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Adventure Without End #6
Don't You Know Who I Am?: A Memoir of the World's Least Successful Actor
Tony James Slater wants just one to become a world famous actor. The only problem is, he doesn’t have any experience. Or any training. Or any talent… They say that anything is possible if you want it hard enough. But just how far is he willing to go? Is it okay to dance naked in public for your art? And what do you tell your family when they catch you doing it? It’s a good thing to reach for the stars, right? At least until their security guards drag you away… Join Tony, as he goes from ‘wannabe’ to ‘never-gonna-be,’ via the weirdest, most ridiculous route imaginable. From childhood trauma to university romance, from school to stage to screen… see him blown up, beaten up, chatted up and dressing up. All of which is perfectly normal… for a thespian. Don’t miss this hilarious tale of acting crazy. If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like in ‘the industry’ – or wondered if you’ve got what it takes to make it – find out right here!
- GenresNonfiction
372 pages, Paperback
First published October 2, 2017
About the author
Tony James Slater
22 books239 followersTony James Slater is a very, very strange man. He believes himself to be indestructible, despite considerable evidence to the contrary. He sometimes makes strange faces whilst pretending to be attacked by inanimate objects. But perhaps his single biggest problem is this; he has a mouth so big he is in danger of swallowing his own head. As a result he often ends up far from mainstream civilization, tackling ridiculous challenges and subjecting himself to constant danger. He gets hurt quite a lot.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
December 3, 2020
This is one of the funniest books I have read for a while! I have read all of Tony's travel books but somehow not this one. It describes his childhood and then his time at Cardiff Drama College pursuing his dream of being an actor. To earn a bit of money, and cherishing the notion he would be 'discovered' he took on a variety of jobs, from working as an 'Extra' on Coronation Street and Hollyoaks. It didn't work! However these accounts of his mad antics had me in fits of laughter.
One of my favourite chapters was when he took a job promoting Lynx. It involved wearing nothing much apart from purple pants. The madcap traits were there from a young age.He certainly seemed to spend an inordinate amount of time being bruised and bashed. I don't know how he's still standing!
Hilarious, honest and very very funny. PS. It's Biggar and Stirling , not Bigga and Sterling. Still made me laugh though!
One of my favourite chapters was when he took a job promoting Lynx. It involved wearing nothing much apart from purple pants. The madcap traits were there from a young age.He certainly seemed to spend an inordinate amount of time being bruised and bashed. I don't know how he's still standing!
Hilarious, honest and very very funny. PS. It's Biggar and Stirling , not Bigga and Sterling. Still made me laugh though!
December 18, 2017
I did enjoy this book. The author's self effacing romp through the uncertain world of acting is a treat. From local amateur dramatics to university, bit parts on Coronation Street and uncounted numbers of anonymous appearances in an ill-conceived action movie, the pace is hilarious and at times almost hard to believe. Trust me. There is a crazy dancing shaving man and a strip club ingenue in the same body. Well worth a read.
November 20, 2017
Ever since I stumbled upon Tony Slater's That Bear Ate My Pants! via a free e-book offer, I became hooked on his writing. He's an enormously entertaining author whose exploits around the world have to be read to be believed, and give us a travelogue that's both informative and outrageously funny -- like Bill Bryson if he happened to star in a slapstick comedy. Tony has hinted in many of his books that he tried (and failed) to become an actor, and so when "Don't You Know Who I Am?" was released -- a prequel of sorts to his globe-trotting misadventures that detailed his acting exploits -- I snapped it up immediately. And not only is it just as funny as its predecessors, but it shows that you don't have to go abroad to find lunacy -- sometimes you can find it incredibly close to home.
In "Don't You Know Who I Am?" Tony reveals parts of his life that we didn't get to see in his previous books, including touching on his small-English-town childhood, his trials as an unpopular kid in school, and his burgeoning dream to become an actor. He ends up attending an acting college in Cardiff, where he gains a reputation as a first-rate loon and forges some unlikely friendships... and in the meantime, finds bit roles on British TV shows like "Hollyoaks" and "Coronation Street." His attempts at becoming a world-famous actor take him to some unlikely places -- traipsing around England and Scotland supermarkets in his underpants as a representative of Lynx (known in the USA as Axe) products, getting hired (and fired) on the set of the "Doctor Who" revival, befriending a stripper and her husband who both just happen to be his new bosses, filming an indie action movie with some buddies, and even rubbing elbows with the late great Christopher Lee himself! All the while Tony treats us to some of his brand of wacky, self-depreciating humor, which readers of his earlier books will be well-acquainted with by now.
I do recommend that you at least read "That Bear Ate My Pants" before reading this book, as this one is a lot better if you know some about Tony before diving in. It's a prequel of sorts, a sort of "Hobbit" to "Lord of the Rings" or "Episode I" to the original "Star Wars" (though a lot better than Episode I, trust me). But it's also pretty entertaining on its own, both as the trials of an actor struggling to make it big and as a snapshot of the late '90s and early '00s, before cell phones became ubiquitous and the Internet made hunting for jobs and movie/TV roles much easier.
If strong language and occasional ribald humor bothers you, this book might not be for you -- Tony holds little back, indulging in language from time to time and pulling no punches when it comes to some of his more risque adventures (such as injuring his manhood on a drunken New Year's Eve expedition or walking in on a nude photoshoot). But thankfully the humor in this book doesn't rely on swearing and naughtiness, which is often the crutch of a less-talented writer who thinks "haha, swearing and sex jokes are funny." Tony sprinkles some of this in, sure, but for the most part his humor is in finding the absurdity of his life and commenting on it, which makes for a much better experience.
If you're a fan of Tony Slater's work, I highly recommend "Don't You Know Who I Am?" If you're a newcomer, I suggest reading "That Bear Ate My Pants" first. Trust me, you'll thank me later -- both books are hilarious, and "Bear" will give you a better appreciation for Tony's life and work in this book. I eagerly await Tony's next book, and know I'll be snapping it up as soon as possible.
In "Don't You Know Who I Am?" Tony reveals parts of his life that we didn't get to see in his previous books, including touching on his small-English-town childhood, his trials as an unpopular kid in school, and his burgeoning dream to become an actor. He ends up attending an acting college in Cardiff, where he gains a reputation as a first-rate loon and forges some unlikely friendships... and in the meantime, finds bit roles on British TV shows like "Hollyoaks" and "Coronation Street." His attempts at becoming a world-famous actor take him to some unlikely places -- traipsing around England and Scotland supermarkets in his underpants as a representative of Lynx (known in the USA as Axe) products, getting hired (and fired) on the set of the "Doctor Who" revival, befriending a stripper and her husband who both just happen to be his new bosses, filming an indie action movie with some buddies, and even rubbing elbows with the late great Christopher Lee himself! All the while Tony treats us to some of his brand of wacky, self-depreciating humor, which readers of his earlier books will be well-acquainted with by now.
I do recommend that you at least read "That Bear Ate My Pants" before reading this book, as this one is a lot better if you know some about Tony before diving in. It's a prequel of sorts, a sort of "Hobbit" to "Lord of the Rings" or "Episode I" to the original "Star Wars" (though a lot better than Episode I, trust me). But it's also pretty entertaining on its own, both as the trials of an actor struggling to make it big and as a snapshot of the late '90s and early '00s, before cell phones became ubiquitous and the Internet made hunting for jobs and movie/TV roles much easier.
If strong language and occasional ribald humor bothers you, this book might not be for you -- Tony holds little back, indulging in language from time to time and pulling no punches when it comes to some of his more risque adventures (such as injuring his manhood on a drunken New Year's Eve expedition or walking in on a nude photoshoot). But thankfully the humor in this book doesn't rely on swearing and naughtiness, which is often the crutch of a less-talented writer who thinks "haha, swearing and sex jokes are funny." Tony sprinkles some of this in, sure, but for the most part his humor is in finding the absurdity of his life and commenting on it, which makes for a much better experience.
If you're a fan of Tony Slater's work, I highly recommend "Don't You Know Who I Am?" If you're a newcomer, I suggest reading "That Bear Ate My Pants" first. Trust me, you'll thank me later -- both books are hilarious, and "Bear" will give you a better appreciation for Tony's life and work in this book. I eagerly await Tony's next book, and know I'll be snapping it up as soon as possible.
December 9, 2021
A fitting prequel of sorts that sets the table for Tony's wild adventures
While the content may not be as exciting as when he treks around the world in search of truth and fun, this book details Tony's struggles with getting into the acting scene, and many of the successes and failures that led him to such a drastic career change. I thought the book would drag a bit since the settings where nowhere near as exciting as previous books, but I actually read this one faster than any of the previous five. Some of his encounters are truly hilarious, including his time as a Lynx salesman, and it was also fascinating when he met the late, great Christopher Lee. The highlight of the book for me was the gloriously politically incorrect chapter about the "stranger danger" play that he helped put on. I'm actually a bit sad that this is the last of his adventure books so far, as I feel that Tony has been a companion to me of sorts these last few months as I've read through his books, and I look forward to whatever he puts out in the future.
While the content may not be as exciting as when he treks around the world in search of truth and fun, this book details Tony's struggles with getting into the acting scene, and many of the successes and failures that led him to such a drastic career change. I thought the book would drag a bit since the settings where nowhere near as exciting as previous books, but I actually read this one faster than any of the previous five. Some of his encounters are truly hilarious, including his time as a Lynx salesman, and it was also fascinating when he met the late, great Christopher Lee. The highlight of the book for me was the gloriously politically incorrect chapter about the "stranger danger" play that he helped put on. I'm actually a bit sad that this is the last of his adventure books so far, as I feel that Tony has been a companion to me of sorts these last few months as I've read through his books, and I look forward to whatever he puts out in the future.
October 18, 2017
Tony James Slater travels around the world and writes books about his crazy (always so crazy) adventures. But before he got the travel bug, he tried to become an actor. That didn’t work out so well, but he, of course, had some crazy adventures along the way. Don’t You Know Who I Am? is full of typical self-deprecating Tony humor. He has a way of telling a story that makes you literally laugh out loud. It is well-edited with just a handful of typos (though American readers may “see” more than that since British English and American English have quite a lot of differences). I highly recommend reading this book and all of Tony’s other books, too. You won’t be sorry (though you may have to explain, repeatedly, why you are laughing)!
April 25, 2018
Slater's books never disappoint. This is a prequel to his travel books and explains how/why he got into traveling in the first place. The book describes his ill-fated attempts at making a living by acting, which generally took the form of doing product promos and being an extra in movies and TV. His descriptions of the life of an extra were very illuminating -- and hilarious. I went to YouTube to find video of a couple of his shows and could look at the scenes with informed amusement. His brilliant conclusion to his memoir was "I bet, on deathbeds around the world, no-one has ever wished their life was less weird. And why would they? Weirdness is awesome."
October 11, 2017
I have read all of Tony’s books and so thankful I found them as he keeps you laughing and gasping at his exploits. While this book is different than the others it is good to get the young years and what Tony went thru in life to become the person he is today. Tony bullied? How on earth did that happen—oh I know—even for all the ridiculous (and dangerous) things he does he seems to be a gentle soul. Truth be known I would love to see Tony and Roo on TV. Keep writing Tony, I highly recommend this book and all the others.
August 23, 2020
Tony Slater never fails to entertain his audiences. I stumbled across his books whilst reading his travel adventures, and have never been disappointed. Unfortunately, I am a reader, not a writer, so therefore can not review books well, you know, with any competence beyond "Duh, that's a good story, ya know?" But I will recommend Tony's books to anyone. Humor, compassion, and just plain good reads. I have no interest in acting or actors. I bought the book because I figured it would be a rollicking good time and was not disappointed.
July 8, 2020
Not as amusing as it tries to be
Maybe all prequels suck. But...honestly it tries to be funny, amusing and it fell flat. His other books were moderately amusing though the spider one just had me feeling terrible for Roo. Maybe he's just better at "travel" books. Or he tried to make college funny and it doesn't work. anyways if it hadn't been free on Kindle unlimited Ice demand a refund.
Maybe all prequels suck. But...honestly it tries to be funny, amusing and it fell flat. His other books were moderately amusing though the spider one just had me feeling terrible for Roo. Maybe he's just better at "travel" books. Or he tried to make college funny and it doesn't work. anyways if it hadn't been free on Kindle unlimited Ice demand a refund.
October 8, 2017
A good short read from Tony Slater!
A pretty good wee book to get an understanding for the back story of Tony slater. I must say I personally prefer his travelling books but that's down to personal taste as opposed to any qualms with the book.
All told it has some truly hilarious accounts from his last in and is well worth a read!
A pretty good wee book to get an understanding for the back story of Tony slater. I must say I personally prefer his travelling books but that's down to personal taste as opposed to any qualms with the book.
All told it has some truly hilarious accounts from his last in and is well worth a read!
March 19, 2020
Good start
Before I got to the end I couldn't see how he could gone from acting to traveling but just before the end he switched gears, a complete shock cause of the way it was going. I did enjoy this book like all the others, I believe I have now read his last book. Unless he does another one with his wife and more travels.
Before I got to the end I couldn't see how he could gone from acting to traveling but just before the end he switched gears, a complete shock cause of the way it was going. I did enjoy this book like all the others, I believe I have now read his last book. Unless he does another one with his wife and more travels.
October 22, 2017
Very good read
I read this after being told about it by another author, George Mahood .Really enjoyed this ,very easy to read couple of spelling errors but easily overlooked ,will now read the rest of his books
I read this after being told about it by another author, George Mahood .Really enjoyed this ,very easy to read couple of spelling errors but easily overlooked ,will now read the rest of his books
April 13, 2018
I've read all of Tony Slater's books. I found it interesting to read about his acting 'career', but overall, found this book less gripping than the others. still, an enjoyable read leaving me looking forward to his next adventure.
May 18, 2020
Made me laugh out loud!!,,,, loved every one of your books. Can't wait for more r
Made me laugh out loud!!! And made my cats look at me like I had something wrong with me. Loved every one of your books. Can't wait for more!!## $.
Made me laugh out loud!!! And made my cats look at me like I had something wrong with me. Loved every one of your books. Can't wait for more!!## $.
September 14, 2020
Loved it
Tony, I can certainly relate to the drama school. You lasted the whole course but I only managed two years. Standing in one position for an hour drove me crazy.
However, I still love acting.
Tony, I can certainly relate to the drama school. You lasted the whole course but I only managed two years. Standing in one position for an hour drove me crazy.
However, I still love acting.
March 23, 2024
At the beginning
Well, now I know the facts, all the facts. A coming of age, self discovery with a very humous twist. A must read. I have now read all his books and looking forward to the next one.
Well, now I know the facts, all the facts. A coming of age, self discovery with a very humous twist. A must read. I have now read all his books and looking forward to the next one.
December 31, 2017
Entertaining as always.
January 4, 2018
Loved it!
I love James Slaters books. He's just hilarious and each book gets better and better. I'm already looking forward to the next one!
I love James Slaters books. He's just hilarious and each book gets better and better. I'm already looking forward to the next one!
June 21, 2019
Fun!
A few face-palm moments, and many, many laugh-out-loud moments. Well-written. (PS My degree course was just as useless as dire!!)
A few face-palm moments, and many, many laugh-out-loud moments. Well-written. (PS My degree course was just as useless as dire!!)
March 13, 2023
So sad this series is over.
October 17, 2017
Having been a fan of Tony's books since the bear ate his pants, this book seemed like it might be not quite as mad as some of his trips abroad. Yes, his travelling was mainly between South Wales and Manchester, but it was still a great read.
Sometimes the time-line seemed a bit confusing as tales from his "extra" life didn't seem to run at the same time as his college life. I particularly enjoyed his Ghost Stories for Christmas stories.
I enjoy Tony's writing and look forward to his next installment.
Sometimes the time-line seemed a bit confusing as tales from his "extra" life didn't seem to run at the same time as his college life. I particularly enjoyed his Ghost Stories for Christmas stories.
I enjoy Tony's writing and look forward to his next installment.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews