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Not Just Sunglasses and Autographs: 30 Years of Film & Television Production with Life (& Near Death) Lessons
My day was far from over. Every other Thursday that summer of 2004, I would finish shooting Jerry Bruckheimer's acclaimed TV series Skin and then tack on a four-hour nightcap at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. As tough as my days were, I knew they'd get a lot worse if I skipped my date with four bags of poison at the all-night chemo ward.
I would pass the hours of those late-night infusions watching classic 50s reruns, thinking about work, and thinking about life. Where I had been, where I was going, what I'd leave behind. That's where the seeds of this book were in the 24 hour chemo room of Cedar-Sinai, while I waited for my fortnightly poison cocktail to empty into my arm and get to work.
Not Just Sunglasses and Autographs follows me from bar bouncing in Boston to working on award winning television and movies as I made my way up the entertainment industry ladder. It is an endearing story of overcoming the odds through dark humor, tenacity, authenticity, and a smile. I had originally envisioned this as the memoir of a man who'd beaten Hodgkin's Lymphoma and lived to tell the tale, but that was before I was pitched a curveball called Parkinson's Disease. Equal parts pep-talk and gut-punch, this unvarnished and vulnerable memoir-meets-handbook shares lessons I've learned in life and work and encourages readers to keep moving forward, embrace resilience, step out of their comfort zones, and take life head on. Not Just Sunglasses and Autographs is 73,000 words and stands alone, but I also have stories in mind for a follow-up book. I look forward to hitting the road and supporting this book as I have brought hope and inspiration speaking about the film industry for the last thirty years.
I've been in the industry for nearly forty years. Nicknamed "the Irish Bull" by my west coast colleagues, I earned my reputation and secured Assistant Director credits on productions including the film Close to Home, Skin, CSI Miami, the pilot for Desperate Housewives, and many others. I spent the last five years of my film career on location in Chicago, working as First Assistant Director on Chicago PD from 2014-2019. After my Parkinson's diagnosis in 2019, I hung up my AD walkie and returned to the west coast to enlist all of my drive, determination, spirit,
I would pass the hours of those late-night infusions watching classic 50s reruns, thinking about work, and thinking about life. Where I had been, where I was going, what I'd leave behind. That's where the seeds of this book were in the 24 hour chemo room of Cedar-Sinai, while I waited for my fortnightly poison cocktail to empty into my arm and get to work.
Not Just Sunglasses and Autographs follows me from bar bouncing in Boston to working on award winning television and movies as I made my way up the entertainment industry ladder. It is an endearing story of overcoming the odds through dark humor, tenacity, authenticity, and a smile. I had originally envisioned this as the memoir of a man who'd beaten Hodgkin's Lymphoma and lived to tell the tale, but that was before I was pitched a curveball called Parkinson's Disease. Equal parts pep-talk and gut-punch, this unvarnished and vulnerable memoir-meets-handbook shares lessons I've learned in life and work and encourages readers to keep moving forward, embrace resilience, step out of their comfort zones, and take life head on. Not Just Sunglasses and Autographs is 73,000 words and stands alone, but I also have stories in mind for a follow-up book. I look forward to hitting the road and supporting this book as I have brought hope and inspiration speaking about the film industry for the last thirty years.
I've been in the industry for nearly forty years. Nicknamed "the Irish Bull" by my west coast colleagues, I earned my reputation and secured Assistant Director credits on productions including the film Close to Home, Skin, CSI Miami, the pilot for Desperate Housewives, and many others. I spent the last five years of my film career on location in Chicago, working as First Assistant Director on Chicago PD from 2014-2019. After my Parkinson's diagnosis in 2019, I hung up my AD walkie and returned to the west coast to enlist all of my drive, determination, spirit,
312 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 2, 2022
8 people are currently reading
20 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
January 13, 2022
Reading Tommy Burke’s book is like listening to a veteran film director spin funny yarns and tell fantastic stories about his hardscrabble life, wide-ranging experiences and the wild business of Hollywood. He sounds like a Boston Irishman in print. He learned by paying his dues and took a wide variety of jobs. I admire his spunk and drive. His story is humble yet effective, and he deftly describes scenes that fill one’s imagination. Burke is “a man of a million mottos,” which are sprinkled throughout the book to illustrate his colorful stories. A fun read by a guy who did not take life’s curveballs lying down, and who inspires others to make their own opportunities.
May 24, 2022
Like Tommy Burke, this book kicks ass! As it turns out Tommy worked on some of my favorite movies and I didn’t even know it.
I had the honor and pleasure of meeting and working with Tommy in Chicago. Needless to say, he is the real deal; a hard working guy that earned everything that he got while he worked his way up the ladder.
Reading this book is like sitting in an Irish Pub and having a beer with an old friend that you just met while he regales you with stories that will teach you a few things while you aren’t looking. When you get to the last page, it’s like hearing the surly bartender announce last call when all you want is just one more story for the road.
I’m sure that these stories are only the tip of the iceberg and hopefully there are more to come in a future volume. I can honestly say that Tommy is a great guy to work with and that he didn’t just try, he really did bring the best of everybody on his set.
Just like working with Tommy, I learned a thing or two while I was reading this book and I had a great time doing it.
I had the honor and pleasure of meeting and working with Tommy in Chicago. Needless to say, he is the real deal; a hard working guy that earned everything that he got while he worked his way up the ladder.
Reading this book is like sitting in an Irish Pub and having a beer with an old friend that you just met while he regales you with stories that will teach you a few things while you aren’t looking. When you get to the last page, it’s like hearing the surly bartender announce last call when all you want is just one more story for the road.
I’m sure that these stories are only the tip of the iceberg and hopefully there are more to come in a future volume. I can honestly say that Tommy is a great guy to work with and that he didn’t just try, he really did bring the best of everybody on his set.
Just like working with Tommy, I learned a thing or two while I was reading this book and I had a great time doing it.
January 23, 2024
Very engaging and quick, entertaining read. I got a better sense of how the film industry operates and about the people behind the scenes who make it happen. Easy to think it’s all movie stars and a-list directors, but there are so many people whose names scroll by in the credits who you just don’t think about. Lots of fun anecdotes and nice to hear about some of my favorite actors who are actually good people off camera. It might not be on the short list for a Pulitzer, but it’s a page turner and kept my attention.
July 12, 2023
I love that this book offers a captivating and humorous look into his thirty-year journey in the film and television industry. It's filled with entertaining anecdotes, near-death experiences, and valuable life lessons, the storytelling kept me engaged from start to finish. it was an enjoyable glimpse into the behind-the-scenes world of showbiz, making it a must-read for fans of the entertainment industry. Overall, well done!
January 26, 2022
Kudos to Tommy
If you ever need a reason to laugh at life 's up and downs read this book. An honest conversation with a good friend who never gives up.
If you ever need a reason to laugh at life 's up and downs read this book. An honest conversation with a good friend who never gives up.
March 26, 2022
great book
Funny, interesting, tackles some serious topics with great respect and insight.
Definitely worth picking up, you will not regret it.
Funny, interesting, tackles some serious topics with great respect and insight.
Definitely worth picking up, you will not regret it.
January 16, 2022
This was a fast read and since the author was from Boston (actually Newton), I thought I would find it interesting. I did, but the first thing I noticed after the title pages and the book actually started is that a friend wrote the Forward. Yup, that's what the opening blurb was entitled - Forward, not Foreword. I almost returned the book but since I had nothing else to read, got on with it.
And it turned out to be a very interesting and funny book so I'm glad I continued. Tommy is full of insider stories but he is still discreet when need be. It was entertaining and informative at the same time. I never knew what all those positions are in the movie credits but it sounds like they deserve every hard-earned penny!
And it turned out to be a very interesting and funny book so I'm glad I continued. Tommy is full of insider stories but he is still discreet when need be. It was entertaining and informative at the same time. I never knew what all those positions are in the movie credits but it sounds like they deserve every hard-earned penny!
January 17, 2022
I don't think this book belongs on "Goodreads"... because it is FANTASTIC. I started reading this book to get insights into a 30 year career in the business... but I ended reading finding out more about myself as a person and what it takes to persevere. This was an incredible account of one man's journey through life, health, and what it takes to succeed in this world. Do yourself a big favor and read.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews