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The memoir has become a new rite of passage for Hollywood stars, who have turned to the medium as a way to tell their stories in their own words, often for the first time ever.
One of the most anticipated memoirs so far this year was Al Pacino’s “Sonny Boy,” in which he opens up about his upbringing and life in Hollywood like never before. The legendary 83 year-old actor, known for his roles in iconic films such as “The Godfather” trilogy, “Scarface” and “Panic in Needle Park,” writes about his childhood in the South Bronx, including his time at New York’s storied High School of Performing Arts, his formative years in the the city’s theater scene throughout the ’60s and ’70s and finally his big Hollywood break.
Pacino’s book follows a long list of celebrity memoirs that have come out recently, such as Lisa Marie Presley and Riley Keough’s “From Here to the Great Unknown,” which is already a No. 1 bestseller after releasing this week. Also on the list: Barbra Streisand’s “My Name Is Barbra,” Jada Pinkett Smith’s “Worthy” and Britney Spears‘ “The Woman in Me.”
Check out the best celebrity memoirs below:
We Did OK, Kid: A Memoir
In “We Did Ok, Kid,” out this November, Oscar-winning actor Sir Anthony Hopkins tracks his journey from a difficult childhood in a small Welsh town to an illustrious career in film and theater that has spawned some of the most memorable roles in Hollywood. Alongside the highs — like the time he saw the 1948 adaptation of “Hamlet” as a young boy, sparking his passion for the arts — the book also delves into the lowest points in his life, including battling an addiction that cost him his first marriage and his journey towards sobriety. The book also features a special collection of personal photographs spanning his prolific sixty-year career.
My Next Breath: A Memoir
You likely remember the headlines. In 2023, Jeremy Renner became the second most googled person on Earth — not because of a new blockbuster movie but because of a near-death experience after a fourteen-thousand-pound snowplow crushed him near his home in Reno, leaving him with severe injuries, including broken ribs, a crushed eye socket and a broken clavicle. In his debut memoir, the Oscar-nominated actor writes for the first time about the life-changing accident and his long road to recovery.
I’ll Have What She’s Having
In her latest book of essays, Handler shares how she created the life she’s always wanted for herself, and finally found true contentment and happiness in her 50s. Sometimes tender and always hilarious, her stories span in time from when she was 10 years old, opening her first (spiked) lemonade stand, to the wild NSFW antics she’s gotten into once she made it in Hollywood.
Be Ready When the Luck Happens: A Memoir
Ina Garten, whose reality show “Barefoot Contessa” propelled her to global fame throughout the early 2000s, finally tells her story in her debut memoir. In “Be Ready When the Luck Happens,” the reality star, Instagram sensation and author of 13 bestselling cookbooks, tells her story in her own words for the first time. In the 416-page book, the beloved cultural icon writes about her remarkable personal and professional journey — from a difficult childhood in Connecticut to meeting and marrying the love of her life Jeffrey (while still in college) to her first boring bureaucratic jobs before opening the Barefoot Contessa shop that changed her life.
Cher: Part Two: The Final Installment of the Two Part Memoir
If Cher’s 432-page memoir didn’t satiate you, then you’ll want to pre-order the second installment, which releases this November.
The Third Gilmore Girl: A Memoir
In “The Third Gilmore,” “Gilmore Girls” star Kelly Bishop recalls her journey from stage to screen, including he viral stories she’s shared on the road (such as the wild tale about how the “Chorus Line” director Michael Bennett bought Bishop out of her 6-month contract for the touring show of “Irene” so she could drop everything for this new production — a wise decision made by all.
Sonny Boy
Al Pacino opens up about his upbringing and life in Hollywood like never before in a new memoir “Sonny Boy.” In it, the legendary 83 year-old actor, known for his roles in iconic films such as “The Godfather” trilogy, “Scarface” and “Panic in Needle Park,” writes about his childhood in the South Bronx, including his time at New York’s storied High School of Performing Arts, his formative years in the the city’s theater scene throughout the ’60s and ’70s and finally his big Hollywood break.
From Here to the Great Unknown: Oprah’s Book Club: A Memoir
Elvis’s daughter Lisa Marie Presley began her memoir in 2022 but was never able to finish it before passing in 2022. Her daughter Riley Keough retrieved her mother’s tapes to make sure her story would see the light of day.
“It’s a lot. But it’s not a slog,” Variety music writer Chris Willman wrote in his review. He writes that it’s “engrossing from start to finish. The fact that it remains that constantly absorbing maybe comes against some odds, since the emotional trajectory of Lisa Marie’s life is never much in doubt.”
Dinner for Vampires: Life on a Cult TV Show (While also in an Actual Cult!)
During the early years of her career, Lenz found a safe haven in a Bible study group with other Hollywood creatives. However, the group soon devolved into a sinister web of manipulation, abuse and fear from which it took her more than a decade to escape. For years, Lenz was one of many victims in a cult that existed under the guise of church covenant called The Big House Family. Slowly, she began to give away her autonomy, relocating to the Family’s Pacific Northwest compound, marrying one of the minister’s sons and unwittingly draining millions from her TV income. In “Dinner for Vampires,” the “One Tree Hill” star details her decade in a cult and her quest to break free.
My Name Is Barbra
In Barbra Streisand’s highly anticipated memoir, the chart-topping singer and actor recounts her life in a way that has never before been told. In addition to her years in the spotlight, she delves into her early years as a struggling actor, forging friendships with other legends such as Marlo Brando and her marriage to James Brolin.
Love, Pamela: A Memoir
There is little that Pamela Anderson leaves out of her debut memoir “Love Pamela,” which marks the first time that the iconic model and actor tells the story of her life. Setting the record straight in her own words, Anderson begins with her tumultuous childhood in Canada, before moving onto her glamorous life in the U.S. where she became an international sex symbol and entered a famously toxic relationship with Tommy Lee, portrayed in Hulu’s Emmy-winning “Pam and Tommy.”
Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir
In Perry’s memoir, the beloved late “Friends” actor gets candid about his decades-long struggle with drug and alcohol abuse. From his alcohol-induced erectile disfunction to the one time all of his teeth fell out of his mouth after biting into peanut butter toast, Perry doesn’t hold back from revealing some of his bleakest moments in his first book, which he wrote entirely on his own without a ghostwriter (a rarity for celebrity memoirs).
Making a Scene
In this candid collection of essays, Constance Wu shares private stories from her childhood in Richmond, Virginia, a string of unhealthy romantic relationship throughout her 20s, her experience with sexual assault and harassment in Hollywood and an honest look at the impact that her breakthrough role on “Fresh Off the Boat” had on her mental health.
I’m Glad My Mom Died
In her first book, Jennette McCurdy best known for her starring role in the show “ICarly,” the 30 year-old actor gets candid about the struggles she faced as a child actor on the Nickelodeon show, such as eating disorders, OCD and her infamously strained relationship with her mother Debra McCurdy who died in 2013. For McCurdy, this is her first body of work that feels like is wholly her own.
Hello, Molly!: A Memoir
Molly Shannon is perhaps best known for her tenure on “Saturday Night Live,” during which she starred alongside Will Ferrell, Adam Sandler, Cheri Oteri, Tracy Morgan and Jimmy Fallon. But her bestselling memoir, written with Sean Wilsey, dives much deeper than her illustrious comedy career. In its pages she also opens up about the tragic experience of losing her mom, baby sister and cousin in a car accident when she was only four years old, and forging a new relationship with her father.
Finding Me: A Memoir
Although Viola Davis’ first memoir doesn’t come out until April 26, it shot to the top of Amazon’s bestseller list since becoming available for pre-order. Much of the book focuses on the racism the award-winning actor has experienced within Hollywood, recalling the racist incidents she endured throughout her childhood in Rhode Island. Of course, the book also takes readers through Davis’s illustrious career, benchmarked by defining moments like when she was first cast for ABC’s “How to Get Away With Murder” that catapulted the actor to another level of fame.
Being Henry: The Fonz . . . and Beyond
Henry Winkler’s heart, charm and self-deprecating humor are front and center in his delightful memoir, in which the “Happy Days” star shares his life story — from the disheartening truth of his childhood, the difficulties of a living with severe dyslexia and surviving the pressures of Hollywood.
Pageboy
“Pageboy” is a coming-of-age story in which Elliot Page explores his journey of self-discovery as a queer and trans person, detailing his experiences in Hollywood, starting with his breakout role in “Juno” before coming out as gay in 2014 and later as trans in 2020.
Open Book
Jessica Simpson’s memoir was a sleeper hit upon its release in 2021 and still tops charts three years later. “Open Book” is a meditation on fame, in which the singer and reality star unpacks her crippling need to please, rebukes the lazy and misogynistic stereotypes made about her and how she learned to live her most authentic life.
Will
Part autobiography, part self-help book, Will Smith’s first memoir is more than just a chronicling of his own inspiring journey from West Philadelphia to rap stardom to Hollywood fame. With the help of Mark Manson, the author of the multi-million-copy bestseller “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck,” Smith paints a candid portrait of his life in the public eye, along with the genuine wisdom and profound self-knowledge he’s learned on the way.
You Can’t Be Serious
Kal Penn is famous for his starring role in the buddy stoner comedy “Harold & Kumar” and has also become a household name during his tenure as a staffer in Barack Obama’s White House. But it’s more personal details that make his brand new best-selling memoir so buzzy online. Most notably, he reveals his eleven-year engagement to his partner Josh and, in doing so, comes out publicly first the first time in the books’ pages. In addition to recounting in heartwarming detail his and Josh’s first dates, he also writes about growing up in suburban New Jersey, his journey to Hollywood and his relationship with politics.
Unprotected: A Memoir
Before snagging a Tony and Grammy for his groundbreaking role in Broadway’s “Kinky Boots,” and an Emmy for his inimitable performance in Fox’s “Pose,” Billy Porter was just a young boy in Pittsburgh struggling to fit in. In his first-ever memoir “Unprotected,” already a #1 bestseller on Amazon, Porter unpacks his formative teenage years, during which he tapped into his craft, voice and creativity amidst deep trauma.
Taste: My Life Through Food
The award-winning actor may be most well known for his roles on the screen but he’s also spent much of his life as an avid lover of food, a journey he chronicles in his debut memoir. The story, written with Tucci’s signature wit, includes anecdotes from his time growing up in Westchester, New York, shooting for foodie films such as “Julie & Julia” and “Big Night” and teaming up with his wife for their huge family meals. Plus, it includes one-of-a-kind recipes passed down to him from his Italian-American family.
The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music
Dave Grohl has lived through some of the most extraordinary experiences as one of the most famous rock-and-roll drummers in the world, and now he’s chronicled his story in his own words. This #1 best-selling memoir details Grohl’s most formative years as a musician, from going on tour with Scream at 18 to his time with Nirvana and the Foo Fighters.
Yearbook
From the beloved comedian known for his iconic roles on “Superbad” and “Freaks and Geeks” comes the New York Times Bestseller “Yearbook.” In the hilarious page-turner, Rogen recounts his wildest and funniest stories, from doing stand-up as a teenager to making awkward conversation with A-listers at star-studded Hollywood parties.
Broken Horses: A Memoir
Brandi Carlile’s insightful autobiography has been heralded as one of the best music memoirs ever written since it came out earlier this year. In “Broken Horses” the Grammy-winning musician tell the stories from her life that helped shape the raw music that continues to resonate with millions of fans around the word. She shares her experience of coming out as gay in her very small, religious town and finding salvation through the music of heroes that have become collaborators, like Elton John and Dolly Parton. In a Variety review, Chris Willman wrote, “The best-written, most engaging rock autobiography since her childhood hero, Elton John, published ‘Me.’”
Trejo: My Life of Crime, Redemption, and Hollywood
Trejo’s remarkable story became an instant best-seller since hitting the shelves earlier this year. The captivating memoir tells the actor’s remarkable story of growing up in an abusive and drug-addicted home and landing in some of the country’s most notorious state prisons before going onto become a recognizable face in some of Hollywood’s biggest shows and movies.
Make It Nice
Dorinda’s memeable one-liner came out of an episode of “Real Housewives of New York” when she invited the rest of the housewives for a visit at her storied Berkshires estate. When they made a mess of the weekend (as always), she yelled: “Make it nice!” It’s a motto she’s lived by her entire life, journeying through not-so-glitzy experiences before landing the glamorous reality show life we all know and love.
Check out more of the best gifts for “Housewives” fans here.
All In: An Autobiography
In her first memoir, the tennis champion chronicles her experience as one of the best female athletes in the world, boasting six years as the top-ranked woman in the world, 20 Wimbledon championships and 39 grand slam titles. In her spirited account, she describes making her way to the top in the male-dominated sport and her watershed moment defeating Bobby Riggs as portrayed in the 2017 film “Battle of the Sexes.”
Unfinished: A Memoir
From her childhood in India, growing up as a teenager in the states and then moving back to her home country as a beauty pageant tar, Jonas’s rise to fame has been far from ordinary. In her best-selling memoir, the actress reflects on her challenges and triumphs as she doggedly pursued her calling, while sharing honest stories about her father’s death, her marriage with Nick Jonas and her work as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.
Greenlights
A #1 New York Times Bestseller, McConaughey’s memoir and self-proclaimed “approach book” is filled with raucous stories and one-of-a-kind bits of wisdom from the actor’s less-than-average life. His approach to living life is captured in the book’s motto: catching greenlights, or learning how to deal with, and even thrive amidst life’s challenges. You might also enjoy the audiobook version, read aloud by the actor himself and his distinct Southern-style drawl.
Just as I Am: A Memoir
Tyson died at 96 just months after her memoir was released at the beginning of the year. In the 400-page chronicle, co-written by Michelle Burford, the iconic actress recounts her very full life, from being brought up by immigrant parents in Harlem throughout the 1920s and ’30s, getting pregnant at 17 and eventually making her way to Hollywood as a model and actress. Weaved through all her stories is Tyson’s strength and resilience as she finds success against a backdrop of racism and sexism, serving to inspiring to countless Black creatives that came after her, and also one of the many reasons former President Barack Obama awarded her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016.
The Beauty of Living Twice
Stone gets brutally honest in this New York Times Bestseller as she opens up about her near-death experience after suffering a massive stroke and losing her career, family and fortune in the process. In the candid pages, she chronicles her efforts to rebuild her life and regain her health, while also taking readers back to a childhood of trauma before making her way in an industry filled with their own types of demons
Willie Nelson’s Letters to America
Following his best-selling memoir “It’s a Long Story,” the beloved country musician and activist is back with “Letters to America” in which he writes patriotic and heartfelt letters to a younger generation, in addition to important figures in his life such as family members, his hero Gene Autry and his guitar “Trigger.”
