Movie Dad: Finding Myself and My Family, On Screen and Off

by Paul Dooley

Beloved character actor Paul Dooley started his career by entertaining his family in the house his father built. Already in love with comedy and movies as a little boy, he knew he wanted to be on the big screen. Today, he is an instantly recognizable "household face" best known for his roles as the father in films such as Sixteen Candles, Breaking Away, and Runaway Bride. With over sixty-five years as an actor and countless movies, TV shows, advertisements, and stage performances to his name, Dooley describes the hilarious and sometimes heartbreaking life behind the man on screen.



In Movie Dad, Dooley reveals that before he played father to Hollywood stars like Julia Roberts, Molly Ringwald, Toni Collete, and Mia Farrow, his personal life included a painful episode involving his wife and children. Overcoming the shock of the traumatic event, he found fresh success as a movie actor, especially playing fathers.



Brimming with show-business anecdotes, Movie Dad is a warmly remembered account of a life well-lived, told with wry irony but suffused with an uncommon sincerity and tenderness.

285 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 15, 2022

Reviews

[Mary Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure what to say about this book which I was really looking forward to. I really have enjoyed many Paul Dooley performances, esp. Breaking away. And he has had many really remarkable professional experiences including helping to create The Electric Company. He has worked with other really remarkable performers. All pretty not necessarily to be expected given his rather poor West Virginia childhood (though his parents were remarkable in their own ways).
I'm not thrilled with his writing style which seems fairly primitive especially considering his many years of professional writing.
And the part of his life which is truly traumatic (SPOILER ALERT!!!!), the disappearance of his children orchestrated by his ex-wife, remains for the reader totally inexplicable. I don't believe we are owed this story and he protects his children in this hole in the tale; I admire him for that. But it is rather frustrating. I deal with this because, as I stated before, my curiosity is not the primary interest of anyone. All those people, parents and children, have suffered greatly.

[Tom Godfrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I never read autobiographies, but I read this one because it's Paul Dooley, a wonderful character actor and improvisor whose work has entertained me greatly for years. I suspect that watching him doing his thing is better than reading about him doing his thing. I don't know any actor who can be both so comedic and so
dramatic at the same time as he, but on the page his natural sparkle and wry reactions are absent. Perhaps the fault is mine.

The running theme here is being a dad, where in the movies he's been utterly charming, but in real life he's had a rough go of it. His own father was incapable of communicating affection, he and his first wife lost their baby, his second wife left him with no explanation and took their kids with her, and he went years without seeing them. In the end he and his much-younger 3rd wife had a child, at which point he could finally rid himself of his fears of never succeeding as a father.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

There aren't enough words to thank this writer, creator, comedian, and actor. I'm grateful Paul shared his life with us in the beautifully crafted book. I could not put it down. Thank you, Sir, for the joy you brought into our lives. For finding your craft and your tribe and yourself!

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Light, fun review of his career as actor, and how his roles has a father touched his fans.

[Jack McMillan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paul Dooley has lived a long and prolific life. Although the book is under 300 pages, you feel a sense of time and how the world changed around him. Even though I understood most of the culture references in his book(from Buster Keaton to Jack Parr), he kindly explains and contextualizes these aspects for the reader, which helps get them into the mindset of the era he is talking about.
The book is littered with sharp quips (I honestly could have just read a list of quips for 300 pages and been satisfied), but has a real heart to it all. I feel this is an essential read for those interested in actors or acting because it is a portrait of an actor. Not a star, but an actor. There is an underlying struggle to each success, whether that means moving to a new location or not seeing your family for a while. The desire to act is one that requires sacrifices and Dooley conveys this throughout the entire text. It makes me admire the amazing career he has and appreciate his devotion to his craft.
I can honestly say I look forward to reading it again.