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I Don't Know What You Know Me From: Confessions of a Co-Star
You know Judy Greer, right? Maybe from The Wedding Planner, 13 Going on 30, Carrie, Arrested Development, or The Descendants. Yes, you totally recognize her. And, odds are, you already feel like she’s your friend.
In her first book of essays, I Don’t Know What You Know Me From, Greer writes about everything you would hope to hear from your best friend: how a midnight shopping trip to Walgreens can cure all; what it’s like to wake up one day with stepchildren; and how she really feels about fans telling her that she’s prettier in person. Yes, it’s all here—from the hilarious moments to the intimate confessions.
But Judy Greer isn’t just a regular friend—she’s a celebrity friend. Want to know which celebs she’s peed next to? Or what the Academy Awards are actually like? Or which hot actor gave her father a Harley-Davidson? Don’t worry; Greer reveals all of that, too. You’ll love her because, besides being laugh-out-loud funny, she makes us genuinely feel like she’s one of us. Because even though she sometimes has a stylist and a makeup artist, she still wears (and hates!) Spanx. Because even after almost twenty years in Hollywood, she still hasn’t figured everything out—except that you should always wash your face before bed. Always.
In her first book of essays, I Don’t Know What You Know Me From, Greer writes about everything you would hope to hear from your best friend: how a midnight shopping trip to Walgreens can cure all; what it’s like to wake up one day with stepchildren; and how she really feels about fans telling her that she’s prettier in person. Yes, it’s all here—from the hilarious moments to the intimate confessions.
But Judy Greer isn’t just a regular friend—she’s a celebrity friend. Want to know which celebs she’s peed next to? Or what the Academy Awards are actually like? Or which hot actor gave her father a Harley-Davidson? Don’t worry; Greer reveals all of that, too. You’ll love her because, besides being laugh-out-loud funny, she makes us genuinely feel like she’s one of us. Because even though she sometimes has a stylist and a makeup artist, she still wears (and hates!) Spanx. Because even after almost twenty years in Hollywood, she still hasn’t figured everything out—except that you should always wash your face before bed. Always.
235 pages, Hardcover
First published April 8, 2014
224 people are currently reading
10052 people want to read
About the author
Judy Greer
8 books61 followersJudy Greer is an American actress with an extremely wide range of films and television projects under her belt. She is probably best known by fans of Arrested Development as Kitty and in films such as 13 Going on 30 (in some countries Suddenly 30) as the awkward best friend of Jennifer Garner's character Jenna.
Some of Judy's other film and Television credits include: 27 Dresses, 2 and a Half Men, How I Met Your Mother and Jeff who lives at Home. To fans of the show Archer, Judy is known for her voice role as Cheryl.
Judy's most current film project is Kimberly Peirce's adaptation of Stephen King's Carrie as the kind gym teacher, Miss Desjardin who tries to stop Carrie's bullies.
In July 2014, Judy will be seen as the chimpanzee Cornelia, the wife and queen of ape king Caesar played by her Suddenly 30 co-star Andy Serkis.
Judy has two other projects coming out in 2015 including Tomorrowland and Disney/Pixar's The Good Dinosaur.
Some of Judy's other film and Television credits include: 27 Dresses, 2 and a Half Men, How I Met Your Mother and Jeff who lives at Home. To fans of the show Archer, Judy is known for her voice role as Cheryl.
Judy's most current film project is Kimberly Peirce's adaptation of Stephen King's Carrie as the kind gym teacher, Miss Desjardin who tries to stop Carrie's bullies.
In July 2014, Judy will be seen as the chimpanzee Cornelia, the wife and queen of ape king Caesar played by her Suddenly 30 co-star Andy Serkis.
Judy has two other projects coming out in 2015 including Tomorrowland and Disney/Pixar's The Good Dinosaur.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,110 reviews
October 13, 2015
After reading this book, I agree that Judy Greer would make a great best friend. She is sweet, charming and funny. She has played the best-friend character in several movies, including The Wedding Planner, 13 Going on 30, and 27 Dresses, and she understands the importance of this role:
In real life, people often approach Judy and ask what they know her from. Judy has been in so many movies and TV shows that she tries to help (Do you like indie films or blockbusters?) but often, the person doesn't remember where they saw her. And Judy is OK with that.
I listened to this book on audio, which was enjoyable. I checked it out because I've been on a Hollywood memoir kick lately and this seemed like a fun one. I've enjoyed Judy's performances -- my favorite is her character on Arrested Development -- and she has some good stories about how she got her start in acting, what it's really like to work in Hollywood and go to award shows, and how she balances family life with her career. In short, it's like having a long chat with a good friend, except she's got some fun stories about Ashton Kutcher and Jennifer Lopez.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys celebrity memoirs, or those who want to make a new best friend.
Here's my theory: movie studios know that the star of the movie is someone no one can really identify with because we know too much about her — she's too beautiful, she's too rich — but once you give that gorgeous A-lister a blue-collar bestie, she suddenly becomes more relatable. Because the real secret is that the best friend is you! If that actress can be best friends with Julia Roberts/Jennifer Aniston/Cameron Diaz/Jennifer Garner, than so can you! Yes, we all want to be the star, we want to be the girl who gets the guy in the end, but the more realistic scenario is that we could maybe, actually be that person's best friend.
In real life, people often approach Judy and ask what they know her from. Judy has been in so many movies and TV shows that she tries to help (Do you like indie films or blockbusters?) but often, the person doesn't remember where they saw her. And Judy is OK with that.
You've heard the phrase, "There are no small roles, just small actors"? Well, I kind of disagree. There are small roles, but when you get a lot of them in a row, you can become a pretty successful actress, and that's what I've done. At least for now, I'm not saying I don't want bigger roles. I'm not that self-satisfied. And who knows how much longer I'll keep getting jobs. I don't have a crystal ball, and even if I did, I'd probably drop it by accident.
I listened to this book on audio, which was enjoyable. I checked it out because I've been on a Hollywood memoir kick lately and this seemed like a fun one. I've enjoyed Judy's performances -- my favorite is her character on Arrested Development -- and she has some good stories about how she got her start in acting, what it's really like to work in Hollywood and go to award shows, and how she balances family life with her career. In short, it's like having a long chat with a good friend, except she's got some fun stories about Ashton Kutcher and Jennifer Lopez.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys celebrity memoirs, or those who want to make a new best friend.
March 18, 2014
Find all of my reviews at:
ARC received from NetGalley. Thank you NetGalley!!!
2.5 Stars
Right now someone might be reading this, asking “Judy Greer, she looks so familiar. Where do I know her from?????”
Maybe you watched her blossom from a Fern into a Violet . . .
or maybe you recognize her from one of her many best friend roles . . .
there’s a chance you were super stoked about M. Night Shyamalan’s follow up to “The Sixth Sense” only to find Judy co-starring in a real piece of crap . . .
or you saw her make out with one of your imaginary boyfriends . . .
or you watched the BEST. SHOW. EVER. religiously and got a bit cray-cray when it was canceled and wrote some nasty hate mail to the douchewads who would even dare to think about not continuing the Bluth family story only to learn that everyone else felt the same when you saw the Netflix commercial for the first time . . .
or maybe, just maybe you don’t recognize her face, but rather, her voice . . .
Bottom line is – a lot of you probably know Judy Greer from something. Unfortunately, there’s a good chance you have to kind of be a Judy Greer superfan in order to love this book. Unlike what the blurb tells you, Judy Greer is not the next Tina Fey or Chelsea Handler. This is not an “OMG this book is just soooooooo funny” read. It’s more like a collection of amusing, but not hilarious, anecdotes that your best friend ends up telling you over the years while you get a little boozy. (Excluding the chapter containing text messages she sends – those almost made me wet myself.)
As one of her best friends wrote: “I am the best friend of the girl who always plays the best friend – the girl in the movies that probably tons of girls think, “I’d totally be friends with her.” I am best friends with Hollywood’s go-to best friend." Yep, I love Judy Greer because she seems so approachable – she seems like she could be one of my best friends – and that’s why the book worked for me. Best friends (and all of their stories) are awesome – especially when they are like Judy Greer and will admit your boobs are bigger than theirs ; )
ARC received from NetGalley. Thank you NetGalley!!!
2.5 Stars
Right now someone might be reading this, asking “Judy Greer, she looks so familiar. Where do I know her from?????”
Maybe you watched her blossom from a Fern into a Violet . . .
or maybe you recognize her from one of her many best friend roles . . .
there’s a chance you were super stoked about M. Night Shyamalan’s follow up to “The Sixth Sense” only to find Judy co-starring in a real piece of crap . . .
or you saw her make out with one of your imaginary boyfriends . . .
or you watched the BEST. SHOW. EVER. religiously and got a bit cray-cray when it was canceled and wrote some nasty hate mail to the douchewads who would even dare to think about not continuing the Bluth family story only to learn that everyone else felt the same when you saw the Netflix commercial for the first time . . .
or maybe, just maybe you don’t recognize her face, but rather, her voice . . .
Bottom line is – a lot of you probably know Judy Greer from something. Unfortunately, there’s a good chance you have to kind of be a Judy Greer superfan in order to love this book. Unlike what the blurb tells you, Judy Greer is not the next Tina Fey or Chelsea Handler. This is not an “OMG this book is just soooooooo funny” read. It’s more like a collection of amusing, but not hilarious, anecdotes that your best friend ends up telling you over the years while you get a little boozy. (Excluding the chapter containing text messages she sends – those almost made me wet myself.)
As one of her best friends wrote: “I am the best friend of the girl who always plays the best friend – the girl in the movies that probably tons of girls think, “I’d totally be friends with her.” I am best friends with Hollywood’s go-to best friend." Yep, I love Judy Greer because she seems so approachable – she seems like she could be one of my best friends – and that’s why the book worked for me. Best friends (and all of their stories) are awesome – especially when they are like Judy Greer and will admit your boobs are bigger than theirs ; )
December 3, 2014
Where do you know her from?
Actress Judy Greer has been in, well, everything (seriously, check her IMDB, which she's pretty obsessed with- it's kind of staggering). This, of course, is the point of her book (or at least its title, I Don't Know What You Know Me From: Confessions of a Co-Star ) — chances are, you recognize her, but there's also a pretty good chance you don't know from where, and, more likely than not, don't know her name (especially since, in her post-book career, she's often seen in Sprint commercials with a hamster voiced by Andrew Dice Clay, but I digress).
I, on the other hand, definitely know her name (it's Judy Greer, in case you didn't catch on) from watching the opening credits to every single episode of Archer (more times than I should admit in public) in which Greer voices Carol/Cheryl/Cherlene Tunt — railroad tycoon, and First Lady of the government-in-exile of La Rapúblic de San Marcos (and also Country Music).
Judy has become become pretty adept at fan profiling in answering the implied titular question. If you're reading this, my next best guess(es) (after Archer, duh) would be Arrested Development (Kitty Sanchez - below), or maybe It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (Fatty McGoo).
What about the book?
Oh yeah, the book. It was ok (I gave it three stars because it was probably a bad choice on my part). Judy's not a comedy writer (à la Tina Fey, Mindy Kaling etc.), she's an actress. I laughed out loud a time or two while listening, but this wasn't a gut-buster. Her life anecdotes are humorous, but no funnier than emails from my (admittedly hilarious) friends.
This also wasn't a tell all book about the stars with whom she's worked, which is probably a good career move for her, but a let down for me. I knew it wasn't going to be the behind the scenes all Archer all the time show, but it (and Arrested Development, IASIP etc.) was only mentioned once in passing. It's possible that they don't record together or whatever, but look at these people! I wanted something about at least one of them (e.g. why is Lucky Yates wearing those amazing glasses and a track suit?).
What I knew it wasn't going to be, but still secretly wished it was:
You're Not My Supervisor: Growing Up Tunt (With My Stupid Brother Cecil). Obviously Adam Reed would have to write that book, and even though I knew that wasn't what this was, I guess I was hoping for at least a mention of her thoughts on being the voice of Cheryl. (I was trying to be realistic, and knew Cherlene probably wasn't feasible).
Yes, I've used this gif before, but who wouldn't want to know what was going on in that devious little mind?
I know, I know, you just crave attention. But what about therapy cranes , Grandpapa dressing up like a ghost to scare black people, the train dwarf looking right at you with his dwarfy eyeballs? Give a girl SOMETHING!
Your point? Unless Pam ate it.
I could go on all day with Archer greatness (and also gifs), but that would be off-topic to say the least. If you're curious about the life of a co-star (a successful one at that), time off "on location," step-parenting after marrying Dean Johnson (I love that she first name/last names her husband all the time) and why it actually sucks to go to the Oscars sometimes, then you'll like this book. I recently heard Judy talking audiobook recording with Gary Dell'Abate, and they both agreed that reading back your own words, you start to think "Who cares?!?" So, it's not like she was unaware that it felt padded. That said, I'm not looking for the five hours of my life back either.
Actress Judy Greer has been in, well, everything (seriously, check her IMDB, which she's pretty obsessed with- it's kind of staggering). This, of course, is the point of her book (or at least its title, I Don't Know What You Know Me From: Confessions of a Co-Star ) — chances are, you recognize her, but there's also a pretty good chance you don't know from where, and, more likely than not, don't know her name (especially since, in her post-book career, she's often seen in Sprint commercials with a hamster voiced by Andrew Dice Clay, but I digress).
I, on the other hand, definitely know her name (it's Judy Greer, in case you didn't catch on) from watching the opening credits to every single episode of Archer (more times than I should admit in public) in which Greer voices Carol/Cheryl/Cherlene Tunt — railroad tycoon, and First Lady of the government-in-exile of La Rapúblic de San Marcos (and also Country Music).
Judy has become become pretty adept at fan profiling in answering the implied titular question. If you're reading this, my next best guess(es) (after Archer, duh) would be Arrested Development (Kitty Sanchez - below), or maybe It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (Fatty McGoo).
What about the book?
Oh yeah, the book. It was ok (I gave it three stars because it was probably a bad choice on my part). Judy's not a comedy writer (à la Tina Fey, Mindy Kaling etc.), she's an actress. I laughed out loud a time or two while listening, but this wasn't a gut-buster. Her life anecdotes are humorous, but no funnier than emails from my (admittedly hilarious) friends.
This also wasn't a tell all book about the stars with whom she's worked, which is probably a good career move for her, but a let down for me. I knew it wasn't going to be the behind the scenes all Archer all the time show, but it (and Arrested Development, IASIP etc.) was only mentioned once in passing. It's possible that they don't record together or whatever, but look at these people! I wanted something about at least one of them (e.g. why is Lucky Yates wearing those amazing glasses and a track suit?).
What I knew it wasn't going to be, but still secretly wished it was:
You're Not My Supervisor: Growing Up Tunt (With My Stupid Brother Cecil). Obviously Adam Reed would have to write that book, and even though I knew that wasn't what this was, I guess I was hoping for at least a mention of her thoughts on being the voice of Cheryl. (I was trying to be realistic, and knew Cherlene probably wasn't feasible).
Yes, I've used this gif before, but who wouldn't want to know what was going on in that devious little mind?
I know, I know, you just crave attention. But what about therapy cranes , Grandpapa dressing up like a ghost to scare black people, the train dwarf looking right at you with his dwarfy eyeballs? Give a girl SOMETHING!
Your point? Unless Pam ate it.
I could go on all day with Archer greatness (and also gifs), but that would be off-topic to say the least. If you're curious about the life of a co-star (a successful one at that), time off "on location," step-parenting after marrying Dean Johnson (I love that she first name/last names her husband all the time) and why it actually sucks to go to the Oscars sometimes, then you'll like this book. I recently heard Judy talking audiobook recording with Gary Dell'Abate, and they both agreed that reading back your own words, you start to think "Who cares?!?" So, it's not like she was unaware that it felt padded. That said, I'm not looking for the five hours of my life back either.
March 12, 2014
2.5 stars.
While I still think Judy Greer would make a pretty cool best friend (as she so often plays in bit roles), she's not an especially engaging writer.
The book is primarily comprised of essays divided up into 3 roughly chronological sections: before Hollywood, movie/tv stardom, adult home life. Think more Tina Fey or Mindy Kaling than Kathy Griffin or Melissa Joan Hart (whose memoir I read a few weeks ago). It's no salacious tell-all and there's not very much detail about actually working on movies. Instead, the Hollywood bits highlight what's going on with Judy while she's not on set. She compares movie set friendships to camp friendships (sincere but short-lived), she laments being sequestered away in weird parts of the country on movie shoots because she misses her family, she watches Netflix in her hotel room during downtime. She doesn't sell anyone down the river, so if you're looking for juicy gossip about J-Lo or Jennifer Garner or Matthew McConaughey or whomever, you'll be disappointed. This is fine and well (and unsurprising), but it's not very exciting reading.
The real problem, I think, is that while Judy is perfectly affable and has sharp comedic timing as an actress, she's not a comedy writer like Fey or Kaling. She doesn't have a lot of insight to share and she just doesn't have the chops as an essayist. Her life is a little too mundane to carry the book. She hasn't faced any adversity outside of a few awkward teenage years and her rise to fame wasn't especially difficult. She meandered into acting and received fairly steady work since graduating from college, so there wasn't a struggle to get into the business. There are a few amusing anecdotes about how different LA is than Chicago or suburban Detroit, but she never seemed to be in dire straits. Without some juicy industry detail or quippy bon mots, there's not much to grip the reader. The only hook is that Greer is an actress, an occupation that people find inherently interesting, and it's not enough.
That said, I related a lot to Judy. We have similar Midwestern backgrounds and have a close extended family. I feel like I'd feel and do a lot of the same things as she does if I were in her position. Her essay about solo international traveling confirms my worst fears about doing the same. We'd get along. But would she like MY memoir? Probably not, because while I can be funny and witty sometimes, I'm pretty average. And therein lies the rub.
While I still think Judy Greer would make a pretty cool best friend (as she so often plays in bit roles), she's not an especially engaging writer.
The book is primarily comprised of essays divided up into 3 roughly chronological sections: before Hollywood, movie/tv stardom, adult home life. Think more Tina Fey or Mindy Kaling than Kathy Griffin or Melissa Joan Hart (whose memoir I read a few weeks ago). It's no salacious tell-all and there's not very much detail about actually working on movies. Instead, the Hollywood bits highlight what's going on with Judy while she's not on set. She compares movie set friendships to camp friendships (sincere but short-lived), she laments being sequestered away in weird parts of the country on movie shoots because she misses her family, she watches Netflix in her hotel room during downtime. She doesn't sell anyone down the river, so if you're looking for juicy gossip about J-Lo or Jennifer Garner or Matthew McConaughey or whomever, you'll be disappointed. This is fine and well (and unsurprising), but it's not very exciting reading.
The real problem, I think, is that while Judy is perfectly affable and has sharp comedic timing as an actress, she's not a comedy writer like Fey or Kaling. She doesn't have a lot of insight to share and she just doesn't have the chops as an essayist. Her life is a little too mundane to carry the book. She hasn't faced any adversity outside of a few awkward teenage years and her rise to fame wasn't especially difficult. She meandered into acting and received fairly steady work since graduating from college, so there wasn't a struggle to get into the business. There are a few amusing anecdotes about how different LA is than Chicago or suburban Detroit, but she never seemed to be in dire straits. Without some juicy industry detail or quippy bon mots, there's not much to grip the reader. The only hook is that Greer is an actress, an occupation that people find inherently interesting, and it's not enough.
That said, I related a lot to Judy. We have similar Midwestern backgrounds and have a close extended family. I feel like I'd feel and do a lot of the same things as she does if I were in her position. Her essay about solo international traveling confirms my worst fears about doing the same. We'd get along. But would she like MY memoir? Probably not, because while I can be funny and witty sometimes, I'm pretty average. And therein lies the rub.
April 28, 2014
Judy Greer is one of those actresses that seems like she'd be really nice and down-to-earth and cool. And after reading her book, it seems like I have even more evidence that this is true. However, she's not terribly interesting. She's not a comedian so her essays are not laugh-out-loud hilarious. She's never struggled with an addiction to pills or an eating disorder so there aren't any stories about her waking up in the gutter or punching Michael Cera in the stomach in a pill-induced fit. She's an only child from a nice middle class midwestern family. She went to college and got a first big acting job right after graduation and she's been slow and steady ever since then. That's great and she seems cool . . . but it's not terribly interesting. The whole book reads like a blog I'd only read if I actually knew the person. Otherwise, it's just not riveting. She seems to run out of things to talk about towards the end and there is literally an entire essay about her texts that she sends to a friend and another one about how she likes shopping at Walgreens (and oddly enough I received an e-mail from Walgreens while I was reading the book and it has a health video from Judy Greer in there). Nice lady, just not terribly interesting to read about.
February 4, 2020
Growing up in Detroit is boring.
Being a childhood ballerina is hard.
Going to a good school is hard.
Giving up ballet to become an actor is hard.
Getting into acting school first try is hard.
Acting is hard but better than having a real job.
Working as a waitress is hard.
Working as a cloakroom attendant is hard.
Having parents that love and support you is hard.
The worst thing my Dad did to me is buy me a Barbie pink car.
He even painted a vanity plate for it that said *2B ... "Star to be." Geddit?
Spending time by myself is hard.
Traveling alone is hard.
One time someone spoke to me when I was on holiday.
Seriously, I am not making this up.
Bad things have almost happened to people that I care about.
But anyway, back to me.
Being famous is hard.
Being a co-star, so not as famous as someone else, is hard.
I literally don't know what you know me from.
Peeing next to celebrities feels weird.
Here's a chapter full of emails from my friends about how much they love me.
Here's a chapter full of text messages that I sent my friends.
Shopping makes me feel better.
Being in love is hard.
I love my dog so much I want to make a necklace out of his teeth.
I love my husband so much that I use his full name whenever I refer to him in this book.
Relationships are hard.
Raising kids is hard.
Hollywood is hard.
Living in LA is hard.
In short? Life is hard.
But writing a book? That's super easy, right?
----
I feel like I should qualify the above review for people who don't get the joke. For the record, I ABSOLUTELY LOVE AND ADORE JUDY GREER.
A friend quizzed me about the fact that I gave such a snarky review but still gave the book three out of five stars. So here is basically what I said to them.
I love Judy Greer too much to give it less than a three. Otherwise it would get a two out of five. She is literally the best person in everything that she stars in and I love her dearly. I so wanted to love this book!
It's not that it's terrible. It's just for something called "I Don't Know What You Know Me From: Confessions of a Co-Star" 1) She barely talks about the things she has starred in that you might know her from and 2) There are no real confessions.
I get the impression that Judy Greer in real life is lovely, funny, friendly, and far too nice to say anything bad about anyone. I could see the content of this book being an LA magazine column -- fun, frothy, lightweight. But as a book it was disappointing.
I still love Judy Greer though!
Being a childhood ballerina is hard.
Going to a good school is hard.
Giving up ballet to become an actor is hard.
Getting into acting school first try is hard.
Acting is hard but better than having a real job.
Working as a waitress is hard.
Working as a cloakroom attendant is hard.
Having parents that love and support you is hard.
The worst thing my Dad did to me is buy me a Barbie pink car.
He even painted a vanity plate for it that said *2B ... "Star to be." Geddit?
Spending time by myself is hard.
Traveling alone is hard.
One time someone spoke to me when I was on holiday.
Seriously, I am not making this up.
Bad things have almost happened to people that I care about.
But anyway, back to me.
Being famous is hard.
Being a co-star, so not as famous as someone else, is hard.
I literally don't know what you know me from.
Peeing next to celebrities feels weird.
Here's a chapter full of emails from my friends about how much they love me.
Here's a chapter full of text messages that I sent my friends.
Shopping makes me feel better.
Being in love is hard.
I love my dog so much I want to make a necklace out of his teeth.
I love my husband so much that I use his full name whenever I refer to him in this book.
Relationships are hard.
Raising kids is hard.
Hollywood is hard.
Living in LA is hard.
In short? Life is hard.
But writing a book? That's super easy, right?
----
I feel like I should qualify the above review for people who don't get the joke. For the record, I ABSOLUTELY LOVE AND ADORE JUDY GREER.
A friend quizzed me about the fact that I gave such a snarky review but still gave the book three out of five stars. So here is basically what I said to them.
I love Judy Greer too much to give it less than a three. Otherwise it would get a two out of five. She is literally the best person in everything that she stars in and I love her dearly. I so wanted to love this book!
It's not that it's terrible. It's just for something called "I Don't Know What You Know Me From: Confessions of a Co-Star" 1) She barely talks about the things she has starred in that you might know her from and 2) There are no real confessions.
I get the impression that Judy Greer in real life is lovely, funny, friendly, and far too nice to say anything bad about anyone. I could see the content of this book being an LA magazine column -- fun, frothy, lightweight. But as a book it was disappointing.
I still love Judy Greer though!
March 14, 2014
I adore what I have seen of Judy Greer's work, I think she is beautiful and funny and I admire her ability to make zany and delusional look totally believable and effortless. I also love that Judy has suburban Detroit roots and unruly hair. I wanted to know more.
It turns out Judy and I are only meant to be best friends with her on screen and me on the couch. There are funny parts - her random texts to Janet were great and her descriptions of interactions with fans who can't place her and her recommendations for polite things to say to stars when you meet them, even if you don't know why you recognize them made me laugh. Stories of her relationships with her parents, dog, husband and stepkids were cute, her big love for her best friends is evident and her story about Ashton Kutcher and the Harley Davidson is adorable. But for the most part, I found it a little bit empty.
The book was sweet and a light, easy read. Judy makes a joke about reading through her old diaries and realizing that she was a very mature kid who basically stopped maturing at age 13. That seemed to match up pretty well with what I was feeling at that point of the book. This book is meant to be a breezy, fun read, not reveal an epic backstory or major revelations. And as an approachable, pleasant read, it is successful. Take it with you on a plane or on vacation, don't assign it to your book club.
It turns out Judy and I are only meant to be best friends with her on screen and me on the couch. There are funny parts - her random texts to Janet were great and her descriptions of interactions with fans who can't place her and her recommendations for polite things to say to stars when you meet them, even if you don't know why you recognize them made me laugh. Stories of her relationships with her parents, dog, husband and stepkids were cute, her big love for her best friends is evident and her story about Ashton Kutcher and the Harley Davidson is adorable. But for the most part, I found it a little bit empty.
The book was sweet and a light, easy read. Judy makes a joke about reading through her old diaries and realizing that she was a very mature kid who basically stopped maturing at age 13. That seemed to match up pretty well with what I was feeling at that point of the book. This book is meant to be a breezy, fun read, not reveal an epic backstory or major revelations. And as an approachable, pleasant read, it is successful. Take it with you on a plane or on vacation, don't assign it to your book club.
February 18, 2021
I really, really wanted to like this book. I love memoirs, and I'm fascinated with the life of an actress/comedienne- maybe because it just seems so different than my own. I've seen many of the movies and TV shows Judy Greer has co-starred in, and was hoping for some fun tidbits from the actors and people she's met in Hollywood. Well, there wasn't a lot of that. The book is made up of chapters devoted to various musings about a range of subjects. There's a little bit about her background, which was interesting. But, other than that, I found myself asking myself why I cared about her opinions on only children, feeding her stepkids, etc. Maybe if I already had a connection to her personality, I'd be more interested but since I only know her as an actress in small, quirky, and funny roles, I expected- 1. More humor in her writing and 2. More info about what we as readers most likely chose this book for- to hear specifics about being a co star. Would that mean dishing on some famous stars? Yes, but if you are writing a book as a co-star, isn't that to be expected? If I was Greer's writing teacher, I'd ask her to really consider her audience. I feel like if she had a more realistic or clearer understanding of this, she could have written better towards what we all wanted to hear about. With that, perhaps we would care a bit more about her personal views on food, siblings, etc. I would use this text as an example of 'knowing one's audience' and writing towards that audience. It's important for writers to understand why a reader may choose to read their writing, and to consider that as they write.
June 26, 2018
2.5 relaxed stars
This was nice. As you may have noticed, I like celebrity audio books, they are just so easy to listen to. Are there any big reveals or does Judy Greer give mind-blowing advice in this book? No. But what she does is tell you a bit about herself, her life, and her acting career. It's a super quick read for the beach or the subway albeita bit very short.
The only "complaint" I have is that she almost doesn't talk at all any of her movie gigs and that's a bit disappointing. I wasn't expecting her to bash any of her co-stars or reveal scandalous on-set affairs but since she's had so many movie roles, you would think she has some stories about what it was like to work at popular movies like 27 Dresses, The Descendants, Elizabethtown, Jurassic World etc. etc. and not be the star. Or what it's like to do a voice-over for Archer. Is it fun? Is it harder or easier than acting? Does she like it more or less? Oh well, I guess I'll never know which isn't a tragedy but it would have been kind of nice, you know?
This was nice. As you may have noticed, I like celebrity audio books, they are just so easy to listen to. Are there any big reveals or does Judy Greer give mind-blowing advice in this book? No. But what she does is tell you a bit about herself, her life, and her acting career. It's a super quick read for the beach or the subway albeit
The only "complaint" I have is that she almost doesn't talk at all any of her movie gigs and that's a bit disappointing. I wasn't expecting her to bash any of her co-stars or reveal scandalous on-set affairs but since she's had so many movie roles, you would think she has some stories about what it was like to work at popular movies like 27 Dresses, The Descendants, Elizabethtown, Jurassic World etc. etc. and not be the star. Or what it's like to do a voice-over for Archer. Is it fun? Is it harder or easier than acting? Does she like it more or less? Oh well, I guess I'll never know which isn't a tragedy but it would have been kind of nice, you know?
December 7, 2016
The first time I remember seeing Judy Greer in a movie was when I saw Jawbreaker. She played Fern, this nerdy girl who was obsessed with the class beauty. As a result of witnessing an unfortunate situation, she receives a makeover and eventually goes up against Rose McGowan's character. It's kind of like a Mean Girls or Heathers for the late '90s. Anyway, I was impressed by Judy. After that, she started popping up in other movies, as well as one of my favorite sitcoms, Arrested Development. Her IMDb resume is more than impressive. (It's also how I found out that we have the same birthday.) I don't even know where she found the time to write a book!
However, she wrote a funny and very entertaining memoir. It's even better as an audio book because you get to hear her read it out loud. She has a great voice that I enjoyed listening to. Really, it felt like I was listening to a close friend chat on the phone. (That would be a long conversation though!) Judy is very candid and honest about her life and I learned new things about her. She's also very easy to relate to. I'm glad I had a chance to listen to this book. I feel like I can go up to Judy and tell her exactly what I know her from! I will even tell her which books I've cast her in the potential movie versions of, one of them being Emily Giffin's latest novel. In any case, I do hope to meet Judy in person someday, if only to tell her how awesome I think she is and how much I loved her book!
However, she wrote a funny and very entertaining memoir. It's even better as an audio book because you get to hear her read it out loud. She has a great voice that I enjoyed listening to. Really, it felt like I was listening to a close friend chat on the phone. (That would be a long conversation though!) Judy is very candid and honest about her life and I learned new things about her. She's also very easy to relate to. I'm glad I had a chance to listen to this book. I feel like I can go up to Judy and tell her exactly what I know her from! I will even tell her which books I've cast her in the potential movie versions of, one of them being Emily Giffin's latest novel. In any case, I do hope to meet Judy in person someday, if only to tell her how awesome I think she is and how much I loved her book!
May 2, 2014
Judy Greer is a working actress who's been in a ton of movies and TV shows. She's not a star and the vast majority of people probably don't know her by name but she's one of those actors who works a lot and who you'd probably recognize but not know the context of how you "know" her (hence the title).
She seems like a pleasant person but when I read memoirs of actors or anyone in show business I admittedly want drama and dirt and there is none to be found in this book. She's still working and I'm sure she doesn't want to offend anyone so it's understandable why she doesn't reveal much but I wonder why she chose to write this memoir now? I'm sure she has some crazy stories to tell and I bet she's observed quite a bit-I wonder why Judy didn't wait until she was retirement age so she could let loose and reveal more? Cute and decently written but not compelling.
She seems like a pleasant person but when I read memoirs of actors or anyone in show business I admittedly want drama and dirt and there is none to be found in this book. She's still working and I'm sure she doesn't want to offend anyone so it's understandable why she doesn't reveal much but I wonder why she chose to write this memoir now? I'm sure she has some crazy stories to tell and I bet she's observed quite a bit-I wonder why Judy didn't wait until she was retirement age so she could let loose and reveal more? Cute and decently written but not compelling.
May 6, 2014
I would give this a 3.5. a pretty decent read. Judy Greer is an actress. the title of this book is pretty accurate. I imagine anyone who watches enough tv or movies have seen Judy Greer. she is usually the featured player, co-star, second banana, funny best friend etc. this is a pleasant read. Judy shares snippets from her life. She grew up in Livonia Mi. went to an acting college in Chicago and then headed for Los Angeles to pursue and acting career. She has been there since. This is NOT a tell all type of book.she does not have any bad things to say. actually she shares very little about the movies and tv shows she has been in. I found that kind of disappointing. I would have liked to read about some of the movies and tv shows she has been in. nothing bad just something. this was more of a journal sharing tidbits about her life. I guess that was nice. she did share about how Asthon Kutcher bought her dad a harley davidson. she seems like a nice lady. I think she is a good actress. I wish she had shared more about working on the movie and tv sets she worked on.I can see she has a good sense of humor. not a bad read. just wished I knew what her confessions of a co-star were.
October 21, 2014
I picked this up on what i think would be called a, "whim". I do know at least a couple of places I "know Judy Greer (not her birth name) from". So I thought why not?
Actually the book is (and this is not a denigration), "cute". I'd say get the audio read by Judy herself. The quirky delivery and her openness will probably draw you in.
Judy is (as I said above) very open here and while I at first went into this only mildly interested I admit that there were times she had me laughing out loud...alone in a room....well except for my cat.
She's still very young and the book may be a bit early but it's a worthwhile read. She sounds very in love with her husband and happy in her own skin. Maybe...a nice person.
Actually the book is (and this is not a denigration), "cute". I'd say get the audio read by Judy herself. The quirky delivery and her openness will probably draw you in.
Judy is (as I said above) very open here and while I at first went into this only mildly interested I admit that there were times she had me laughing out loud...alone in a room....well except for my cat.
She's still very young and the book may be a bit early but it's a worthwhile read. She sounds very in love with her husband and happy in her own skin. Maybe...a nice person.
September 13, 2017
This is an autobiography written as a group of essays. So with that being said, it doesn't really flow into a cohesive unit. But ...... I still liked this. She comes across as honest, but charming. She didn't seem guarded, apologetic, or full of herself. I liked her approach to this book as she talked about how she fell into acting, her career, and her family life. The one thing I enjoyed the most was her sense of humor. It seemed sarcastic at times, and therefore, it was like my mother-ship. This was an enjoyable read....so 4 stars.
June 25, 2020
I read this because I like Judy Greer but it is so boring! Barely any stories about her years working in Hollywood with so many fascinating writers and actors. Instead, long passages about how she chose what kind of car to drive, or what her friends like about her, or whether or not she’ll have kids some day. I mean it, any reader would be shocked by how few Hollywood stories this Hollywood memoir contains. Eventually I grew to appreciate how effective this book was at helping me fall asleep each night, which also accounts for why it took me so long to finish.
March 25, 2016
i need to stop downloading e-books on ambien.
February 7, 2022
I’m just honestly really surprised this book was written and published.
Okay here’s what I’ll say, reading this book made me happy for Judy in that now I know she has lived a pretty good life. Raised with good parents, happy childhood, didn’t really struggle with money, got to go to a good acting college that her parents paid for even though she didn’t even really care about acting yet, she got discovered on the streets so she didn’t even have to a struggle to get into acting as a career, etc. Like genuinely, I got this book cause I liked her as an actress and I’m glad to know she hasn’t really struggled. The problem is all those things are really not interesting to read about and it all takes up a good third of the book.
Again, good for her, but I kind of couldn’t believe this was a book that got published. I mean, everyone wants a reason to write about about their lives and most people don’t get to, but because Judy really has never had any major struggles and was basically just an average American white woman from Michigan, this book has literally no meat to it. And because she isn’t a comedy writer, a lot of the random jokes in this book just really aren’t funny.
Unfortunately the title is completely misleading, she spends literally only 70 pages out of nearly 300 talking about her career and really even then she barely talks about it. Mostly she just complains about it (she complains about having to do press for movies, complains about having to travel for acting jobs, she complains about having to have a beard for a circus roll, and complains about how she didn’t really have fun at the Oscars once). I’d honestly say the only chapter in this whole book that was interesting to me was the one about Ashton Kutcher.
Other than telling us that she’s peed in a stall next to JLo, she otherwise doesn’t really talk about being a costar at all. It’s a bummer cause the whole point is that we all know her from something, but she mentions barely anything she’s been in. Like I love her in 13 Going on 30, (who doesn’t?) but she never talks about it. Apparently when this book was going to be rereleased as a paperback she added a chapter about the show Archer, but even that chapter isn’t really even about the show. It’s just a bunch of joke emails between her and people from the show kind of for no reason other than to show that they’re friends (?). I ended up skimming it cause it just meant nothing at all for me to read.
This book is literally like if you and your friend were tipsy and she started telling you any random thought she ever had about her life or just about random stuff in general and there’s really no point to it. But even though she seems like a cool person, Judy and I are not friends and I really struggled with caring about most of the stuff she randomly felt like writing about. This book is not advertised as “Random thoughts and memories of a Judy Greer” and frankly that’s not even what super famous people write books about. I mean I don’t care how obsessed with a celebrity I am, I really don’t care to read all about how/why/when they got their dog (and that was one of the longest chapters).
It’s just a bummer cause it was so interesting to me to hear the perspective of someone in the industry who is not super famous and isn’t super rich but still makes a good living acting, but she barely talks about it at all! I felt like there was just no point at all to this book.
What IS in this book:
Whole chapter about who her mom is
Whole chapter about how she’s just okay at being a step mom
Whole chapter about getting her dog
Whole chapter that’s just an inside joke letter to a friend
Whole chapter about getting her first pubic hair
Whole chapter about liking to buy products from CVS when she’s sad
Whole chapter about other “normal people” jobs she thinks she might be good at
Whole chapter about her mom’s childhood home town
Whole chapter about road trips with her family and how she’d fall asleep in the car
Whole chapter about how she traveled alone once and didn’t enjoy it
Whole chapter about being a coat check girl and a waitress (in other words, she worked normal jobs like the rest of us and they were uneventful)
Whole chapter about how her diaries depress her
Whole chapter about how her car used to break down a lot but it’s okay cause there were lots of pumpkins in there that she’d give away
Whole chapter of her thoughts on “only children”
Whole chapter of texts she sent her friends that she thought were funny
Whole chapter of emails from her friends about why she’s a good friend
What this book does NOT have:
Whole chapters or even paragraphs dedicated to individual projects she worked on as an actress
Okay here’s what I’ll say, reading this book made me happy for Judy in that now I know she has lived a pretty good life. Raised with good parents, happy childhood, didn’t really struggle with money, got to go to a good acting college that her parents paid for even though she didn’t even really care about acting yet, she got discovered on the streets so she didn’t even have to a struggle to get into acting as a career, etc. Like genuinely, I got this book cause I liked her as an actress and I’m glad to know she hasn’t really struggled. The problem is all those things are really not interesting to read about and it all takes up a good third of the book.
Again, good for her, but I kind of couldn’t believe this was a book that got published. I mean, everyone wants a reason to write about about their lives and most people don’t get to, but because Judy really has never had any major struggles and was basically just an average American white woman from Michigan, this book has literally no meat to it. And because she isn’t a comedy writer, a lot of the random jokes in this book just really aren’t funny.
Unfortunately the title is completely misleading, she spends literally only 70 pages out of nearly 300 talking about her career and really even then she barely talks about it. Mostly she just complains about it (she complains about having to do press for movies, complains about having to travel for acting jobs, she complains about having to have a beard for a circus roll, and complains about how she didn’t really have fun at the Oscars once). I’d honestly say the only chapter in this whole book that was interesting to me was the one about Ashton Kutcher.
Other than telling us that she’s peed in a stall next to JLo, she otherwise doesn’t really talk about being a costar at all. It’s a bummer cause the whole point is that we all know her from something, but she mentions barely anything she’s been in. Like I love her in 13 Going on 30, (who doesn’t?) but she never talks about it. Apparently when this book was going to be rereleased as a paperback she added a chapter about the show Archer, but even that chapter isn’t really even about the show. It’s just a bunch of joke emails between her and people from the show kind of for no reason other than to show that they’re friends (?). I ended up skimming it cause it just meant nothing at all for me to read.
This book is literally like if you and your friend were tipsy and she started telling you any random thought she ever had about her life or just about random stuff in general and there’s really no point to it. But even though she seems like a cool person, Judy and I are not friends and I really struggled with caring about most of the stuff she randomly felt like writing about. This book is not advertised as “Random thoughts and memories of a Judy Greer” and frankly that’s not even what super famous people write books about. I mean I don’t care how obsessed with a celebrity I am, I really don’t care to read all about how/why/when they got their dog (and that was one of the longest chapters).
It’s just a bummer cause it was so interesting to me to hear the perspective of someone in the industry who is not super famous and isn’t super rich but still makes a good living acting, but she barely talks about it at all! I felt like there was just no point at all to this book.
What IS in this book:
Whole chapter about who her mom is
Whole chapter about how she’s just okay at being a step mom
Whole chapter about getting her dog
Whole chapter that’s just an inside joke letter to a friend
Whole chapter about getting her first pubic hair
Whole chapter about liking to buy products from CVS when she’s sad
Whole chapter about other “normal people” jobs she thinks she might be good at
Whole chapter about her mom’s childhood home town
Whole chapter about road trips with her family and how she’d fall asleep in the car
Whole chapter about how she traveled alone once and didn’t enjoy it
Whole chapter about being a coat check girl and a waitress (in other words, she worked normal jobs like the rest of us and they were uneventful)
Whole chapter about how her diaries depress her
Whole chapter about how her car used to break down a lot but it’s okay cause there were lots of pumpkins in there that she’d give away
Whole chapter of her thoughts on “only children”
Whole chapter of texts she sent her friends that she thought were funny
Whole chapter of emails from her friends about why she’s a good friend
What this book does NOT have:
Whole chapters or even paragraphs dedicated to individual projects she worked on as an actress
March 24, 2014
Judy Greer is not entirely famous, and she acknowledges that by subtitling her book, "Confessions of a Co-Star." Yes, she does look familiar, but I could never tell you what I've seen her in or, by looking at a photo of her, even what her name was. And, if you showed me a photo out of context, I might say, "She looks a little familiar," but I couldn't tell you if she was an actress or the girl who rang up my shirts at American Eagle Outfitters.
Reading her memoirs is about as revelatory as looking up her credits on IMDB. They're not very "confessional." It felt like I was reading some random average person's diary. The chapters aren't "special." Nothing crazy or outrageous happens in them (like in Chelsea Handler's books). There is not much laugh-out-loud humor to them (like in Heather McDonald's books). And she doesn't hysterically poke fun at herself for only being a co-star actress (or D-list celebrity in the case of Kathy Griffin). So I'm not quite sure how she ever got a book deal. She doesn't really have an "angle."
All that being said, I truly enjoyed the book overall (when I was hesitant at first). The writing is very good, and Judy's very relatable. Despite her moderate success, she's been through a lot of the same things "normal" people have, and that's what makes her likeable. I felt like I got to know her as a person and that if we knew each other in real life, we'd possibly be friends and could hang out together at Starbucks. Or at least she'd gently and kindly blow me off.
I do know one thing: I will definitely know her name and face from now on, so this book can't do anything but help her become more recognizable. P.S. I already instantly recognized her in a new OJ commercial with Jane Krakowski.
P.P.S. I'm really disappointed that Judy didn't include a photo of her school crush Jeff Hunt that she goes on and on about. I would have liked to have seen what the big deal was.
Reading her memoirs is about as revelatory as looking up her credits on IMDB. They're not very "confessional." It felt like I was reading some random average person's diary. The chapters aren't "special." Nothing crazy or outrageous happens in them (like in Chelsea Handler's books). There is not much laugh-out-loud humor to them (like in Heather McDonald's books). And she doesn't hysterically poke fun at herself for only being a co-star actress (or D-list celebrity in the case of Kathy Griffin). So I'm not quite sure how she ever got a book deal. She doesn't really have an "angle."
All that being said, I truly enjoyed the book overall (when I was hesitant at first). The writing is very good, and Judy's very relatable. Despite her moderate success, she's been through a lot of the same things "normal" people have, and that's what makes her likeable. I felt like I got to know her as a person and that if we knew each other in real life, we'd possibly be friends and could hang out together at Starbucks. Or at least she'd gently and kindly blow me off.
I do know one thing: I will definitely know her name and face from now on, so this book can't do anything but help her become more recognizable. P.S. I already instantly recognized her in a new OJ commercial with Jane Krakowski.
P.P.S. I'm really disappointed that Judy didn't include a photo of her school crush Jeff Hunt that she goes on and on about. I would have liked to have seen what the big deal was.
September 25, 2015
I really enjoy Judy Greer and many of the movies where's she has played the best friend or side kick type role. I wouldn't be one of the people coming up to her on the street asking her "What do I know you from?". This was a really quick audiobook, read by Judy and I enjoyed it. Light and fun - I found her take on Hollywood interesting and enjoyed listening to her antic dotes.
My favorite Judy Greer movie is 13 Going on 30 (main character played by Jennifer Garner).
My favorite Judy Greer movie is 13 Going on 30 (main character played by Jennifer Garner).
December 3, 2018
It entertained me. There weren't a lot of crazy stories because she doesn't have a ton of them. Interesting little insight into the life of a working actress.
May 20, 2025
A fun, easy listen. I got a lot of enjoyment from the fact she went to my high school! Worked at the same mall I did in high school! Never thought I would read about Livonia in a book.
Was interesting to learn about life as a supporting cast actress.
Was interesting to learn about life as a supporting cast actress.
March 16, 2024
I loved this book so much. Very humorous and entertaining. You should read it.
July 20, 2017
I love Judy Greer. If I ran into her, there would NOT be a discussion trying to figure out where I know her from. I know her from The Wedding Planner, 13 Going on 30, Arrested Development, 27 Dresses, even My Name is Earl. I get that she's become the sidekick, always cast as the best friend, but like she mentions in her memoir, that's who we really relate to. Watching The Wedding Planner, 13 Going on 30, etc. I can't relate to the girl that is "beautiful but doesn't know it" who just happens to always get the perfect and perfectly sculpted guy. And, really I don't want to relate to them. But I do think my favorite role she's played was Tom-Tom - I just loved that movie and her. I like to listen to audiobooks that are performed by the authors - especially memoirs. I loved this one too. Her voice and inflection always makes me smile. I recommend it for a fun, light read if you're looking to learn a little more about Judy Greer!
April 4, 2015
“I can’t afford a full-time assistant or organize my life, I don’t have a chef cooking for me and my family, I barely have time to work out or walk my dog (OK, fine, I do have a dog walker, I mean, I’m not going to shortchange my dog Buckley, come on).”
Part one growing up in suburbs outside of Detroit not terribly noteworthy. Part two, where Judy Greer begins to discuss her Hollywood life gets only slightly more appealing. She writes without a clear voice. The tone’s neither funny nor serious. And it’s not well-written or edited. Funny actors and comedians aren’t’ necessarily funny storytellers or have real-life amusing anecdotes or interesting lives off-screen. People expect it and it’s not the case 75 percent of the time. That’s why many people are drawn to acting so that they can become another person or express themselves in another way.
What I learned:
M. Night Shyamalan was the first director to call Greer and offer her a film (The Village). She dully proceeds to describe her three month shoot on location. Bottom line: it’s a job.
She did a short-lived series called Miss Guided. I thought it had a cute premise and seemed promising. Don’t think it got picked up past one season, per most network series I like. Ashton Kutcher was a producer. After filming the pilot he asked her what she would do if ABC picked up the series. He asked her what she wanted to do if the series were to become a success. She told him she wanted to buy her dad a Harley Davidson motorcycle. Ashton told her that if the series was picked up by ABC, he’s buy her dad one. When ABC picked it up for seven episodes, true to his word, Ashton did just that. What a generous, sweet guy.
In the chapter titled “Celebrities I’ve Peed Next To,” Greer only mentions Jennifer Lopez, Debra Messing and Heidi Klum and she was doing films with two of them so how could she avoid peeing next to them at some point during the shoot?
Publicist/agents/ manager told her to tweet/ Facebook/ instagram (so message don’t trust celebrity tweets) “I become temporarily obsessed with watching my number of Twitter followers grow, with who is following who, who posts what, how many followers he/ she has, especially in comparison to me. It’s kind of a ridiculous time suck isn’t it?” She SO doesn’t understand Twitter and social media.
(received ARC from NetGalley)
June 26, 2015
I like Judy just fine and thought I was going to find a fun book from the trenches of Hollywood--perhaps some inspiration for those of us out here working our butts off every day trying to just get half the work Judy gets.
HOWEVER...I lost all respect when what I found instead was a book of incessant whining, laziness, and narcissism. Maybe it's just lost in translation, but where were I stand, there are no tales of hard work here. Judy describes how she went to acting school not for the passion of it, but so she could prove her worth to a frenemy. Then, she got an agent and started getting jobs not because she worked hard, but because she was just walking down the street and got "discovered." Since then, she's been a working actor, but all she does is complain about how nobody notices her and she doesn't understand why. Wah, wah, wah. She admittedly feels sorry for herself a lot, and she also admits that she just lets things come to her instead of seeking out the roles she wants. Moreover, she doesn't seem interested in anything in life outside of watching TV and getting her nails done.
The chapter about the Oscars is the most annoying of all, full of "things that went wrong," the worst of which is a dress whose beads were falling off. This book is inspirational if you look at it as a "what not to do" guide. Be appreciative of what you're given and if you want more, work hard for it and believe in yourself!
HOWEVER...I lost all respect when what I found instead was a book of incessant whining, laziness, and narcissism. Maybe it's just lost in translation, but where were I stand, there are no tales of hard work here. Judy describes how she went to acting school not for the passion of it, but so she could prove her worth to a frenemy. Then, she got an agent and started getting jobs not because she worked hard, but because she was just walking down the street and got "discovered." Since then, she's been a working actor, but all she does is complain about how nobody notices her and she doesn't understand why. Wah, wah, wah. She admittedly feels sorry for herself a lot, and she also admits that she just lets things come to her instead of seeking out the roles she wants. Moreover, she doesn't seem interested in anything in life outside of watching TV and getting her nails done.
The chapter about the Oscars is the most annoying of all, full of "things that went wrong," the worst of which is a dress whose beads were falling off. This book is inspirational if you look at it as a "what not to do" guide. Be appreciative of what you're given and if you want more, work hard for it and believe in yourself!
April 9, 2014
I have to say that I've always liked Judy Greer. She always plays the best friend in almost every movie I've seen her in, and her book makes the reader want to be friends with her. She writes like I imagine she would talk in life. Her book is filled with funny stories about growing up in the suburbs of Detroit, her girl-hood crushes, her current celebrity crushes, stories of her working through college at restaurants and nightclubs, and how hard it is to get an acting job and a decent place to live in Los Angeles.
Ms. Greer seems like an incredibly relatable person, talking about the embarrassing things that you know everyone goes through, just is polite enough to not discuss in public. She does go off on a few rants, but they're funny enough that you don't care, and she eventually does get back around to her main point. Her chapters are short, precise, to the point and funny. Family photos are included, but in my version, they were black and white, so when she was talking about a hair disaster, I wasn't sure if the color was part of that disaster or not.
All in all, an enjoyable read about someone you want to be friends with!
Ms. Greer seems like an incredibly relatable person, talking about the embarrassing things that you know everyone goes through, just is polite enough to not discuss in public. She does go off on a few rants, but they're funny enough that you don't care, and she eventually does get back around to her main point. Her chapters are short, precise, to the point and funny. Family photos are included, but in my version, they were black and white, so when she was talking about a hair disaster, I wasn't sure if the color was part of that disaster or not.
All in all, an enjoyable read about someone you want to be friends with!
December 4, 2013
Every time I told people I was reading an early advanced reading copy of a memoir from Judy Greer, they're reaction was "Is that the woman from Arrested Development?" or "Wasn't she in 27 Dresses?" Oh and don't forget "She was in The Wedding Planner, right?"
That's why I think the title of her memoir, I Don't Know What You Know Me From is perfect. She shares in the memoir that she's embraced her costar ways and has had the opportunity to work with some of today's biggest stars (which she talks about for in this book). Oh and wait until you hear what Ashton Kutcher did to surprise her!?
A charming, witty and fun memoir that can is comparable to Mindy Kaling and Tina Fey, Judy Greer had me smiling (and laughing) the whole time I read her book.
*It will be in stores in April 2014
That's why I think the title of her memoir, I Don't Know What You Know Me From is perfect. She shares in the memoir that she's embraced her costar ways and has had the opportunity to work with some of today's biggest stars (which she talks about for in this book). Oh and wait until you hear what Ashton Kutcher did to surprise her!?
A charming, witty and fun memoir that can is comparable to Mindy Kaling and Tina Fey, Judy Greer had me smiling (and laughing) the whole time I read her book.
*It will be in stores in April 2014
June 3, 2014
I loved the style this book was written in - it was like Judy was writing to a friend. It was interesting and fun getting to know her better. Despite her prolific career as an actress, she seems like a very genuine, down-to-earth person. The downsides were that there wasn't nearly as much humor as I had expected, it got a bit disorganized/choppy in the last section, and there were a couple chapters where she spent too much time getting down on herself. However, this was a very light and easy read, and I would recommend it if you've seen Judy in some memorable roles and want to learn more about her.
August 4, 2014
I've been really into celebrity memoirs lately. I've found I just can't deal with plot driven books when I'm travelling and stuff. All I want is light entertainment that is not a blog or a magazine. Alas, this was was not even entertaining.
It was dull. Boring. Judy Greer seems nice and all but this book could have done with more of what it promised - stories of what it's like to be a co-star. The oscars part and the ashton kutcher part were fun. The rest was like a very dull anecdote from an acquaintance.
I hate to say it, Judy, but with judging by this book there's a reason you're not a full blown movie star. You don't sparkle.
It was dull. Boring. Judy Greer seems nice and all but this book could have done with more of what it promised - stories of what it's like to be a co-star. The oscars part and the ashton kutcher part were fun. The rest was like a very dull anecdote from an acquaintance.
I hate to say it, Judy, but with judging by this book there's a reason you're not a full blown movie star. You don't sparkle.
March 10, 2014
Whether you're curious just how little fun the Oscars can truly be or how to best explain to your friend that you accidentally peed on her shoes, Judy Greer's got an essay for you.
If you're a fan this book is fun and funny. If you have no idea who she is it's still fun and funny,and might inspire you to do yourself the favor of IMDbing the author. If nothing else you'll have fun discovering how many of your favorite movies/shows she's been in.
If you're a fan this book is fun and funny. If you have no idea who she is it's still fun and funny,and might inspire you to do yourself the favor of IMDbing the author. If nothing else you'll have fun discovering how many of your favorite movies/shows she's been in.
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