The Guttenberg bible : a memoir

"Forget being an actor. You don't have the look, you don't have the talent, and your name is ridiculous.

You are the last guy I would ever pick to be a movie star." This was the first piece of advice Steve Guttenberg ever received from an agent.

Like many other times in his life, he didn't listen.

In this honest, charming memoir, Guttenberg tells a Horatio Alger story of how he became the star of some of the '80s most successful blockbusters.

He spent his early days sneaking onto the Paramount lot (he pretended to be Michael Eisner's son) and meeting more celebrities and casting agents than most aspiring actors ever would.

Even before the hit "Police Academy" (which his agent said would be a flop), he had already worked with everyone from Sir Laurence Olivier to Mickey Rourke.

Perhaps it was his charisma or perhaps it was his dogged persistence, but his life was filled with unexpected run-ins and connections with dozens of Hollywood hit makers.

Guttenberg has lived through the addictive pull of show business and worldwide celebrity (You're no one until you have a stalker, he learns). With a wide-eyed appreciation for the one-of-a-kind experiences that the high altitude celebrity lifestyle has to offer, he knew that his family would keep him grounded and never let him forget where he came from.

His self-awareness and sense of humour about the ups and downs of fame make this one of the most sympathetic and unguarded Hollywood stories to date.