I Exaggerate: My Brushes with Fame

by Kevin Nealon

You may know Kevin Nealon as a celebrated comedian and Saturday Night Live alum—but he also happens to be a talented caricature artist. 



In I Exaggerate, comedian and actor Kevin Nealon shares original full-color caricatures and funny, endearing personal essays about his famous friends. Alongside his portraits and doodles from script margins and cocktail napkins, Nealon takes readers through his memories of everything from the set of Saturday Night Live with Chris Farley and Dana Carvey, to his idolization of James Taylor, the eulogy he gave at his dear friend Garry Shandling’s funeral, and much more. This is a charming and gorgeously illustrated project from a comedy all-star that is sure to delight. 

 

Subjects Buzz Aldrin, Jennifer Aniston, Lauren Bacall, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Humphrey Bogart, Anthony Bourdain, Jim Carrey, Johnny Carson, Dana Carvey, Timothée Chalamet, Dave Chappelle, Kurt Cobain, Jeff Daniels, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Billie Eilish, Chris Farley, Carrie Fisher, Budd Friedman, Lady Gaga, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Whitney Houston, Ken Jeong, Andy Kauffman, Matt LeBlanc, David Letterman, Norm Macdonald, Rami Malek, Peyton Manning, Eli Manning, Steve Martin, Brian May, Freddie Mercury, Lorne Michaels, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Brad Paisley, Arnold Palmer, Tom Petty, Joaquin Phoenix, Robert Plant, the Pointer Sisters, Prince, Chris Rock, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Garry Shandling, Harry Dean Stanton, Howard Stern, Emma Stone, Tilda Swinton, Elizabeth Taylor, James Taylor, Anya Taylor-Joy, John Travolta, Eddie Vedder, Christopher Walken, and Robin Williams. 

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

283 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 25, 2022

About the author

Kevin Nealon is an American actor and comedian, best known as a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1986 to 1995, acting in several of the Happy Madison films, for playing Doug Wilson on the Showtime series Weeds, and providing the voice of the title character, Glenn Martin on Glenn Martin, DDS.

Reviews

[Lorie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Come for the caricatures, stay for the heartfelt remembrances. ♥️

[Bruce Thomas]

This was a great surprise to learn that this SNL actor/comedian is also an extremely talented caricature artist. This book of his tablet-drawn artwork is impressive, and really made better with his humorous but serious essays about his personal engagement with each subject. Particularly memorable are his experiences with Johnny Carson, Chris Farley, Prince, Garry Shandling and Brad Paisley.

[JR · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute and quick little read. Funny little mini stories and some fantastic drawings. I didn’t know Nealon even drew let alone drew well. Surprised at how good they actually are.

[Eric Shoemaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't recall ever laughing so much at a book. A quick but thoroughly delightful read

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

I only knew Kevin as an actor/comedian and had no clue what a fantastic artist he is.

[Cal Brunsdon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bite-sized celebrity anecdotes from 45+ years in Hollywood, delivered in Nealon’s inimitably dry style. The audiobook comes with a PDF of his portraits.

On Joaquin Phoenix: Whenever I gain weight, I justify: “it’s for a movie! I’m gonna go see the new James Bond film.”

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic artwork with some commentary or story about the subject of each caricature. Some stories more funny than others. Your mileage will vary on how much you like Kevin Nealon. Overall a fun, quick read.

[Michael Lent · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting, enjoyable book and a fast read.

Kevin Nealon’s comedy works because he combines insightful observational humor with a dry, offbeat delivery. His best jokes take something relatable, uncover the hidden absurdity, and deliver it with such subtlety that the audience feels like they’re discovering it alongside him.

I was surprised to learn that Nealon is also an accomplished caricature artist. Most of the portraits in this book capture their subjects well, rendered in broad, playful strokes. The best pairings come from his personal stories about interacting with the celebrities he has drawn—his insights on Jim Carrey, Garry Shandling, and Norm Macdonald stood out the most.

That said, some of Nealon's jokes veer into boomer dad groaner territory, but as a fellow dad jokester, I often remind my kids: "They can't all be winners."

[Joey Nardinelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel like readers will possibly love or hate this entirely based on whether they like the subtle wryness of Nealon’s humor, a wit that often uses the outline of narcissism to setup various dry jokes. That was always what I loved about him on SNL, as though he were an evolved form of Chevy Chase’s humor without all the pratfalls. I’m sure there are moments in here that will make folks uncomfortable where Nealon talks about people who doesn’t or barely knows (something he cops to seemingly honestly), and I did find it a bit off-putting that he’s publishing even his own thoughts about the deaths of so many celebrities in this way. However, there’s rarely anything arguably mean-spirited in here and I find the honesty and the attempt at humor to be part of the way a comedian responds to legacies — their own, and of those who work around them. I also really appreciate the insights he offers as a 9-year veteran of SNL, a place tied so significantly to a popular strain of comedy and pop culture for the last nearly six decades.

[Paul Sand · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was (apparently) in the mood for a Saturday Night Live alumnus-written book. I enjoyed Kevin Nealon's roles over the years, especially as one of the Austrian bodybuilders "Hans and Franz". (I forget which one he was.) He was a decent newsreader on the "Weekend Update" segment. I thought "Mr. Subliminal" was hilarious. So, why not?

The book is not so much a memoir as it is Nealon's recollections/impressions of other folks, most of whom he rubbed shoulders with in the wide world of SNL and general celebrityness. The book's gimmick is that Nealon is a decent caricaturist, and there are dozens of his full-color works here, one or more for each subject.

As I said, he's met most of them. Some of them not; for example, there's a piece about Timothée Chalamet and Daisy Edgar-Jones, present only because he admires their talents. Humphrey Bogart shows up because Kevin got Lauren Bacall to tell him some stories about her life with Bogie.

But the best stories are the ones where Nealon recounts his own interactions with his subjects. This can get pretty funny; don't miss the yarns about Arnold Palmer or Brad Paisley. But, despite being a professional comedian, Nealon doesn't go out of his way to be funny here.

As far as the art goes, they're all recognizable. Except the portrait of Jennifer Aniston (page 161); I looked at it and said "Really? That looks more like… who is that other actress that I've seen in stuff?"

And a few hours later, I got it: Rosamund Pike! (At my age, it takes my brain a while to sort through its mental images.) Check for yourself; am I crazy?

To be fair, he did a better Jen approximation on Twitter

[Paul Sutter]

We enjoyed Kevin Nealon on Saturday Night Live from 1986 to 1995, and now we can enjoy his talents all the more in this amazing coffee table book. We knew Nealon had the talent for comedic timing, now we know that he has the talent for drawing pretty close to life-like caricatures of famous people he either knew personally or has idolized for some time.
Nealon says he first became interested in drawing at the age of eight. He never pursued drawing seriously, but when he was on Saturday Night Live, he would make sketches of fellow cast members, drawing them on the margins of the scripts he was given.
It was in 2019 that he learned how to paint on a digital tablet, which is how the portraits in the book were created. He had more time because of the early days of COVID-19, and the fact there were not as many opportunities for performing in clubs.
There are over fifty caricatures in the book, some so lifelike you would swear they were photos of the person. He also talks about his experiences with that person. Or in the case of others he has drawn but never met, he talks about his fascination with them and why.
Nealon begins with Robin Williams. When Nealon was starting out in stand-up comedy, Robin was one of the up and coming comedians. Nealon says he was sort of depressed watching Robin, because he knew he could never be that funny. They became friends but they never hung out together outside of the comedy clubs.
Nealon also presents a great sketch of Johnny Carson. He talks of doing auditions to be a guest on the Tonight Show that Carson hosted. He failed originally, but then later the segment producer of the show saw his routine, and he was booked on the show. It was a dream come true, and after his routine on the show, Carson invited him to sit on the couch and tell him about himself. Nealon says he had such a natural high of euphoria and pride. Nothing since has compared to that feeling.
Also in the book are amazing caricatures of David Letterman, Chris Farley, Christopher Walken, Steve Martin, Loren Michaels, Prince, John Travolta, Carrie Fisher, Elizabeth Taylor, Tom Petty, and dozens more. It is also the observations and experiences with many featured here that truly makes the book most special. He tells little known facts about manner of those featured in the book.
It certainly is a most exceptional creation, one that you will want to view many times because of the uncanny accuracy of Nealon's artwork.

[Macks Milner · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kevin Nealon fan here.

Nealon has always been my favorite Weekend Update guy from Saturday Night Live - above Chevy Chase, Norm Macdonald, Dennis Miller, Bill Murray, etc. Mr Subliminal and News From Another Angle are genius. Nealon also has one of my favorite stand-up specials of all-time: Now Hear Me Out.

So, when a few years ago I saw his memoir at a Barnes & Noble or whatever, I put it on my To-Read List immediately. Typically, I'm not into celebrity biographies or celebrity memoirs but I make exceptions here and there because there's something else I want out of them. For Nealon, being an SNL member for 9 years, I just wanted to hear some funny backstage SNL stories. While I appreciate Nealon doing something unusual for his memoir, I didn't find it as engaging as I hoped. Neither in Nealon's comedic writing or in substance.

Instead of writing about his life from birth to the present, like most would, or about his stint at SNL, like most would, Nealon has a collection of painted celebrity caricatures he has created over the years, so he writes about those he has painted: some of his very close friends, some people he had met only once, and some people he's never met whom he admires. Most, not all, of these are not very funny or interesting. Unfortunately.

[Mark Lieberman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This wasn’t a normal autobiography about how he grew up and got into comedy. As the title suggests, he drew portraits of fellow comedians, actors, musicians, and even Ruth Bader Ginsberg, and then proceeded to write a few pages about them and how they either mentored and influenced him or was someone that he liked.

It was a quick and easy read for me, and I enjoyed reading about Robin Williams, Norm MacDonald, Chris Farley, Chris Rock, Jim Carey, Budd Freidman, Jay Leno, David Letterman, Andy Kaufman, Lorne Michaels, Steve Martin, Garry Shandling, Eli and Peyton Manning, Arnold Palmer, Billie Eillish and Tom Petty. Besides those, there are many more people in the book.

And his portraits are really good as well. I had no clue that he has this non comedic talent.

[Nick Apuzzo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nealon and I almost had dinner...

The book is interesting AND hilarious; the referece to Martin Short 'third-wheeling' he and Steve Martin is worth the price of admission alone. Read the book, admire the art... BE THE BALL.

My personal brush with greatness? I once saw Kevin perform at the Improv in silicon valley (which was absolutely hilarious by the way), and afterward, at the PFChangs down the street, I (being a vegan), ordered something not on the menu. Kevin came waltzing in with a few people, saw my entree, pointed at it, and asked the hostess what it was... she asked me, I told her, she told him, and he said that's what he wanted too. You changed my life Kevin Nealon!! Whoa-boy!! I'll never forget it! (I get chills just in the retelling of it!)

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn't sure how much I'd like this book since despite really liking Kevin Nealon on SNL, I found his character on Weeds to be irritating and then really disliked the blood thinner commercials he did back in the late 2010's. I obviously wasn't separating the actor from the role which was my mistake.

The book which is a collection of little biographies and stories about different celebrities that Kevin has either worked with, met, or simply admires was very well written and narrated on the audiobook. They are all a perfect length and he doesn't do that typical "Look at who I know and you don't" that some of these books tend to do.

5/5 rating for me and I'm planning on listening to his other books soon.

[Thomas DeWolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

I reserved this one at the library after seeing Kevin Nealon on one of the late night talk shows. I had no idea that in addition to creating the Hans and Frans characters with Dana Carvey, Nealon is a very talented caricature artist. This book features dozens of caricatures accompanying stories of Nealon's encounters with the subjects of his art. I'm sure many of them will be quite pleased with their presence in this book. Without spoiling anything, if Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and especially Robert Plant, read the chapter about Robert Plant, they won't like this book (or Kevin Nealon) nearly as much as, for instance, Lady Gaga and Lin-Manuel Miranda will.

[Mike Kowis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This unique book is a fun read. It's not an autobiography, but reads similar to one in the sense that it shows caricatures that Kevin drew of famous people that he has met during his long career in show biz and also explains his interactions with that person. Many of the interactions were stars that he met while working on SNL for 9 seasons, so it's fun to hear some of the backstories about his time there. This is not a hilarous book, but Kevin's voice comes through clearly and his sarcastic wit is very amusing.

Bottom line: fans of Kevin Nealon and/or Saturday Night Live will definitely enjoy this book.

[Erik Prime · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of 56 caricatures of famous people created on a digital tablet by Saturday Night Live alumnus Kevin Nealon. Accompanying each work of art is the author’s impression of his subject, some that he knew personally and others whom he admired from afar. The list of people caricatured includes Humphrey Bogart, Anthony Bourdain, Johnny Carson, David Letterman, Steve Martin, Prince, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Robin Williams, as well as fellow SNL stars Dana Carvey, Chris Farley, Norm MacDonald and Chris Rock. The digital portraits themselves are hit-or-miss grotesqueries, but the text, filled with Nealon’s off-kilter brand of humor, is for the most part entertaining.

[Earla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been waiting to read Kevin’s book ever since I discovered his love of creating caricatures. It didn’t disappoint and was worth the wait. I POURED over it! Read it in two sittings. I loved his stories of his friends and those people he admires. And Kevin, If you read this ‘ode to a great book’, THANK YOU KEVIN, for such a wonderful visual story you have shared. You are someone I admire and if you ever come up to BC in 🇨🇦, I’ll take you on some lovely hikes in my part of the world with paintbrushes in our knapsacks.

[Jeff Olson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved all the little stories that Kevin added to his drawings, I most liked to one about Arnold Palmer and the commercial he made with him...make that A Kevin Nealon. Plus I thought Norm MacDonalds story was very interesting, now I want to read Norms book Based on a true story: A memoir.
Oh yeah, I still think that Kevin should've picked Barney instead of Adrian for the Chippendale dancer, darnit!!! And lastly...why didn't you draw Adam Sandler for gods sakes!!! I guesss that makes you...The Egg Head LOL

[Harold M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very gentle, very humble look into kevin nealons world as a comedy vet and as an artist. He's very gifted as a protrait maker and he tells really simple stories about famous people he's come into contact with. There's not a lot of gossip or score settling here and definitely no meanness, it's a good airplane/train ride book though it's not very deep. You'd like this if you've ever sat with someone famous and wanted them to validate your good feelings about certain people.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a collection of caricatures painted by former SNL star Kevin Nealon. I'd give him a four or five stars for the renditions, but only 3-stars for the text that accompanies each. They were very interesting if he was relating a time when he and the subject interacted. Not so many stars for the times he just rambled about something that didn't seem to have anything specifically to do with the person drawn.

[Nranger7 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've enjoyed Kevin Nealon ever since he was on SNL and really like his hiking interviews. Didn't know he sketched people until I saw him promoting this book on Conan's podcast. Decided to buy it and send it to a friend (after I read it of course) who I know also likes Kevin. I thought the art was ok and the stories were hit and miss. Some of them were just rehashed info from the hikes which was disappointing. Still had some funny stories and musings.

[James Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hey, this was pretty good.

Honestly, I skipped a handful, not being interested in the artists to any special degree, but I'm sure they were good, too. Mostly personal obversations of people he met and the times he met them, coupled with his paintings of them.

[Brian Heinz · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun little book by Mr. Nealon. A talented caricature artist, the illustrations included are done via PC Tablet. They're interspaced with his personal recollections of the important impact the subject played on his life. Mostly people he's known and worked with from his career as a stand-up comic/actor. Particularly enjoyable are his anecdotes on Hollywood legends like Carrie Fischer, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Laurn Bacall.

Mostly harmless.

[Keeko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful, full of good stories and heart. I admire the work he put into making each chapter show how much he cares about that person. It would have been easier to just share a story about each person. And that would have been enjoyable too because his stories are great. But he went the extra mile. The paintings are lovely and and fun, and also full of heart. Thanks Mr. Nealon and everyone who worked on this. It’s a gift.

[Sean · Rating 3 out of 5]

The sketches themselves were stunning. I really liked most of the anecdotes, but the background/context for each subject felt like a copy/paste of their Wikipedia pages. I would have preferred spending more time on his stories that couldn’t be learned from a million other interviews/sources. Worth reading and glad I did, but this could have benefited from being 2 books with each section roughly twice as long. Just my opinion

[Leona · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the concept of this book - caricatures with personal, humorous anecdotes. The artwork is well done but I don’t understand the method: painting with an iPad (versus typical sketching). The subjects are all easily recognizable. I viewed this in ebook format and appreciated that I could browse through it over the two week loan period.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

Barely a passing grade on this. The portraits are good, but the stories alongside them are nothing but brief biographies of well known celebrities, or stories of run-ins without much luster. I wished that Nealon would have sprinkled in a bit more of his unique comedic perspective.

MS: Jeff Daniels nearly dies when the plaster meant to create an impression of his face refuses to come off.

[Timothy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who would have known!? The caricatures are incredible. A hidden talent from a SNL alumni, stand-up comedian, and hiking enthusiasts. I saw him at a comedy club in Indianapolis before the pandemic and his act was hilarious. Don’t overlook the stories, they are interesting and funny. The practical joke played on him by the Manning brothers is worth the read.