My Name Escapes me: The Diary of a Retiring Actor - Softcover

Having filled roles in films as varied as "Lawrence of Arabia" and "Star Wars," Guinness is one of the most distinguished and beloved - movie actors of his generation. His charmingly sincere diary entries offer a glimpse of the private side of his often very public life. What makes Guinness a fine and versatile actor is precisely what also makes him a good diarist: an ironically observant eye. In his diary, which covers the 18 months from January 1995 to June 1996, he reveals the inner life of a hugely successful actor while remaining completely accessible. This work is, at the same time, a poignant account of a man coming to terms with being 82 and its accompanying infirmities and a delightfully humorous record of his extemporaneous opinions and careful reflections. Certain interests and preoccupations recur: theater and films, of course, but also books and paintings; the church, sometimes held up for amused observation, more often the focus of a personal faith; food and drink, whether fish 'n' chips with a group of fellow actors or a solitary entrecote at the Connaught; and the delights of being at home with his wife in the Hampshire countryside. Though Guinness shows a keen interest in contemporary events and culture (such as taking a perhaps surprising pleasure in the Wallace and Gromit cartoons), he also brings to the diary some fascinating anecdotes from his long and distinguished acting career and new tales of his current friendships.

This eighteen-month diary, from January 1995 to June 1996, from one of the most distinguished -- and beloved -- actors of stage and screen, reveals the octogenarian spryness of a civilized mind and a beguiling mixture of the meditative and the hedonistic. Sir Alec Guinness's interests and preoccupations recur: theater and film, of course, but also books and paintings; the church, sometimes held up for amused observation; food and drink, from fish'n'chips gatherings with fellow actors in Cambridge to solitary repasts at the Connaught; and the delights of being at home with his wife in the English countryside. Although the entries are written with a keen eye on contemporary events and culture, they also open to a past replete with fascinating memories and anecdotes from his long career. Inevitably, there is a strand of poignancy as friends die and memorial services are attended, but the pleasures and fun to be had with close friends such as Alan Bennett, Irene Worth, and Lauren Bacall form a strong backbone to this marvelously entertaining diary, which offers a glimpse of the private side of Guinness's often very public life.