Playing Under the Piano: From Downton to Darkest Peru by Hugh Bonneville
– 400 pages
Finished copy from Other Press for an honest review.
Book Blurb:
Hugh Bonneville is one of Britain’s most accomplished actors, familiar to audiences worldwide for his roles in Notting Hill, the Paddington films and Downton Abbey. From getting his big break as Third Shepherd in the school nativity play, to mistaking a Hollywood star for an estate agent, Hugh creates a brilliantly vivid picture of a career on stage and screen. What is it like working with Judi Dench and Julia Roberts, or playing Robert de Niro’s right leg, or not being Gary Oldman, twice? A wickedly funny storyteller, Hugh also writes with poignancy about his father’s dementia and of his mother, whose life in the secret service only emerged after her death. Whether telling stories of working with divas, Dames or a bear with a penchant for marmalade, this is a richly entertaining account of his life as an actor.
My Review: 4.5 stars
Playing Under the Piano by Hugh Bonneville was a humorous, entertaining and touching memoir that I enjoyed reading and listening to. I was fortunate to get a copy from the publisher to read and also borrowed an audio copy from my library. I like audio books a lot, but I love when I listen to a memoir that is narrated by the author. It truly feels like this celebrity is telling me his or her life story. Having the combo of both made this an absolute joy!
There is no shortage of celebrities within the memoir genre. I’ve realized that the celebrity memoirs I’ve read in the past are by someone I know well and want to know even better. For example, Born a Crime by Trevor Noah or Will by Will Smith. I’m not overly familiar with Bonneville but loved his character in Downtown Abbey enough to want to know more about him. Honestly, he has a beatific voice. Until I listened to the book, I didn’t realize in was Bonneville in Paddington and Notting Hill.
What makes a memoir special is when the author gets vulnerable with his or her readers. In this one, Bonneville excels at that. He’s often self-depreciating and other times just brutally honest. His descriptions of watching his parents age and suffer from dementia is heartbreaking. But the book is also full of witty stories, humor and overall zest for life. Fans of his will love this one!
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