About the Book
Kevin Pollak rose through the comedy club ranks at the feet of Don Rickles and Bill Cosby, Johnny Carson and George Carlin. Named one of Comedy Central’s Top 100 Stand-Up Comedians of All Time, he’s a killer impressionist—Falk, Shatner, Walken, Nicholson—a versatile actor with one of the most respected filmographies around, and an Internet pioneer. He’s done it all, and now he’s ready to spill the beans.
Ballsy, hilarious, and revealing, How I Slept My Way to the Middle winningly combines never-before-heard stories featuring A-list entertainers with fan favorites and Kevin’s own thoughts about how he made it. He turned down his first invitation to do stand-up on The Tonight Show because he knew that he’d make a bigger impact if he sat on the couch next to Johnny. That huge risk—which paid off in spades—was just the beginning. Find out how he brought John Belushi to his knees, tortured Paul Reiser (twice), bamboozled Larry King, stole Alan Arkin’s soul, almost killed Warren Beatty, and sucked face with Robert DeNiro’s girlfriend. Now a new media entrepreneur, he’s laughing proof that if you follow your gut and believe in yourself, you can do anything you want—except have a rational conversation with Rip Torn, who’s an evil, paranoid $#!%.
About the Author :
Kevin Pollak has appeared in over 70 films, including A Few Good Men, The Usual Suspects, and Casino in addition to numerous TV shows. Named by Comedy Central as one of the Top 100 Comedians of All Time, Pollak lives a short bike ride from Venice Beach in Southern California.
Review :
"Brilliant ... a book that should be given to all sourpusses because it is uproariously funny—laugh out loud until tears burn your eyes funny. ... The shrimpy kid who started out imitating Bill Cosby grew into a funny man with a yen for acting in movies, a journey his side-splitting memoir recounts in hilarious detail. ... There's so much dirt Pollak could have dished, but he keeps it positive with feel-good, riotous stories and fascinating Hollywood lore. Except for that one time Michael Clarke Duncan accused him of stealing his pocket cash....
—Shelf Awareness / Natalie Papailiou, author of blog MILF: Mother I'd Like to Friend
"It’s great stuff. ... We love it. ... Pollak has packed his book with not only amazing stories from his life (and there are many) but with enough celebrity anecdotes that this could almost be shelved with the quotation books. This is a very funny, real insider look at the 'business.'"
—AmericasComedy.com
"Entertaining ... He includes detailed jabs at actors like Rip Torn and the late Michael Clarke Duncan—amusingly uncensored recaps of bad behavior from eccentrics. ... Pollak’s juiciest tidbits are simply as-told-to tales: Walter Matthau recapping a profanity-laden tape Fred Astaire sent him, a detailed explanation of Johnny Carson’s stand-up booking process, long transcriptions of jokes he heard his collaborators tell. ... Packed with plenty of good trivia."
—A.V. Club
"The book is full of funny or surprising stories (sometimes they’re both) and plenty of self-deprecating humor. Pollak is a working actor, not a star, and his book is all the more likable for it. A genuinely entertaining movie memoir."
—Booklist
"Amusing ... Pollak is an engaging raconteur on the page. ... The most compelling passages concern the author's pre-fame days, including a legitimately riveting account of the teenage author, already in possession of a killer Peter Falk impersonation, hijacking a concert performance by Rich Little."
—Kirkus Reviews
“If he writes as well as he imitates me, you’re in for a good time.”
—ALBERT BROOKS
“Kevin Pollak is a mastermind of smart and funny. He attacks my funny bone the way a pit bull attacks my anklebone.”
—STEVE MARTIN
“Kevin Pollak is one of those guys who shows up in every corner of the Business of Show—hit TV programs, award winning movies, radio shows of every kind, and benefit dinners for worthy charities. I once saw him in the parking lot at Cirque du Soleil and hollered, ‘Hey! Kevin!’ but he didn’t hear me. Like you, I wonder how he’s made it to the Big Time. This book brings that mystery to a close.”
—TOM HANKS
“Kevin Pollak does it all: He does impressions, he acts, he writes, he produces. He continues to impress with his unique and unabashed ability to use his friends’ names for his sole benefit. A true Renaissance man.”
—TOM CRUISE
“Unfortunately, as a personal favor, I allowed Leo Tolstoy a blurb calling War and Peace ‘my most fun read ever.’ That being the case, I am unable to say the same about How I Slept My Way to the Middle. Would that I had reserved that comment for Kevin Pollak, where the appraisal would be so much more deserved.”
—JAMES L. BROOKS
“Unfortunately, I did a little digging, and Kevin Pollak’s book was ghostwritten by a factory full of Chinese children hopped up on n-hexane. In spite of, or perhaps because of, that, I hear it’s a great read.”
—HARRY SHEARER
“Actor, writer, storyteller, stand up, chat-show host, man about town, the most wonderful company, and now memoirist. Is there no end to his deranged ambition? Clearly not. I did two pictures with him and count myself lucky I got off with just two. A book I just couldn’t wait to put down.”
—GABRIEL BYRNE
