Tripping Over Myself: A Memoir of a Life in Comedy

by Shaun Micallef

From Shaun Micallef, beloved host of ABC TV’s news satire Mad as Hell, comes Tripping Over Myself – an insightful and funny memoir about comedy and life that takes us through uncharted waters to unexpected places.

Comedy has been Shaun’s escape, his guiding light, his refuge, his passport, his lifebuoy, his drug, his mask, his means, his end, his lingua franca, his Self. But it’s not everything.

From his early years as a gangly, bespectacled nerd in suburban Adelaide to the giddy heights of national TV stardom, Shaun regales us with his experiences and his continuous reinvention through humour with… well, humour. He writes with candour about his successes and failures, loves and losses, along with tales of wine, women, song, and eccentric dancing. Behind the persona of one of Australia’s best-loved comedians lurks, as you will discover, an idiot.

Despite Shaun’s best efforts, Tripping Over Myself is sprinkled with thoughtful insights and observations and shows us how to persist in the face of adversity or even good fortune. You will laugh, you will dog-ear pages, you will wonder, you will Google ‘Jerry Lewis’, you may book a trip to India, and you will come away from this book reflecting on your own life in new and remarkable ways.

Genres: Nonfiction, Audiobook, Biography, Autobiography, Memoir, Humor, Comedy

317 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 5, 2022

About the author

Shaun Micallef has starred in television, films, stage shows, radio and several books. He also has won four Logies, an ARIA and an AFI but, admirably, hasn’t let any of this go to his head.

Reviews

[Steven M Foxe · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Tour de Farce.

The words "exemplary", "supreme", "inspired" are often bandied about when referring to great and important literary masterpieces. Sorry for the trivia, just thought you might be interested.

[Michele Connolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this memoir to try to fill the Mad-As-Hell-shaped hole in my heart.

I enjoyed spending time with this complicated, clever man. But the hole remains.

[Sue Gerhardt Griffiths · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

Was pretty good until Micallef put his two bobs worth in about Pauline Hanson and made a stupid comment about Clive Palmer. So, Mister shitty arse funny man your book goes from a 4.5 stars down to 2.5 stars.


Listened to the audio via the BorrowBox app
Published by ABC audio and narrated by the author himself
Duration: 6 hours, 27minutes 1.25x Speed

[Daniel]

A real page-turner, I couldn't put it down!

[Emma Darcy · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

It's fantastic to see someone who is open and honest about their struggles and shortcomings. It kind of felt like the Australian equivalent of Bruce Campbell's arc, the affable idiot (as he would have you believe) that's just lucky to be there and has bumbled through every opportunity they've been given with charm and a bucket on one foot. A series of setbacks and they're more or less back on top, a little wiser and little more humble for the trouble. It was just a nice read.

[Cleve Devine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know some people don't like his humor and maybe think it's pretentious. But I honestly find Shaun the most clever & witty Australia comic. Blends highbrow & lowbrow humour perfectly. I giggled my heart out reading this. Especially at the yearly politicians ball they silly'ly asked him to host in the early 00s part. The absurdity of some of the Full Frontal, Fast Forward behind the scenes was a laugh. Very self aware and laugh out loud self deprecating

[John Davidson jr · Rating 4 out of 5]

“‘She’s fully dilated,’ the nurse reassured me, but then noticed my blank look. ‘She’s nearly ten centimetres.’
Nonsense. She was much taller than that.’”

“It goes without saying that I don’t remember actually being born, but on all the available evidence so far there is very little reason for me to believe that I wasn’t.”

“I’ll be calling the show Mad as Hell throughout this book because the actual title of the program, Shaun Micallef’s Mad as Hell, goes on a bit too long and makes me sound vain, the last things I’d want to do in an 80,000-word book about myself.”

“FAVOURITE FILM: Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life with Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner a close secoend.”

[Luke Illeniram · Rating 3 out of 5]

For someone as intelligent and masterful in comedy, this autobiography just seems a little rushed. It seems like a book written in a month to please some publisher. There are aspects of interest throughout, and even parts where Micallef almost gives you a sense of his personal life, but promptly turns back to his various shows coming and going. He talks to often about the mechanics of comedy and how something is funny while another is objectively not, yet doesn't elaborate on this very much which would have been interesting to hear his thoughts.

An Australian treasure, yes certainly, I love his stuff and his comedy, and he seems like a very good fellow. This particular book, not so much.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Laugh out loud funny one moment, poignant the next. This is a delight of a memoir for admirers of Micallef’s impressive body of work in the Australian comedy industry. He is honest, self-aware and self-deprecating …and very funny.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shaun Micallef has been one of my favourite Australian comedians since I encountered him as a child one of the weekly sketch shows we used to have. There was something about his offbeat delivery, the throwaway jokes, the absurdism of it all that really appealed to me, and still does.

There are times he's appeared somewhat bemused by appearing on television in any capacity, from his bizarre tilted room sketches, to his unintelligible Milo Kerrigan to his actually quite decent go at dramatic acting. His hosting of the Logies (our awful Oscars-lite awards) reminded me of Ricky Gervais (in a good way). Not that he brutally slagged off the rich and famous, but just in the sense he didn't seem to give a shit about it, knowing it's even more of a song and dance than the Oscars.

This autobiography details Micallef's relationship with comedy from childhood all the way up to the present. It's been awhile since I watched anything he's done, what with my own evolving tastes in comedy, but I appreciate how open and honest he is about the things he's proud of, embarassed of and indifferent towards.

At any rate, he continues to make me laugh out loud even through the written word, so I look forward to experiencing this again when it comes out in audiobook.

[Rose Wh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I grew up watching a lot of the shows mentioned, and enjoyed hearing what went on behind them all. Genuine, self-deprecating, mostly light listening. It's always nice to hear people showing their admiration and lifting up others in these types of books. You probably won't find it all that interesting if you haven't watched Micallef's work or at least have an interest in comedy / the entertainment industry

[Gabriel Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun easy book, especially with Shaun's little added extras, such as in his monologues. Enjoyed the journey to learning comedy as an ongoing pursuit.
Not as an interesting life or insightful read as some other Aussie comedians, like in Magda Szubanski's or Hannah Gadsby's recent biographies, but would still recommend.

[Denny · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very well written book, Shaun has an amazing way of telling a story, I have loved his career since I was a little kid, my favourite comedian.

[Allie Way · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having grown up watching Fast Forward, Full Frontal, and later the Micallef Program, always appreciated the absurdity and the talent to bring it to life, ever curious as to the process.

This book wasn’t a bag of laughs, but a more detailed and grounded view of ‘behind the scenes’ for Micallef working his way through life.

A reminder that volume beats perfection; to try, and fail, and fail again; and finding and focussing our energy on our passion and purpose.

[Mark Gilbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Would have been five stars but for the misspelling of Angas Street on p49!

[Susan C · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Spotify introduced audiobooks for premium members, I decided to 'have a go' and somehow this title was suggested for me. My preferred way of listening to Audiobooks is in the car on my daily commute, and the biography/memoir genre is perfect for this. No need to have to keep plot points or character actions in your head just 'sit back and let the tale unfold for you.

I thought this one was particularly good. I very much enjoyed the fact that it was narrated by the Shaun himself, and narrated well, so it felt like an intimate conversation on my daily drive. I also enjoyed hearing about Shaun's comedy heros and on reflection I can see their influence on his style of comedy. Yes, it can be said that while I lack the comedy gene, discovering the Marx Brothers in my late teens was significant. Perhaps Mr Micallef is a combination of Harpo and Groucho but there are a lot of very old and very skilled comedic actors in the mix. The book also opened my eyes to the goings on 'behind the curtain' in order to get a comedy series to air. Its not always as slick and polished as it appears on the box. I suspect they are wiping off the last of the brasso just before it goes to air.

With Mad as Hell - Sorry "Shaun Micallef's Mad as Hell"** over, I shall be interested to see what he does next. I also think he makes a very good story teller and I would be keen on reading more of his books.

** Shaun explains why it's called that in the book and no its not a vanity thing - well not that he admits.

[Dennis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not a Shaun Micallef fan, but I do admit that I am always intrigued at the process that underpins the creation of comedy programs, including TV, film, books and radio. To understand public taste and create comedy that amuses the public must be the hardest possible way to make a quid. Therefore I am intrigued about those who do it successfully and survive like Shaun Micailef. His background is interesting as he is a qualified lawyer, so in some respects I can understand why he forsake what I consider to be the boring world of the law in favour of a life of laughs. In recent years, Australia has been awash with comedy talent, much of it as the side effect of the boom in stand-up comics, who emerge as fine actors and creative writers of comedy scripts. In his book, Shaun is very self-deprecating, which at times seem to go to far, but I do appreciate the 'behind the scenes stuff'. Therefore you don't have to be a Micallef fan to apprediate this book, which is priviledged peak behind the scenes into some of our favourite TV comedy programs that have been created in recent years.

[Jeremy Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is very much a telling of Micallef's early life, how he got interested in comedy, and a beat-by-beat account of how each of his shows came to be. This usually amounts to "I pitched it and they accepted!" but the audiobook is read by him and there are worse voices to spend six hours with.

It does the historical job well enough. As for flavour... The points of interest aren't very interesting, and the insights aren't very insightful. Actual jokes are few and far between. There were a couple of points where it started to feel like it might get "real" but it promptly veered away.

There's also a miasma of self-deprecation through it all, which to me comes across less as humble, and more a calculated habit that Aussie celebs often adopt to counter tall poppy syndrome. It might hit other people differently, but to me it just seemed like genuflecting -- a funny man pretending he believes he's not funny because he's afraid if he admits he's funny, he'd be less funny.

Anyway, still worth the price of admission for the by-the-numbers tour of each of his projects. It feels like a "It's a Small World After All" on-rails experience of "And here's Newstopia! And here's Mad As Hell!" But it barely, barely gets three stars from me mainly because it was nice to learn of his earlier life and desires before he was a national household name.

[Wide Eyes, Big Ears! · Rating 4 out of 5]

A popular comedic writer, actor and presenter, Shaun Micallef has graced Aussie TV screens for decades. Born the same year as me, I could relate to his quiet, unremarkable, happy 1960s childhood, his puzzlement of, and aversion to, blokey humour, and his extrication from his religious upbringing. Shaun encountered comedy during his years at Adelaide University studying law and, having found his niche in absurdist / surrealist humour, he never looked back. His memoir style encompasses his trademark whacky humour, which is heavily laced with irony, self-deprecation, and the gentle lampooning of himself and those around him. He’s a complicated person and, as the title suggests, he details successes (which he usually sounds surprised about), mistakes, and failures (which he usually attributes to self-sabotage or overreach). Being a chronic overthinker, he also spends time analysing humour and various theories about comedy which show us the prodigious brain behind the man (even while he’s telling us he’s not very clever). While his absurdist humour isn’t a natural fit for me, he made me appreciate the wide range of comedy appeal and his place in it. I didn’t laugh out loud, but I did enjoy sitting with Shaun’s honesty and his clever intellect, and I really enjoyed the peak into life in the entertainment industry. 🎧 Shaun narrates the audiobook himself and does a fantastic job.

[Averil · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had high hopes for Shaun Micallef's memoir as I love his comedy style. The parts covering his childhood were funny and interesting but I found once the book started covering his professional acting career my interest level waned. There are just a few too many accounts of incidents where you really probably needed to be there or have seen the show, and because I didn't grow up watching Aussie TV I wasn't always familiar with the shows he referenced. Reading an account of a sketch just isn't the same as watching one.
A few clumsy errors as well, e.g. getting the name of Chris Lilly's We Can Be Heroes wrong. In fact, I got the impression of a book rushed out too fast, perhaps to coincide nicely with the end of Mad as Hell. A stronger edit would really have helped tighten this book.
Having said that, he is a good writer and sufficiently tongue in cheek to keep me reading to the end. Now I'm just left to wish Mad as Hell had not ended a few weeks ago; such a loss from our screens.


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[Peter Langston · Rating 2 out of 5]

This sort-of autobiography stops being funny early on. A good thing actually except that allows self deprecation to creep stealthily into the stories he tells of his professional life. His personal life seemed to end about the same time his professional life started. It’s interesting but ultimately, he discounts so much of his personal success as to leave readers wondering how he has reached the heights of the comedy genius others have claimed for him. Much of his physical comedy is explained by his infatuations - Jerry Lewis, Charlie Chaplin, Stan Laurel. I was left with the portrait of a man who is still deeply concerned with finding out who he is and running out of time. Tears of the clown.

[Nat · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like a good memoir, particularly when I know of the person that I am reading (or in this case, listening) about.

The audio book is narrated by Micallef himself, and I could see the facial expression that he is well known for coming through his voice. What I didn't really get from this is a true sense of understanding the person behind the persona. It was a memoir about his career, with some self-reflection. It has made me want to re-watch Talking About Your Generation though, that was an excellent program, and maybe go and dig up Mr and Mrs Murder, which I haven't seen (but I do like Kat Stewart, sooo . . . )

Look, this is light and somewhat entertaining, but no great scoops in this one. Up to you, read if you are a fan, give it a miss if you are not.

[Deb Chapman · Rating 4 out of 5]

fab audio book, read by him, sometimes with voices! Does what it says on the box. It was great, had me laughing out loud a number of times. Flow was really good too with just enough factual and chronological info but often with very wry and offbeat twists, just like his comedy. He’s a very funny man! Great insight into his career and trajectory. Entertaining read. Pitched just right, lots of reflections on his professional life and shared some of his personal life but not enough to be cringeworthy or inappropriate. He skated over the section where he was depressed and didn’t really explain what got him through but I can respect that too. Good read

[Jeannette · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to this book. It was interesting and funny in parts and I liked that he read it himself.
I just want to say though, I wanted to give it 2 stars but it did deserve 3, and I would have given it even more except for the way he wrote about the Logies. It amazes me that people like Micallef and Tom Gleeson don’t seem to realise that their very industry and livelihood depends to a degree on the audience and that by belittling the Logies they are, in a way, belittling the very people who put them, and keep them in their industry. I used to like Shaun Micallef, now I just thinks he’s a bit of an “up himself” nufty. Sorry if this offends anyone.

[Cath Carkeet · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this as an audiobook while travelling in New Zealand. It’s narrated by the author whose voice is rich and resonant and accentuates the comedic style of the story. I really liked this memoir, probably best appreciated by those who like Shaun Micaleff – esp Mad as Hell – for me anyway.

The expectation of an amusing account is what prompted me to read it and I was not disappointed
He sets it out as unashamedly self-indulgent, but all done in a humorous style. Because he is self-deprecating, the story is amusing and engaging.
I liked it and would recommend.

[Robyn G….y · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was looking for a book after finishing Ghost Empire by Richard Fidler and came across Tripping Over Myself.
I am a huge fan of Mad as Hell, always enjoyed the acerbic witt of Micallef and thought it would be a humorous, wacky,
ludicrous ride.
It was much more. The trip to India and the previous chapter, revealed another side to Shaun that anyone outside of the entertainment business may not understand.
Just read the book or better still, listen to the audiobook as I did. I listen to audiobooks, when driving and out on my long morning walks.

[Ben Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Shaun Micallef a lot. This is a lot more straight than I was expecting because...well, its Shaun Micallef but the stories of his childhood are wonderfully told and none of them fall into the misery memoir trope either. Would've loved more about his TV stuff because I'm a big nerd but there's a lot of discussion about the nature of comedy which I really appreciated. Now I want to watch it all again, shame its not anywhere in the UK currently...

[Juliana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I find everything Shaun does mildly amusing. This book (audio version) is no exception. I have no idea why I am so fond of him, really.

An interestingly amusing little book with some laugh out loud moments. But beware, you might find he's an ordinary bloke who is a chancer following his love of making people laugh and not the absurdist-ly brilliant mind he portrays on screen!

One note - bring back Mr & Mrs Murder. I loved that show!

[Jenny Graves · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful, just as I’d hoped

This is so much more than just an autobiography. It’s brilliant comedic writing too.

I’ve been a fan of Shaun’s for years and I could almost hear him reading this book. (Now there’s a thought for you, Shaun. I reckon an audiobook would go down a storm!)

Thank you to Shaun for making my bedtimes fun. (I only get to read for fun then. I don’t know what you were thinking!) My next book will have a hard act to follow!

[Vannessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I most enjoyed the early life part of this book, as well as the bits about how Micallef entered comedy from law. I learnt a lot about different types of comedy, techniques of joke-telling, his long term collaborators, writing comedy and the difficulties of mounting comic productions on different media (TV, stage). I got lost a few times when the intricacies got...well, intricate (e.g. what happened to the idea for Show X and how it performed in the end).