of him every day. I’ve always said that on the job training can’t be beat in this business.
On page 242, Stacy talks about delivering your lines “with robust energy, clarity and emotional truth”. That’s what I see consistently in his work. I’ve learned so much in the past 3 months. Between fleshing out our characters everyday and reading his fascinating stories from stage, television & film, the lessons I have learned will stay with me for the duration of my career. If all goes well, it will include many more seasons of Crowded with my new mentor!
In the meantime, Stacy Keach’s resume will become my Netflix Queue. Watching his body of work should keep me busy until we return for Season 2.
Look for us on NBC in early 2016. #Crowded

[Charlene Mcgrath · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting story written in a conversational style making this one of the most interesting autobiographies I have read in a long time. He does not dodge going to prison, his cocaine addiction or the less than gentlemanly way he treated some people. Honest, warts and all but with good humor and genuine feeling.

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This audiobook offers an in-depth look at the life of Stacy Keach, written and narrated by the author.

[Ellison · Rating 4 out of 5]

begins with him gettin' busted for coca, not chocolate in london. goes back to his childhood where he had a medical issue. his father was in show biz so he became interested. college, stage, TV, and movies. marry, divorce, remarry, children. shares near misses for potential star rolls. insightful. B/W images.

[SmokingMirror · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goodreads giveaway.

The story hooked me from the beginning because I can be captured easily by recovery narratives. Happily, the arc of the book is not a typical recovery memoir, of which there are so many that the genre has become beset with triteness. Many people apparently know Mr. Keach foremost for his imprisonment on cocaine charges in the U.K. I kept reading because the story is really about the life and career of an actor, not a lurid and gossip ridden tale of Hollywood, although the details of some of his relationships and encounters with celebrities certainly keep the reader's interest piqued.

Since reading the book I have watched a couple of movies with Mr. Keach and thoroughly enjoyed his charismatic performances. (Specifically, The Long Riders and Honeydripper. I plan to watch more.

His experiences as an actor and his advice to aspiring actors are what make the book a much better than average autobiography. I imagined the book would be a fun read, but I recommend it as something more thoughtful than the typical movie actor's life story.

[Mediaman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boring books that mostly covers Keach's long-ago theatrical work (which almost no reader has seen) but does include detailed information on his cocaine arrest and time in prison. The problem is that this egotist tries his best to humble himself but ends up throwing others under the bus along the way (including his ex-wife and assistant for his drug problems) as well as having a big wall up on most of his life off the stage. In the end this seems more like a PR move to try to change his image of being a womanizer, drug-abuser, and difficult coworker.

Sure, there's a bit about Mike Hammer but he skims through most every other TV role. There are some references to film work but he has so many credits (over 180) that he barely mentions many of them and ignores others.

There are also some odd political asides. He makes sure to position himself as a liberal in contrast to his conservative parents but is honored by Ronald Reagan at the White House. Keach also disagrees when his girlfriend Judy Collins (yes, that Judy Collins) gets pregnant and decides to have an abortion. "From her perspective her decision was the end of the discussion...from my perspective it was the end of us." That's a shocking revelation that has an air of either pro-life support to it or reveals society's failure to see that any baby in the womb belongs to both the sperm donor and the egg donor, thus not just part of the woman's body for her to decide what to do with.

The focus of the book is his proud theatrical work and his love of Shakespeare. If you get excited reading about another guy that did Hamlet then you might like it, otherwise it's really not worth reading.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book introduced me to a new side of Stacy Keach, since I always tended to associate him with C-grade schlock. He first caught my attention through strong supporting roles in ESCAPE FROM L.A. and AMERICAN HISTORY X, but it wasn't long before I discovered his penchant for churning out direct-to-video crap. Still, no matter how bad the project, Keach always comes across as a gifted performer, a true master of the craft.
ALL IN ALL spends as much time on Keach's stage work as it does his films. Turns out, Keach is a classically trained Shakespearean actor with an amazing and highly-influential theatrical career. Not being much of a theater guy myself, I was only aware of his movie filmography, which is spotty at best. One of the book's biggest draws is that Keach analyzes what went wrong with his movie career and provides insight into why an actor of his caliber would say "yes" to Z-grade garbage like MOUNTAIN OF THE CANNIBAL GOD. He also discusses his flirtation with cocaine abuse, though there isn't anything particularly salacious about it.
A few things really struck me as unique. This is the first memoir I've ever read in which an actor discusses his hairpiece (as well as his eventual decision to get rid of it). I was also pleased he talked about his voice work for audiobooks and other such recordings, since most actors/actresses overlook this facet of their careers. He lists his top 10 favorite death scenes, which was fun, and signs off with a lengthy epilogue that gives acting advice on how to play some of Shakespeare's most memorable characters (I admittedly zoned out a bit during this part).
As is always the case with books like this, the projects the author most wishes to discuss are not the ones I'm most eager to hear about. ESCAPE FROM L.A. got nothing more than a reference, and PRISON BREAK was only mentioned in terms of its surprise popularity and Keach's overseas commute to-and-from the set. Nothing is said about SIN CITY 2 apart from how much makeup Keach had to wear, and movies like THE BOURNE LEGACY, GREY LADY DOWN, and LUTHER only get one or two sentences each. On the other hand, plenty is said about END OF THE ROAD, UP IN SMOKE, THE NEW CENTURIONS, and THE LONG RIDERS, if those movies are more your thing. And, of course, there is a long section devoted to the MIKE HAMMER series.
ALL IN ALL is an engaging and insightful look at Keach's career. I would've appreciated more information on how he transitioned from theater to films, but that's a minor issue. I would've also preferred more info on Keach's film roles and less about his plays, though I imagine aspiring actors will get a lot more out of it than I did. I got the book from Audible.com and very much enjoyed hearing Keach read it himself. The man has one of the best voices in all of showbiz.

[Tami · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won an advanced reader copy of this book in a Goodreads Firstreads giveaway. (thank you!) So, here is my impartial review..

When I entered to win this book, I knew who Stacy Keach was; but didn't know anything about his life (boy, has it been a busy & interesting one so far!). This was a very easy to read book that kept my interest. It's very candid, and he didn't hold back on admitting his mistakes and regrets, as well as accomplishments.

I found myself laughing out loud at some of the stories, like when he "had to take his brother along with him and his friends caroling", but as a result of that experience, wouldn't miss the opportunity to have him tag along from then on.

I thought it was a neat idea that Stacy had to cast biological brothers that were actors to play the roles of brothers in the movie Long Riders. I had not heard of that movie before, but now I really want to find and watch it :D

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes you might see an actor in a movie and think, "What possessed them to do this piece of crap?" Stacy Keach answers that question in his memoir.

One answer is that for Keach, every job he is offered is an acting job. He is an actor. Ergo, he must act. Sometimes the resulting project is great; often, it is not. So one reason we see good actors in bad films is that they have to work, not because they need the money, necessarily, but because they are actors who have to be doing what they love.

A second answer is that Stacy Keach is trying to feed his live theater habit. It appears that often he is making a living in film and TV so he can take the time to appear on stage in another classic play. There are worse addictions, some of which Keach has fallen prey to in his own life.

I was impressed ans surprised by Keach'e formal theater education and completely enjoyed this book.

[Glen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this as part of a Firstreads drawing from goodreads.

A nice autobiography of the Mike Hammer star. He writes a lot about his career on stage, in movies and television, and even his voice over work.

Of course, like in all these biographies, I have my quibbles in some of his writing choices. He glosses over his relationship with Judy Collins a bit. I lament the omission of the movie Road Games, a cult film he made with Jaimie Lee Curtis, as well as some of his Hallmark movies from the book. That seems to be the case with every actor's biography, though. I guess he can't put in all 150 or so of his movies in the book for space reasons.

I did really appreciate his tips for actors, and his discussion concerning various Shakespeare characters, as well as the sonnets. I think they make a valuable resource for drama teachers and the like.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Going into this book, I was not overly familiar with the actor or the era of Hollywood during the bulk of his career, although I have a chronic interest in film and movies in general. I admit my age is a factor in this fallacy. So I learned a lot by the time I closed the book for the last time. Keach has a wonderful writing voice, something that I think any reader can appreciate. Being able to fall into the book and experience the words beyond the page is a gauge of a writing's efficacy. And boy did I fall. Keach has many experiences to share; a rich life with ups and downs. He mixes the culture of the movie business, the actors/actresses, and details of interest among the plot of his own story. A very well written story that was informative and riveting.

I won a copy of this book through Goodreads First Reads.

[Karla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading he ARC copy of All in All I received through Goodreads giveaway.

I didn't know much about Stacy Keach's acting career, and was surprised at all of the familiar people with whom he'd worked. It was an interesting look at the machination that go on behind the stage and screen. It seemed like an honest, open and heart-felt view of his life in retrospect. The writing style was easy to read. (I read it in four days while on vacation.) I was mentally able to navigate where I was in my life with his reference to things going on in the world at large. I think it was a worthwhile, enjoyable book and I would recommend it to any one interested in Stacy Keach as an actor or in acting, theater or films in general.

[Carmen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Keach's childhood struggles and Broadway tales alone make this earnest and entertaining memoir worthy of one's time, never mind the stories including Gregory Peck, Orson Welles, John Huston, Rod Steiger and Laurence Olivier, among other legends! And, regarding the origins of the pencil test...I'm speechless. Highly recommended to anybody who enjoys reading about acting, movies, the arts, Hollywood lore, etc. The best part is when you have this stage star offer his insight on playing Hamlet, King Lear, Richard the III, Macbeth, and some of the other well-known characters that sprung from the mind of that Brit genius. And it's all told in probably the best voice for an audiobook one could hope for. A gem!

[Lisa Gerin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book in a Goodreads giveaway.

I really enjoyed reading All in All. Not only is Stacy Keach a great actor, but his writing is powerful as well.
His anecdotes about his early years as an actor are interesting to read and keep the reader wanting to read more. He overcame the obstacles of being born with a cleft palate and then a drug addiction to cocaine as a rising star .

If you are a film or television buff you'll enjoy reading about some of the many talented people he worked with over his decades long career. I highly recommend this autobiography for those who enjoy the non-fiction writing genre.

[False · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's no evidence or mention of a ghost writer, and with that said, the book is remarkably well written. The voice seems honest and mistakes are owned. I had forgotten how extensive his work in the theatre is, and at the end of the book there are short bits of advice on playing specific roles which I thought were very insightful...wish there was a book of just this. I had forgotten about his affair with Judy Collins. He recalls a magical night with her, Joni Mitchell and Joan Baez singing, after dinner. Alec Baldwin writes a great intro.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. I'm not sure why the publisher bothered to gather so many blurbs and an introduction about how great an actor Stacy Keach is when he's more than happy to do that himself. I do think he has given some notable performances, and he discusses all of them from the relatively unknown, but much praised John Huston film, Fat City, to his frighteningly real performance in American History X. In truth, I enjoyed a good deal of the book, and I have to support my fellow hairlips, but it's also grandly self-congratulatory, almost to the level of parody, and occasionally, quite dull.

[Rebecca Hughes · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book in the goodreads giveaway. I enjoyed learning all about Stacy Keach and his journey to success. He really had lots of struggles along his way and his passion for acting is admirable. I think he could be an example for many of us to follow our passion to find our own success. I think this is truly an expression of who he is and I must say I enjoyed getting to know him in this book.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book as a Firstreads Giveaway.

Stacy Keach presents an entertaining account of his work as one of the best living Shakespearean actors and a prominent Hollywood character actor. He regales with stories of Hollywood and Broadway friendships, but also provides insight into his career and his acting method. A fun, quick read.

[Ellen Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book and appreciated winning it in the Goodreads Giveaways. I have always enjoyed Stacy Keach's work and found this biography to be straightforward and honest. His interactions with other famous actors were interesting and I appreciated that he admitted his flaws as well as his accomplishments. This book was written in an easy to read style and I would highly recommend it.

[Mick Meyers · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy going read,I never thought of stacy as an Shakespearean actor it is so easy to pidgeon hole people.he has by his own admission done glut of films for money and or travel,but show me which actors don't once in a while.it financed his love of theatre.he tends not to take himself to seriously except for his art which he enjoys with a passion which has cost three marriages.

[Darcee Kraus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite an interesting biography and extremely entertaining. The author goes into depth of his life and keeps you interested by sharing all of the details! Overall, a great read.

Darcee Kraus
Mckinleyville, CA
http://www.etsy.com/shop/BlassGlass

[Bruce · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stacy Keach is a talented writer. I found the book interesting and learned that he is quite an accomplished Shakespearean actor. He has preformed all over the world with some legendary directors, yet it seemed to lack the kind of interesting stories that usually accompany an actors memior.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stacy gives an insight as to what it takes to be an actor. The dedication to the craft to make a successful actor a great actor gave me an appreciation of those in the arts. What a life.








I recieved a copy from Goodreads.

[Nicole Marble · Rating 4 out of 5]

A routine autobiography by and actor about acting is suddenly transformed, at the end, by a serious acting lesson which lifts the book above its kin.

[Quintin Reitzel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Actors biographies are always interesting!

[Simon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had been meaning to read this book for a long time and was glad to have finally achieved that goal.
Before "World's Most Amazing Videos" I had never heard of Stacy Keach, and at that time I was a youth who had no interest in the stage scene and television from the 70s and 80s.

I greatly enjoyed his memoir, and gained a huger appreciation for the craft and the study of acting.

This was all that was saved by the draft before I lost the rest of my meaty review. Disappointing.

[John Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good quick read from one of my favorite actors. Only thing missing is some stories about making the Mike Hammer tv show. Considering Keach's substance abuse at the time, maybe he didn't remember anything.

[Bobby Daugherty · Rating 2 out of 5]

You realize how old Keach is when he mentions a young aspiring actor he helped named Morgan Freeman. He had a busy life, so he keeps it brief to fit most of it in.

[G P Devine · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great actor and autobiography!