Straight Face: The Autobiography

by Nigel Hawthorne

Very sadly, Nigel Hawthorne died on Boxing Day 2001. He had just completed his exceptional autobiography about a life which had by no means taken a straight path. His ambitions to be an actor when a young man in South Africa were strongly discouraged by his father. He came to England alone and struggled for many years to make his name -- eventually joining the Royal Court, starring in the West End, and finally having his great TV break in Yes, Minister. He also struggled with his sexuality and it was not until meeting production manager Trevor Bentham in 1977 that he finally found his life partner. A naturally private man, his media 'outing' in the run-up to the Oscar Ceremony for The Madness of King George was the source of much pain, although ultimately it became a liberation. At the peak of his career he was struck by cancer and his battle with illness forms a moving final section of the book.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Autobiography, LGBT

352 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2002

About the author

Sir Nigel Hawthorne was born in England, but moved to South Africa when only 4. He returned to England as a young man and began to make his name in such productions as Joan Littlewood's Oh What a Lovely War and Peter Nichols' Privates on Parade. His major TV breakthrough came as Sir Humphrey in Yes, Minister - then Yes, Prime Minister. He won many awards for his role as King George III in Alan Bennett's play at the National Theatre and then in the film Madness of King George. His most recent major role was as King Lear in Japan and at the RSC in l999. Since 2000 he had been battling with cancer and died on December 26, 2001.

Reviews

[Tomasz · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fairly enjoyable lecture. I especially liked the glimpse on the struggle of young aspiring theatre actors in postwar London. The author is reserved when evoking the subject of homosexuality which is probably due to the spirit of the times in which he grew up. The title sums it up.

Some readers may be disappointed that so little space was devoted to the famous televised series "Yes Minister" which gave Nigel Hawthorne's career a strong push. I think that since Hawthorne considered himself an artist he was a bit annoyed by the fact that his artistic heritage was so strongly marked by a sitcom (as brilliant as it was). He was definitely far more proud of the play and movie adaptation "Madness of King George" or even the criticised "King Lear".

There are some moments when the author shows a bit of pettiness, reminiscing about small wounds, insults and blames from the past. It also seems that he grows a bit more bitter in the end of the book when some of his final projects are not successful.

All in all "Straight Face" is an interesting book about one of great British actors.

[Barry Hammond · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nigel Hawthorne had a long and significant acting career on stage, in the movies, and on television. Whether you remember him from "The Madness Of King George", "Yes, Minister," or one of his many other roles, he was a mainstay in Britain. It wasn't always so. He grew up in South Africa and had a very circuitous path to prominence. This memoir covers his winding career in detail with all its triumphs and troubles. - BH.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Famous for his work on stage, television and film (most memorably Yes [Prime] Minister and The Madness of King George), Nigel Hawthorne’s autobiography is incredibly interesting, though it does feel a little reserved in places. It's hard to criticise that, however, when Hawthorne details his struggles with shyness and his desire for privacy.

[Michelle Zhang · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review is 100% biased.

I love Sir Humphrey, which' s why I bought the book.
Its great to learn more about an actor you are interested in and know what he had suffered and see his doing what he likes.

Like the saying" life is not always straightforward."

[Helen O'Toole · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting biography with perhaps too many details of every play, show that he was associated with being given at times almost too much attention. I think the most interesting part was his very natural reserve in discussing his homosexuality which he describes very poignantly especially what he terms " the painful years, the unhappy years" when he " was struggling in a hostile world to come to terms" with his life. His early life in South Africa is very well described as is his complicated relationship with his doctor father who sounds like an extremely controlling and bombastic person. The Epilogue written by his partner of over 22 years, Trevor Bentham, is very touching and true.

[Sambasivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazingly honest book. The travails of his life and the way Nigel bounces back every time is astonishing and inspiring to say the least. Written with great candor, some of the passages are quite cathartic. In some places they left a lump in my throat.

Phenomenal and needs to be widely read.

[Peter Burton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good read for those who remember “Yes Minister” etc.Warn,honest,affectionate and well written.

[Uday Bansal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beneath the veneer of Sir Humphrey Appleby was such a sensitive human being!

[Richard Thomas Carey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great easy going book to read about Nigel Hawthorne

[FoyaBeninax · Rating 5 out of 5]

Touching and emotional writing. Brave and candid. I love his performance in movies and TV shows as well as this book. I see a fearless and tender, loving soul in this book.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

In many ways a typical actor autobiography, Hawthorne wrote this in his final months of life before he died of cancer in 2001 aged 72. He had a very interesting path to success - working as a jobbing actor, often penniless, in London and Cape Town for two decades, bumping into all sorts of people. His personal life was unusual: a gay man when homosexuality was still illegal, he lived with a gay friend in a non sexual relationship for 25 years before finally finding true love in his 40s with his partner Trevor. He was devastated to be outed after his Oscar nomination for The Madness of King George in 1995, and he waited for the outcry and revulsion.... which never came. A very private, very English man, and not always as likeable as his characters would suggest.

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable book - especially his early life which I found very interesting. I felt the book was let down by too quickly brushing over his numerous years in the limelight in Yes Minister/Prime Minister. Whilst of course it shouldn't be the main focus of the book, it was skimmed over in a page or so. An enjoyable and interesting read however.