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Jonathan Winters: My Life: "In Search of a Playground"
Jonathan Winters was the most gifted improviser of comedy show business has ever seen. His approach was completely unique and his delivery was impossible for anybody else to do. His comedy appeared to be intense and bordering on the crazy because Jon was, in his own words, "an active mental patient." The host of the Tonight Show called him "the 25 funniest people I know." But what fans saw was only a fraction of who he was. Besides what they saw on stage, fans will be surprised to learn Jon was a gifted painter trained at the Dayton Art Institute and also a writer who wrote a NY Times bestseller. Now he tells the story of his life and shares the secrets of a genius who knew he was mentally ill and wouldn't let that keep him from achieving success. How he "made my sickness work for me" is part of what made him so unique. Read it all in this no-holds-barred revelation of what a mental breakdown looks and feels like, told with Jon's characteristic bluntness. This is the story of a brilliant survivor, how he grew up, and the philosophy he developed that saved his life. It is told in his own words along with posthumous help from his longtime friend Peter S. Ferrara. Here's everything you ever wanted to know about one of the most gifted artists of our time.
300 pages, Paperback
Published May 1, 2017
26 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
March 17, 2021
If you are a fan of Jonathan Winters, then you'll be intrigued by this fascinating book about his chaotic personal life and career in showbiz. Growing up, I only knew of Mr. Winters as a one-of-a-kind comedian who always made me laugh when I saw him perform on TV. But this book explains in great detail that there was so much more behind this talented and complicated soul.
As a child growing up in Ohio, Jonathan endured a traumatic home life with an alcoholic dad and an unloving, jealous mother. After serving in the military, he came home and pursued his love of painting at an art school and got married to the love of his life, Eileen. Being an artist didn't pay the bills, so his young bride encouraged him to enter a talent contest where he won a wrist watch along with a 1-year contract at a local radio station. This morning DJ job turned out to be just the opportunity he needed to cut his teeth in showbiz by doing voices and improvisational comedy. A few years later, he took a huge leap of faith by quitting his radio gig and moving to NYC (with only $56 in his pocket) to pursue his comedy career. Months later, he was discovered and his comedy career finally took off.
As his showbiz career took off, he struggled more and more with alcoholism and mental illness. To cope with these challenges, Mr. Winters leaned heavily on his faith in God and the love of his devoted wife and children. He eventually hit rock bottom and overcame his addiction to booze in a what I can best describe as a miracle. You'll have to read it for yourself to see if you agree. This book also covers three mental breakdowns that landed him in mental institutions where he eventually regained his sanity and learn to cope with his bipolar disorder.
Here's what sets this biography apart from many others that I've read about famous comedians. It was essentially written by Jonathan himself in the form of a journal that he kept most of his life. After he passed away in 2013, his family asked Jonathan's close friend (Peter S. Ferrara) to turn those 1,000+ diary pages into this book. In my eyes, Jonathan's life and career were as unique and fascinating as his comedy routines on TV.
As a child growing up in Ohio, Jonathan endured a traumatic home life with an alcoholic dad and an unloving, jealous mother. After serving in the military, he came home and pursued his love of painting at an art school and got married to the love of his life, Eileen. Being an artist didn't pay the bills, so his young bride encouraged him to enter a talent contest where he won a wrist watch along with a 1-year contract at a local radio station. This morning DJ job turned out to be just the opportunity he needed to cut his teeth in showbiz by doing voices and improvisational comedy. A few years later, he took a huge leap of faith by quitting his radio gig and moving to NYC (with only $56 in his pocket) to pursue his comedy career. Months later, he was discovered and his comedy career finally took off.
As his showbiz career took off, he struggled more and more with alcoholism and mental illness. To cope with these challenges, Mr. Winters leaned heavily on his faith in God and the love of his devoted wife and children. He eventually hit rock bottom and overcame his addiction to booze in a what I can best describe as a miracle. You'll have to read it for yourself to see if you agree. This book also covers three mental breakdowns that landed him in mental institutions where he eventually regained his sanity and learn to cope with his bipolar disorder.
Here's what sets this biography apart from many others that I've read about famous comedians. It was essentially written by Jonathan himself in the form of a journal that he kept most of his life. After he passed away in 2013, his family asked Jonathan's close friend (Peter S. Ferrara) to turn those 1,000+ diary pages into this book. In my eyes, Jonathan's life and career were as unique and fascinating as his comedy routines on TV.
April 7, 2025
This is a must read book about one hell of a funny guy. I remember Jonathan from when he played the moving driver who rode that little girls bike after Phil Silvers, and then tore up that car garage in It`s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. He also played a crazy deputy in The Russians are Coming, however, I wish he was in more movies to have really enjoyed his humer, in fact he wanted to be refered to as a humorist instead of a comedian.
What got me interested about him again was seen him as baby mearth in Mork and Mindy; man I just can`t stop laughing my head off at both him and williams, they kill me...Nano, Nano!!!
What I didn`t know was that Mr. Winters had major mental problems and was first forced to deal with and then he dealt with accordingly. He wanted his doctor to give him a lable for his condition but would not and instead said he was just a manic depression. Jonathan decided that it be best to pull back from work and be more with his family, finding that his mom and dad were a big part of his issues in life along with the stress of over work.
Remember people...Humor is good medicine for the soul!!!
What got me interested about him again was seen him as baby mearth in Mork and Mindy; man I just can`t stop laughing my head off at both him and williams, they kill me...Nano, Nano!!!
What I didn`t know was that Mr. Winters had major mental problems and was first forced to deal with and then he dealt with accordingly. He wanted his doctor to give him a lable for his condition but would not and instead said he was just a manic depression. Jonathan decided that it be best to pull back from work and be more with his family, finding that his mom and dad were a big part of his issues in life along with the stress of over work.
Remember people...Humor is good medicine for the soul!!!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews