Making It So: A Memoir
£11.40£23.80 (-52%)
‘He writes as well as he acts, with insight, truth and passion’ – Sir Ian McKellen
‘Highly entertaining… You don’t need to be a fan of Stewart the man of stage and screen to be as beguiled by the decades of professional acting that follow’ – The Times
The long-awaited memoir from iconic, beloved actor and living legend Sir Patrick Stewart.
From his acclaimed stage triumphs to his legendary onscreen work, Sir Patrick Stewart has captivated audiences around the world and across multiple generations in a career spanning six decades with his indelible command of stage and screen.
No other British working actor enjoys such career variety, universal respect and unending popularity, as witnessed through his seminal roles – whether as Captain Jean-Luc Picard of Star Trek fame, Professor Charles Xavier of Marvel’s X-Men hit film franchise, his more than forty years as part of the Royal Shakespeare Company and in such critically lauded roles for Hamlet and The Tempest on the West End and Broadway, his unforgettable one-man show adapted from Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol, or his comedic work in American Dad!, Ted, Extras and Blunt Talk, among many others.
Now, he presents his long-awaited memoir, Making It So, a revealing portrait of a driven artist whose astonishing life – from his humble and hardscrabble beginnings in Yorkshire, to the dizzying heights of Hollywood and worldwide acclaim – proves a story as exuberant, definitive and enduring as the author himself.
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Additional information
| Publisher | First Edition (3 Oct. 2023), Gallery UK |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Hardcover | 480 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 139851294X |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1398512948 |
| Dimensions | 15.3 x 3.3 x 23.4 cm |
by Tom Roberts
Actor and bearer of the Order of the British Empire, Sir Patrick Stewart, has written a fine biography, recounting his simple, schoolboy days in Yorkshire and on to his staggering home-grown and international stage career; from his AmDram days to his many years with the Royal Shakespeare Company, encompassing everything from the Bard to Beckett, along with his remarkable film and television work, including his iconic role as Starfleet Captain Jean-Luc Picard. And it’s definitely not just for Trekkies!
‘Making It So, a Memoir,’ is such a delightful and beautifully-written account of an extraordinary thespian life, along with its sparkling anecdotes, that the best advice anyone can give potential readers is to just to grab a copy and immerse themselves in it. Like a super-glued ornament, it’s almost impossible to put down! For it’s a fascinating, funny, surprising and astonishingly honest account of a childhood passion that grew to almost legendary status – and from the mind of an exceptionally talented man, prepared to take chances in pursuit if his acting dreams, often against cautious advice.
Taking into account his ‘humble’ beginnings, the young Patrick’s friends and associates could never have imagined the heights this ‘ordinary’ fellow from the West Riding of Yorkshire would reach, and the pleasure he would give to millions. Yet it was his determination, chance encounters, luck and damned hard work that found him touring the world with the RSC, becoming part of a wide range of theatrical events in numerous venues world-wide, and taking leading roles in celebrated film and TV sci-fi franchises X-Men, the seven series of Star Trek: The Next Generation and Picard’s three epic seasons.
Before and after came his television appearance in the renowned I, Claudius, stage plays such as Waiting For Godot and What Became of Virginia Woofe, films as far removed as fantasy heavyweight Dune and AIDs comedy-drama Jeffrey, his lockdown readings of the Shakespeare sonnets (an internet triumph), his lauded one-man stage show A Christmas Carol – and, of course, his many honours, including his Hollywood Walk of Fame star in 1996, his OBE in 2001 and his Knighthood in 2010 from HM The Queen.
The book is written with a considered eye and a great sense of humour – even much self-deprecation at times – and there are more choice anecdotes than you could shake a phaser at. Treat yourself!
by Pete
I am not a huge reader of books, perhaps I should be but when I saw Sir Patrick Stewart was releasing his memoir, I had to buy it. I think it’s the first book I’ve read since leaving school. I have been a huge fan of his for years, my early memories watching Star Trek The Next Gen, the movies and Star Trek Picard more recently (which I must finish btw) so to read about an individual I have personally admired on screen for years, was like red rag to a bull.
I am slowly working my way through it as I only read for small amounts in the evenings, just started Chapter Three but so far it’s been excellent, an amazing insight to a person who has graced both screen and stage for over 70years. I think for a fan of Sir Patrick Stewarts, you will love it. Maybe not so if you’re buying generically, I don’t know. I just personally think it helps you to enjoy things more if you have an interest in whatever it is your doing. In this case, reading this book. I know I could personally go on where Sir Patrick Stewart is concerned. It’s a shame but i’m 42 on the 21/10/2023 and I know he is in London with regards to his book. Sadly it was sold out by the time I realised but hey ho. Marina Sirtis is in Cardiff at a Comic Con so maybe i’ll go see her for signing of something else I have managed to collect over the years.
In any case, I would highly recommend it. It’s a touching tribute to a man who I hope can still grace our screens and stage for many more years to come. I don’t think I shall watch the shows and films with the same view I had previously and that’s not a bad thing. Makes me realise that life is what you make it and what a life Sir Patrick Stewart has had. I’ve worked that out so far and i’m just over 10% of the way through the book.
A must have and read for any Sir Patrick Stewart fan in my opinion whether that’s with regards to stage performances, screen or both. Just brilliant!