When I accepted the assignment to choose 10 celebrities I would want to write their autobiographies, I thought this would be a cake walk. There are so many interesting people but that’s exactly the problem. How do you pick? Then it seemed everyone I thought of had already written their autobiography. I searched celebrity databases for ideas, talked to friends and family and ultimately decided to try to pick an intriguing individual from a variety of backgrounds.
While many have been written about by other authors, my guiding factor was that if I could have this celebrity write their autobiography, they would have to be 100 % honest and answer any and all questions. Certainly people like Marilyn Monroe (suicide or murder Marilyn?), Rock Hudson (first celebrity AIDS case) and Walter Payton (no liver transplant for Sweetness – what was like that? ) came to mind but they’d written autobiographies or at least partial ones.
So I selected celebrities from the worlds of entertainment, sports, politics, writing and an entrepreneur. Here’s my list of celebrities I wish would write or would have written their autobiography.
Autobiography Wish List Candidate: Steven Spielberg-Director/Producer
Born December 18, 1946, Spielberg has been married twice and is a parent to 7 children/stepchildren. He is one of the most influential, successful directors in Hollywood today. His contributions are so spectacular that he made Time’s list of the most important people of the century. The combined gross of all his films exceeds $8.5 billion dollars. His Jewish background and the prejudice he experienced because of it coupled with his parents divorce have had an impact on the man and his film making. He is personable, intelligent and has a gift for telling a story on film. It seems natural to think it would carry over to the written page.
Autobiography Wish List Candidate: Vin Diesel/Actor
Born July 18, 1967 as Mark Vincent, not much is known about Vin Diesel’s early life, intensifying the mystery. He wrote, directed, produced and starred in first film, Multi-Facial. It was shown at the Cannes film festival and caught the attention of Steven Spielberg who cast him in Saving Private Ryan. His “Riddick” series is destined to become classic and with a new one in the works, fans have something to look forward to. There is definitely an appeal to the man and his cloak of mystery needs to be uncloaked. With his unusual good looks, charisma and action-hero persona, his autobiography would top the charts.
Autobiography Wish List Candidate: R. A. Salvatore- Author
Born January 20, 1959 in Massachusetts, Salvatore is married and has 3 children. He is the most popular and successful author of the fantasy genre with more than 10,000,000 books sold. He is often on the New York Times Best Seller lists and has created one of the most beloved characters, the dark elf Drizzt Do’Urden of the Icewind Dale Series. Inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien, Salvatore has created new worlds and with a mind like that, he would have to be intriguing person to read about. Check out Amazon’s 700+ listings of his books.
Autobiography Wish List Candidate: Arnold Schwarzenegger- Bodybuilder/Actor/Politician
Born July 30, 1947 in Austria, Schwarzenegger came to fame through bodybuilding where he became the youngest-ever Mr. Universe at the age of 20. He won that title 3 more times and the Mr. Olympia six consecutive times where he still holds the record as the youngest Mr. Olympia at 23. He is an accomplished businessman, making his millions before he even started his acting career. He married into the American version of the royal family by wedding Maria Shriver, of the Kennedy clan, in 1986. He is now and has been for the last 7 years, the governor of California. There are hints of child abuse at the hands of his father, ties to the Nazi party in his family tree, allegations of sexual harassment and a film career most wannabes would kill to have. He has penned several books dealing with bodybuilding but he has done so much more that it’s time for an autobiography. Visit his website to learn what he has going on in politics these days.
Autobiography Wish List Candidate: Sean Penn – Actor/Director/Humanitarian
Born August 17, 1960 in Los Angeles, CA, Penn has been married twice, first to Madonna, and currently to Robin Wright Penn, though divorce proceedings are pending. He has dated Elizabeth McGovern, Susan Sarandon, Jewel and model Jessica White. He made his film debut with Taps in 1981 and recently won an Oscar for his role as Harvey Milk in the film Milk. Penn has taken an active humanitarian role in recent years, showing up in New Orleans after hurricane Katrina where he was physically involved in rescuing people. He used his Oscar acceptance speech to solicit support for gay and lesbian rights and most recently visited Haiti following the earthquake there to lend support. However, lest we think our bad boy is grown, just today TMZ reports he has been arrested for battery for kicking and hitting a photographer. It’s not the first time Penn has squared off with the paparazzi. His life would seem to be one wild ride, one worth reading about.
Autobiography Wish List Candidate: Meryl Streep – Actress
Born June 22, 1949 in Summit NJ, Streep was the eldest of three siblings and attended Vassar, Dartmouth and Yale. She’s been married for 27 years to the same man, an accomplishment in itself. Her stage career began in 1971 and her film debut followed in 1976’s Julia. Critical acclaim followed with her roles in The Deer Hunter and Kramer vs. Kramer. She has been nominated 16 times for the Oscar, making her the most nominated actor of all time. She has won twice, for Kramer vs. Kramer and Sophie’s Choice .A YouTube video of her appearance on Ellen’s talk show displays her sense of humor, her self-deprecating manner and her spontaneity. An autobiography by Streep would be a fun, insightful read.
Autobiography Wish List Candidate: Clint Eastwood – Actor/Director
Born May 31, 1930 in San Francisco, CA, Eastwood has been married twice and had several relationships resulting in a total of 7 children. His acting career made a slow start until in 1959 he was signed to the television show Rawhide. This was followed by a string of spaghetti westerns which secured his stardom. In his early life he worked as a lifeguard, played piano in a ragtime bar, served in the army, and survived a plane crash in the ocean. He is a 5-Oscar recipient and has been nominated another 6 times. His laid back, easy going manner belies a striking wit. At 80 years old, he has lived an adventurous life filled with loves, drama and family. I have never read or watched an interview with him where I didn’t think he would be a wonderful person to get to know. Proving his ongoing popularity, MTV just reviewed his new film collection available on DVD “Clint Eastwood: 35 Films 35 Years At Warner Brothers.
Autobiography Wish List Candidate: Morgan Freeman
Born June1, 1937 in Memphis, TN, Freeman has been married twice with 2 children from each union. His career dates back to stage appearances in the late 1960’s followed by a stint on the television show The Electric Company. Slowly movies came his way and he has earned 3 Oscar nominations before finally winning the award his 4th time at bat for his supporting role in Million Dollar Baby. He is currently nominated again for his role as Nelson Mandela in the film Invictus. He earned his pilot’s license at the age of 65 and is a successful restaurateur. He was involved in a car accident in 2008 that has left his left hand paralyzed according to a recent report by People magazine.
Autobiography Wish List Candidate: Bill Gates – Businessman/Philanthropist
Born October 28, 1955 in Seattle, WA, is married to Melinda with whom he has 3 children. Gates excelled at school he scored 1590 on his SATs which at the time equated to an IQ of 170. His introduction to computers began during his years at prep school and followed him to Harvard. Eventually he and his partners set up Microsoft and he has been called the richest man in the world. This has allowed him to indulge in philanthropy. He, his wife and Warren Buffet created the Gates Foundation whose primary aims are to enhance health care and reduce extreme poverty around the world, and to expand educational opportunities and access to information technology in America. Billions of dollars are finding their way into health and educational avenues annually. Exchange Magazine reported today that Gates is now backing a plan to change our use of energy and bring us to zero carbon emissions. That level of genius is something I’d like to read.
Autobiography Wish List Candidate: Johnny Depp – Actor
Born June 9, 1963 in Owensboro, KY, Depp practiced self-harm as a youth as a way of coping with insecurity and family issues. Later, he started his career with a stint on 21 Jump Street, a television series that made him a teen heart throb. He left the show when his contract was up, disdainful of his teen idol status and sought film work. His first real film credit was in Nightmare on Elm Street. Since then he has gone on to create some of the most beloved, oddball characters of his generation, not the least of which is alter-ego, Capt. Jack Sparrow from the Pirates of the Caribbean Disney series. Known to be publicity shy and a bit of recluse now, Depp and his long-time girlfriend have 2 children and split their time between homes in France and Los Angeles. He owns a vineyard and winery and is a co-owner in a restaurant. His most recent work is as the narrator of the documentary about The Doors, When You’re Strange. With all the unique characters Depp has brought to life, it would be fascinating to learn what makes him tick and how much of those characters comes from his own personality or history.
