My West Side Story: A Memoir

by George Chakiris, Lindsay Harrison (Primary Contributor)

George Chakiris famously played the angry gang leader Bernardo in the film version of West Side Story (1961), for which he won an Oscar for best supporting actor. My West Side Story is an insider’s look at how this theatrical and cinematic landmark evolved from a conversation in Jerome Robbins' Manhattan apartment between him, Arthur Laurents, and Leonard Bernstein to ten Oscars, three Golden Globes, two Tony Awards, and a Grammy. While also a memoir of Chakiris’s long and distinguished career, the emphasis is on West Side Story. Here are profiles of the film’s stars and directors, from the “wonderful” Natalie Wood and “lovely” Richard Beymer, to the mercurial Jerome Robbins and “passionate” Rita Moreno, with whom Chakiris remains friends. “I know exactly where my gratitude belongs,” Chakiris writes, “and I still marvel at how, unbeknownst to me at the time, the joyful path of my life was paved one night in 1949 when Jerome Robbins sat Leonard Bernstein and Arthur Laurents down in his apartment and announced, ‘I have an idea.’"

Genres: Memoir, Audiobook, Nonfiction, Biography, Music, Theatre

232 pages, Paperback

Published March 15, 2023

Reviews

[Geoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went into this expecting much more time spent on West Side Story, and it ended up being a relatively conventional career memoir. But Chakiris had a really interesting career on stage and screen (I especially liked how he talked about his experiences filming in European cinema in the 60s and 70s), and his regrets, cautions, and celebrations of his friends and collaborators were fun to read.

[Arthur · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not one to usually read a memoir about an actor. I'm fairly indifferent with regard to typical celebrities. But the unabridged audiobook was only 5 and a half hours long and West Side Story is my second favorite musical (to be honest I only like two musicals, the other being Les Mis). So I remember seeing the author in that movie and in Kings of the Sun, and figured he was probably in other movies as well- but the background of West Side Story is what drew me in.

This is akin to what I suspect of a actor autobiography- saying a lot of nice things about other actors and related staff, and very few negative things (mostly reserved for a former agent and even then, nice put downs). I'm guessing it's biographers that tend to really show the ugly side of both the person whose life they're narrating, and those they interacted with.
That being said this does come across as an honest self assessment. George does list incidents where he didn't study a script carefully enough, or forgot lines, and the like. He reminisces of missed opportunities such as when he was too shy to ask a youthful Elizabeth Taylor for a dance, and was likewise too shy to ask Brigitte Bardot as well (I'm not sure who that is or if I spelled her name correctly). I felt satisfied with my new knowledge about West Side Story (which was almost East Side Story).

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting bio, worth reading

[Kyla · Rating 4 out of 5]

“No matter how dark the moment, love and hope are always possible.”

My West Side Story, is both a memoir of George Chakiris (the actor who played Bernardo in the 1961 West Side Story film) and a chronicle of the history surrounding the West Side Story legacy. The book follows the entirety of George’s life - before, during and after the film that ultimately earned him an Oscar and a prosperous career. George also uses the book as an opportunity to relay the rich history surrounding the tale that eventually went on to become a true classic.

This memoir is both a film and theater buff’s dream. George had such an amazing career, both on the stage and on camera, so it’s no surprise that he had a treasure trove of stories to tell.

I listened to this on audiobook and had such a fun time with it! The book just flew by and I really enjoyed George Newbern’s narration.

What I Loved:
✨All the Anecdotes from George’s Career - George worked with so many Hollywood greats throughout his time in the entertainment world - from Judy Garland to Rita Moreno (and the list goes on) - that he accrued many fascinating stories to share.

✨All the Theater References - George’s resume is chock-full of theater and his repertoire of songs contains numerous timeless theater standards. My theater loving heart was beyond content with all the theatrical name dropping.❤️

✨Learning All Things West Side Story - I loved hearing about the show’s history and about the making of the film! George had such a vast wealth of knowledge on the topic!

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and believe that any entertainment junkie would have a ball reading it! It’s packed full of show biz trivia and history, while also containing the story of a boy who fell in love with the movies and made it his goal to one day be a part of them.

A definite must read for anyone who loves all things theater and film! Know that you will 💯 want to rewatch West Side Story the second you finish this book. 😉

Thank you to @netgalley and @highbridgeaudio for the ARC!

[Delaney · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received an advanced copy of the audiobook from NetGalley and HighBridge Audio in exchange for an honest review.

I have to say, requesting this was a bit impulsive of me. I have fairly mixed feelings about West Side Story, and I can't say I'm really familiar with George Chakiris's work outside of West Side Story, so after it got approved I was kind of like, "why did I do that?"

However, I am an optimist, and I was definitely interested in getting some sort of behind-the-scenes look at the making of the famous movie musical.

Unfortunately, I can't say I found the content to be incredibly interesting. The first couple chapters were pretty good. And I did find the West Side Story bits of it somewhat interesting, but it really didn't capture my attention. And after that it mostly was just him choosing different points in his career to tell stories about and name drop a ton of people. I mean, I don't think that he was trying to name drop for the sake of it, but a lot of it was him just talking about how fantastic all the different people he had worked with were. "She's an incredibly generous and smart and beautiful woman," etc. (that's not a direct quote, I'm paraphrasing, but I felt like that's what he said about almost everyone.) There wasn't any sort of solid thread through the memoir, other than a chronological one. I have no idea why he chose to tell the stories he did, because, once again, they all kind of sounded the same.

To boil it down: there's nothing here that makes this particular memoir any different from any other classic hollywood celebrity memoir. The voice and point of view don't stand out enough in terms of originality. The stories don't bring anything particularly powerful or new to the table. It's just kind of bland.

In addition to this, I can't say I really enjoyed the audiobook experience. The narration wasn't great; it often had odd pauses and inflections.

Even with all this, the thing that disappointed me the most was that I did come in looking for something else. I was kind of hoping that Chakiris would acknowledge the fact that he had played a Puerto Rican man when he is not Puerto Rican or even Latino. Obviously this was a common practice in the fifties, but I was kind of waiting for him to say something like, "This was common practice back in the day, but I now acknowledge that it was harmful to have white actors playing non-white characters. It's shameful that there's only one actual latinx actor in the entire movie." You know? Like I just kept waiting for him to acknowledge how harmful it can be to have white writers and producers and actors telling stories that aren't actually theirs, without any input from the people they are supposedly representing. Especially since Rita Moreno has been fairly open about her own negative experiences on set, and the racism she experienced. So the lack of anything was noticeable and deafening.

So, yeah, 2 stars.

[Poptart19 (the name’s ren) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars

A light, entertaining show biz memoir from an actor & dancer with a varied & interesting career. Well written, smooth, & enjoyable. I recommend this if you’re a WSS fan, or interested in behind-the-scenes stories about the 50’s-60’s Hollywood acting & dancing world.

[What I liked:]

•Chakiris narrates the intro, which is a nice touch. The rest of the narration was fine. I had no issues with it.

•The tone is light, not heavy on drama or personal tragedy. The writing is smooth & doesn’t drag. Chakiris is respectful of his colleagues, & even when relating negative work experiences he gives the benefit of the doubt to those involved.

•Chakiris had a very interesting career, starting as a chorus dancer in golden era musical films with stars like Gene Kelly & Judy Garland, & choreographers like Robert Alton & Jack Cole. I’m a dancer, so I love hearing stories like those. I also enjoyed hearing about his stage & later (straight acting) film career. He worked in a variety of entertainment jobs with a lot of cool people.


[What I didn’t like as much:]

•Chakiris never addresses the aspect of his career where he played characters of other ethnicities. He played a Latino character in WSS. He also was in a costume drama about the Mayans, where he played a Native American character. He doesn’t say whether or not he was in brown face for the role, but he recounts Yul Brynner’s being coated in thick body makeup to darken his fair complexion as an amusing anecdote. Literal brown face, no comment on how that’s not okay.

•I get why this is marketed as a “West Side Story” memoir since it’s probably Chakiris’ best known role, but while he does spend time on his film role & earlier stage role in the London production the majority of the book is about his other career pursuits. Equally as interesting, but it’s honestly not a WSS-focused memoir like I was expecting based on the title & cover.

CW: brown face/racism

[I received an ARC ebook copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Thank you for the book!]

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I met George Chakiris when he signed this book for me, and he seemed like a truly nice person. This book reinforces that impression. An interesting and enjoyable read by and about a humble and very talented man. And, despite the title, it is not about JUST WSS but covers his entire life and career.

I was impressed that I found no typos or misspellings of other celebs' names until, alas, two mentions of Roddy McDowall. I am a huge fan of Roddy's, and I cringe every time I see his last name spelled with an E. If only Chakiris had allowed me to proofread his book before publication. :)

P.S. Twice, early on, he mentions having been born in 1932. But a couple of chapters later, he is 25 in 1959. Wiki says he was born in 1934. Hmm...

[Christa]

Read just prior the the 2021 remake of West Side Story was released. I didn't know much about the actor outside of his WSS performance.

[Elisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been a fan of West Side Story ever since I can remember. My parents went to the theatre to see the movie when it came out, over and over so many times that they lost count. George Chakiris may not be a household name, but he is well known in my house and my sister’s kids have known the lyrics to all the songs before they learned to speak English. That said, how could I not adore Nardo’s memoir? He is such a charming person! Listening to the audiobook is like chatting with him in his living room. Following an adage that autobiographies should start with chapter 2, he doesn’t spend much time on his childhood. Just enough to show how committed and passionate he’s always been to music. He goes through his first steps as a newbie in Hollywood. Since this is classic Hollywood that he’s talking about, Chakiris was around the biggest legends: Judy Garland, James Dean, Marilyn Monroe and so many other stars that every anecdote is covered in stardust. There is obviously a big part devoted to West Side Story, full or trivia that had me calling my parents to tell them what I had learned. Chakiris was involved in the theatrical production and then the greatest film of all time. There is his recollection of the ceremony where he won his Oscar as Best Supporting Actor. After he ended his run, he kept working in theatre and TV. He is humble and relatable and sounds so much like a fanboy that it’s easy to forget that he’s a legend in his own right. Lastly, it’s refreshing not to have any political commentary. Remember when Hollywood was there to just entertain and make us dream? I now must stop my review to watch the Quintet, one of my favorite pieces of art ever created and in which Chakiris plays a big part. Thank you, George, for sharing your story with us!
I chose to listen to this audiobook and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/ HighBridge Audio!

[Jude al-Ghazal Stone · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book started better than it ended. At first, Chakiris tells his own story alongside the development of West Side Story, which is interesting. But the last 2/3 of the book are just a chronological recount of the famous people he worked with, all of whom he describes as "beautiful, charming, and a good friend to this day." He doesn't discuss any substantive negative experiences in his life with rare exception, glossing over things like his drug addiction or financial hardships with his manager that would have made this memoir much richer. He paints his life as a two-dimensional glamor show; there was nothing I could even remotely relate to, because based on his account, he never tired of work or experienced any significant periods of doubt, stress, etc. Instead, this book basically devolves into a CV, and Chakiris just writes about how every professional gig he got was incredible and life-changing and is a "cherished memory to this day." In short, it was fun to hear about the path of an acclaimed theatre career, but it felt extremely repetitive and offered no meaningful substance. Also: I realize he's from an earlier generation, but there were several places where his privilege as a White man became uncomfortably apparent in this book, especially regarding some of the roles he took on and how he discusses them (although he opted to ignore the fact that he played a Latino immigrant in his award-winning role from West Side Story altogether). Disappointing, to say the least.

[bluerose · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a huge fan of West Side Story both onstage (if done well--no thank you most recent revival on Broadway; also the less said about the recent Guthrie production the better--glad my tickets were free) and the glorious film version who desperately hopes the upcoming new film version will not be terrible...I enjoyed this.

Not least because George Chakiris also has his doubts about the new film. He states them respectfully, but I suspect we are of one mind.

I won't try to recap his amazing career, but West Side Story, while being what he is best known for, is far from his only notable credit. I appreciate how he speaks honestly about the very famous people he worked with (Marilyn Monroe, Rosemary Clooney, etc.) without being negative. Well, except for maybe Hal Prince. And that alone makes this worth reading. (While we're on the subject--he toured in Company playing Bobby alongside Elaine Stritch?! How did I not know this?!)

Two more points that floored me: he played Riff onstage before and after making the film and actually wanted that part instead of Bernardo?! What?!

Also: he gave a lousy audition for Seven Brides For Seven Brothers because he had zero interest in being in the movie?! Again, what?!

All in all, a very good read. Now please excuse me while I go find a copy of The Young Girls of Rochefort.

[Gary Shapiro · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun professional memoir. You will not learn anything about the personal life of the Academy Award winning actor, but you will hear great stories about his life on stage and the big and small screen.

[Jonas Schwartz-Owen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a Dickensian life but he tells his story like he’s your companion at a sparkling dinner party.

[Mediaman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not much of a memoir, just Chakiris going through his list of credits with a few dull stories tossed in. It contains absolutely nothing about his personal life--he never mentions dating, sex, drugs, or any of the normal things in a Hollywood memoir. There are photos but at one point he changes his look so dramatically that it makes you wonder about his health and his sexuality.

He claims at the start of the book that this is supposed to be about the history of West Side Story but that only makes up a small part of the book. The rest of his movie, TV, and theater appearances that he mentions are nothing special. He actually proves to have bad judgment in deciding which projects to take. He made a crucial mistake in choosing a manager to whom he gave power of attorney and a business manager who he didn't keep accountable, so he got royally screwed in some deals. But he seems to not care about it and didn't let these horrible people go, which makes no sense.

After he becomes famous he suddenly is embraced by the very rich and becomes an escort for famous men's wives. Why would someone like notoriously jealous Frank Sinatra be comfortable allowing Chakiris to befriend Mrs. Sinatra? Even though it's usually business related this is the only hint at what might by his private life and raises more questions than provides answers.

By the end of the book he seems delusional about his career choices and those he surrounded himself with. After the Oscar win he never really did anything that came close professionally and he lost a lot of jobs and money due to his support crew that he refused to let go. Instead of using the book to discuss his self-aware mistakes or sharing his private life he uses it to overpraise and thank almost everyone he worked with or met. It's kind of embarrassing. He had some good talent and was in one of the greatest movies ever, but this book seems like kids stuff, not a true adult memoir.

[Anita Nother Book · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a memoir by one of the actors in the original West Side Story movie. He won an Academy Award for his performance. He had also been in a London theater production of the show, which is what helped him get chosen for the movie. Despite the title, it's mostly not about West Side Story. It's mostly about the author's life. I found some parts to be a little boring but that's probably because I hadn't heard of this actor and was only reading this book for the West Side Story connection.

At times I thought he was a bit full of himself, but he IS an actor. Most of the time, I liked him and I thought the narration of the audiobook was very good. He spent a lot of time name-dropping, and it was interesting to read about some behind the scenes stuff, both when it came to West Side Story, as well as other movies. I didn't know some of the actors he mentioned but some of the ones I enjoyed hearing about were Marilyn Monroe, Charlton Heston, Mia Farrow, and of course, Rita Moreno.

There were times when he directly thanked actors and other people, and I found that annoying. He dished some dirt on some people, including those he had gotten into legal disputes or other kind of disagreements with, including his long-term manager who did him dirty but he kept staying with her anyway. That part made me doubt his intelligence but at least he was honest and didn't seem to be trying to sugar coat things.

I liked learning about the history of West Side Story and wished there would have been more of that. Overall I'm glad I read this book and I would recommend it to anyone interested in West Side Story, or the theater, movies or celebrity life in general. 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I realized that George Chakiris née Bernardo from West Side Story wrote an autobiography My West Side Story, I had to read it! This was newly published and frankly I can’t believe it took him this long to share his memories of making one of the best musicals movies of all times! I absolutely loved reading the stories from this memorable musical.

The writing style and tone made it feel like he was just sitting on the couch casually chatting about his career in Hollywood. I appreciated that he shared so many personal stories and his feelings about his life. He told the perfect amount of stories about each each significant movie, celebrity, and his experiences. I especially liked hearing about his role as a background dancer in two iconic numbers: Marilyn Monroe’s Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friends from Gentleman Prefer Blondes, and Rosemary Clooney’s Love You Didn’t Do Right By Me from one of my favorite Christmas movies, White Christmas.

The stories that he recalled about the making of West Side Story were obviously my favorite part of the book. I was surprised to learn that he played Riff in London’s West End production of the musical. I loved hearing about the off screen rivalry between the actors playing the Jets and the Sharks. It is always so interesting to hear how the actors impact the movie, such as the inclusion of the black bands the Sharks wear. He came across as a working actor who put a lot of time and effort into the success of his career. He never came off as entitled but actually seemed continually grateful for what he achieved. If you are a fan of West Side Story or George you would live this!

[Judith McGee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was very pleased to hear that George Chakiris had written a memoir. His career has taken many twists and turns along the way - being a member of a close-knit Greek-American family, serving as a chorus dancer in motion pictures in the early to mid-1950s, transitioning to Broadway, then returning to motion pictures (winning a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award for his performance in "West Side Story", doing a tour of the Sondheim musical "Company" and working in Europe, notably in the U.K.

His anecdotes about working with celebrated choreographers Jerome Robbins, Robert Alton and Jack Cole are quite fascinating, as are his thoughts on what it is to be a dancer. This is valuable as he was an exceptional dancer (thank goodness for motion pictures).

His reflections on the many people that he has worked with professionally and known personally are great. Mr. Chakiris does not neglect the down side of working with people in show business including one or two who did not work in his favor.

The book is I believe 190 pages long and includes photographs from Mr. Chakiris' own collection.

Recommended.

[Nikki · Rating 3 out of 5]

My West Side Story: A Memoir by George Chakiris
Narrated by George Chakiris; George Newbern
Publisher: HighBridge Audio
Genre: Biographies & Memoirs | Entertainment | Nonfiction (Adult)
Release Date: March 2, 2021

My West Side Story: A Memoir by George Chakiris is a memoir, recounting Mr. Chakiris's of his life and Hollywood experience.

As a huge fan of West Side Story, I was so excited to read this!

Overall, I found this to be an interesting collection of stories from Mr. Chakiris and his experience with Hollywood royalty of his time.

I'm so grateful to George Chakiris, HighBridge Audio, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review.

[Sara Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I flew through My West Side Story by George Chakiris. It was an interesting listen about the life and career of Chakiris along with all sorts of history about West Side Story.

I loved and appreciated Chakiris's positive attitude about his career and life.

All of the little stories about different celebrities during the Golden Age of Hollywood were just incredible.

The narrations by George Chakiris and George Newbern were great. I thought Newbern's energy helped keep me engaged the entire book.

If you love theatre and classic movies I highly recommend My West Side Story.

I received an advanced audiobook from HighBridge Audio through NetGalley. All opinions are 100% my own.

[LeAnna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love 'West Side Story' -- the theater version & the original film. Chakiris's unique insights into performing both in the live London production and the film (in two different roles!) was incredibly interesting, as well as his incredible resume and admirable co-stars. But unlike what the title of this book suggests, the bulk of the book revolves around impressive co-stars he temporarily knew and what seems like a personal grudge against a former agent/manager who has since passed away which felt....awkward and odd. It definitely detracted for me from enjoying the rest of the book. Buyer Beware: 'West Side Story' itself is only a handful of chapters.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fast, easy read. There are lots of behind-the-scenes vignettes about the different movies he has made and a lot about his friends but not a whole lot about his personal life. He states often that he was and is very shy and that is evident in the way he holds back. I still liked it though and learned little snippets of new things I knew nothing about regarding different Hollywood people. I had no idea he was in the group of dancers with Marilyn when she danced and sang "Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend!"

[Janice · Rating 4 out of 5]

I saw West Side Story when it first came out and fell in love with George Chakiris. His performance was magnificent. He starred in a few movies and then seemed to disappear. This book answered my question- whatever happened to George Chakiris? It seems he had a long and rich career on the stage, television and the movies both before and after West Side Story. This book is about his career and also stories about the people he met. I wish he had talked a little bit about his personal life . That would be my only criticism of the book

[Leah Agirlandaboy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is much more than a wonderful tribute to “West Side Story” and all its creators (the title and timing of the book is 100 percent marketing), but it is that too. Mostly, though, it’s a fantastic industry memoir (I had no idea how many movies and plays Chakiris was in, and how many gigantic stars he was connected to), and he seems like a thoroughly lovely, gracious, emotionally generous man, who is humbled and grateful to have lived such a full, accomplished life and made so many friends and fans. I am charmed. (The audio narrator is not Chakiris but is a perfect fit.)

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chakiris weaves an enlightening biography in with the history of West Side Story, along with plenty of who's who name-dropping. George Newbern's narration certainly doesn't hurt either. (e-audiobook through NetGalley)

[TJ Hoban · Rating 4 out of 5]

George is extraordinary and a triple threat! Very direct storytelling and easy to follow, sympathize and admire. What a journey he has been on and still looks terrific today! Actually a very humble way of storytelling and not showy in any form. If you love west side story, def read this!

[Jesse · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would have loved more anecdotes about the actual filming of the movie, but overall, the author doesn't disappoint. Well written.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting but nothing to write home about. The best parts were about West Side Story, which was only in the early chapters.

[Rose 'I Have Too Many Books To Read And No More Room' Barrientos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well written novel, I really enjoyed this.

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very nice memoir, very pleasant. It isn’t juicy in any way, but it still is reasonably engaging.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

For a book with a title seemingly about West Side Story, there want much time devoted to West Side Story!

That part interested me but I felt indifferently about the rest.