Sub-lebrity
by
Leon Acord
GENRE:
Memoir
BLURB:
A
droll, oddly inspirational memoir from the actor Breitbart once
called "a gay leftist activist," SUB-LEBRITY by Leon Acord
(Old Dogs & New Tricks) is an honest, sometimes bitchy but always
sincere story about growing up (very) gay in rural Indiana, achieving
acting success outside the closet, and generating headlines with his
very-public smackdown with Trump-loving Susan Olsen (Cindy, The Brady
Bunch)
Excerpt:
One
of my nemeses from the jock clique, Rick Sisson, was slumming,
playing the bit part of an “Old Man” about to be poisoned by two
murderous old ladies in Arsenic & Old Lace.
As
Mortimer, I was to rush on stage, see the Old Man about to drink a
glass of poisoned elderberry wine, grab him by the jacket, and shove
him out of my crazy aunts’ house.
That
was how we’d been playing it.
For
closing night, he and his jock buddies thought of a hilarious prank.
Instead of setting his glass of fake wine on the table before I
grabbed him, he’d throw the full glass of Hawaiian Punch into my
face! It was closing night, why not? Smear the queer!
The
sizable high-school auditorium was packed with a rowdy closing-night
crowd of parents, faculty and friends, unaware they were about to
witness my humiliation.
The
moment arrived. I entered, rushed to the Old Man with the glass near
his lips, and SPLASH!
I
was stunned. Rick rushed through the door and off stage before I
could do a thing.
The
audience erupted with laughter. Erupted! And didn’t stop!
I’d
seen it on sitcoms all my short life. Actors forced to hold for a
laugh. I lived for the moments on the Carol Burnett Show when
something went wrong or when the actors tried not to laugh. And now,
I was experiencing that myself. It felt wonderful!
Rick
wanted me to feel like Carrie White. Instead, I felt like Cary
Grant.
The
two teenaged actresses playing my aunts just watched, trying not to
laugh themselves.
I
felt myself about to smile. I turned my back to the audience and
fumbled through a desk on stage, pretending to blindly look for a
handkerchief – a cover until I could wipe the now-gigantic smile
off my face. The audience found this hilarious and continued
howling.
Back
in character, I gave up at the desk and turned to face the audience
just as the laugh was softening. I instinctively yanked off my
clip-on tie and began dabbing my wet face with it.
The
audience screamed with laughter again – this time, the laughter
morphed into applause.
The
song from the Broadway musical Applause is right – it’s better
than pot, it’s better than booze. Waiting out a long laugh break,
instinctively finding ways to prolong it, riding it like a surfer on
a wave, then crashing against the shore in a loud burst of applause,
is the best feeling in the world.
I
had flirted with the idea of being an actor, among other creative
pursuits, all though childhood.
But
in this moment, I knew. I’d spend the rest of my life chasing that
feeling.
Interview
with Leon Acord
For
those interested in exploring the subject or theme of your book,
where should they start?
The
subject of SUB-LEBRITY*
is, basically, me. (laughs) Or, more broadly, about being an openly
gay actor. So, I guess, to learn more about me, they can visit my
website (www.LeonAcord.com)
or watch my series Old
Dogs & New Tricks [on
Amazon Prime].
To
learn generally about LGBTQ portrayal vis
a vis
films, read Vito Russo’s wonderful classic Celluloid
Closet.
There’s also a great book called Open
Secret
by David Ehrenstein that explores “Gay Hollywood” from 1928 to
1998. As for theatre, you can’t go wrong by starting with Acting
Gay: Male Homosexuality in Modern Drama by
John M. Clum.
If
the question is, how should people start if they want to write a
memoir? They should just start. Just start writing your stories.
Don’t worry about structure yet, or even the tone or “voice.”
Just write. Most of that stuff will become clear or fall into place
as your book comes more into focus.
How
did you become involved with the subject or theme of your book?
Well,
its basically my life story, so I guess when I became involved with
the subject on the day I was born! (Laughs) Sorry, I don’t mean to
sound like a smart ass – it just happens!
I
started thinking about writing SUB-LEBRITY* about two years
ago. Several former colleagues had written books. I thought about
writing my story, but a voice immediately shouted, “Who cares?
You’re not a famous actor!” So, I began wondering, how does one
make a “Hollywood
memoir” by a non-famous actor interesting and engaging? I love a
good challenge.
What
were your goals and intentions in this book, and how well do you
feel you achieved them?
Well,
since I’m not a famous actor, I knew the book would have to be
good, a fun read, and generate good “word of mouth,” if it were
to be seen. It had to be well-written and draw the reader in
immediately. I hope I achieved that.
I
also hope I inspire folks to follow their dreams, to realize
that success isn’t necessarily defined by dollar signs. If you’re
doing what you want, and you’re happy doing it, then you are
successful, in my book. Oh, no pun intended! So far, the feedback I
received would suggest I pulled that off.
Anything
you would like to say to your readers and fans?
Yeah,
a big fat “thank you!” SUB-LEBRITY* has already exceeded
my expectations, both in terms of sales and reader feedback. I’m
so grateful to everyone who is reading or who read my book, and for
those who shared their thoughts with me. I’m really enjoying
hearing from others about the challenges they faced while growing
up.
What
did you enjoy most about writing this book?
I’m
not much for “living in the past.” I tend to always be thinking
about what I can do next, what’s ahead, what’s the next
challenge. So, it was kind of cool to go back, and to stroll down
memory lane at a leisurely pace. Socrates said, “An unexamined
life is not worth living,” and he was right. I discovered certain
patterns in my behavior that I’d never really owned up to before.
For example, I used to have a bad habit of creating drama in
situations that contained none. At least back before I was working
consistently as an actor. Nowadays, I keep the drama on the stage.
Or now, on the page!
AUTHOR
Bio and Links:
Leon
Acord
is an award-winning actor and writer who has appeared in over 35
films you've never seen and 30 plays you've never heard of. Possible
exceptions include the digital TV series Old
Dogs & New Tricks
on Amazon Prime Video (which he created, wrote & co-produced),
and the stage hit Carved
in Stone
(in which he played Quentin Crisp in both SF and LA productions). His
memoir, SUB-LEBRITY:
The Queer Life of a Show-Biz Footnote,
is now available in paperback & e-book on Amazon. He wrote his
one-man show Last Sunday in June (1996) and co-authored the 2014 play
Setting the Record Gay. He was a "Take Five" columnist for
Back Stage West throughout 2009 and a former contributor to
Huffington Post. He has also written for San Francisco Examiner and
the journal Human Prospect. He currently lives in West LA with
husband Laurence Whiting & their cat Toby. Learn more at
www.LeonAcord.com
Giveaway:
$50 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC
Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning.
3 comments:
Thanks for hosting!
Thanks for hosting me and my book, and for the fun Q&A!!!
Great post - thanks for sharing!
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