Autobiographies

[litefoot]

Hi everyone.

I'm trying to compile a list of cast and crew members from Magnum PI who have ever written an autobiography, or had one written about them. This is the list I have compiled so far. Does anyone know of others? With the series having a mammoth 162 episodes, there must be more books I've missed?

Main cast:
Tom Selleck - untitled, 2022. Also Tom Selleck: An Unauthorised Biography, 1983.
Larry Manetti - Aloha Magnum, 1991.

Guest cast:

Season 1

Jesse Wayne - Confessions of a Hollywood Stunt Man (or It seemed like a good idea at the time!), 2019. (1.1 Don't Eat The Snow In Hawaii)
Ron Masak - I've Met All My Heroes from A to Z, 2009. (1.6 Skin Deep)
Terrence McDonnell - Unpublished. 2022? (co-writer 1.7 Never Again...Never Again)
Lew Ayres - Hollywood's Conscientious Objector, 2012. Biography only. (1.11 The Curse of the King Kamehameha Club)
Allan Caillou - The World is Six Feet Square, 1954; Sheba Slept Here, 1973. (1.12 Thicker Than Blood)
Red West - One Hell Of A Ride. Unpublished. (1.13 All Roads Lead to Floyd; and 5.18 Let Me Hear The Music)
Mercedes McCambridge - The Quality Of Mercy, 1981. (1.15 Don't Say Goodbye)
Kathryn Leigh Scott - 1) Last Dance at the Savoy, 2016; 2) Now With You, Now Without, 2017; 3) The Happy Hours, 2017; 4) A Welcome Respite, 2017. (1.16 The Black Orchid)
John Ireland - unpublished. Excerpt here. (1.16 The Black Orchid)
Orson Welles - for a list of the many books about the man, go to Post 60. (1.17 J. "Digger" Doyle, 2.19 Double Jeopardy, 3.16 Birdman of Budapest, 3.22 The Big Blow, 4.7 Squeeze Play, 5.10 Luther Gillis: File #001)
Stewart Moss - My Trek, 2014. (1.17 J. "Digger" Doyle).
Marcia Wallace - Don't Look Back, We're Not Going That Way, 2004. (1.18 Beauty Knows No Pain).
Darby Hinton - Growing Up Israel, 2018. (1.18 Beauty Knows No Pain)

Season 2

Jimmy Borges - Confessions Of A Saloon Singer. Unpublished. (2.1 Billy Joe Bob, 3.1 Did You see the Sunrise? Part 1, 5.12 Little Games, 6.16 "This Island Isn't Big Enough....")
Allan Rich - A Leap From The Method: An Organic Approach To Acting, 2007 (2.4 From Moscow to Maui)
Soo Yong - Chinese Women Pioneers in Hawaii, 2002. Biography only. (2.5 and 2.6 Memories Are Forever)
Nancy Lee Grahn - Unpublished. 2022? (2.15 Try To Remember)
Dick Butkus - Stop-Action, 1972 and Flesh And Blood, 1997. (2.17 One More Summer)
Dana Wynter - Other People Other Places: Memories of Four Continents (2005). (2.19 Double Jeopardy and 3.8 Foiled Again)
Beverly Garland - Beverly Garland: Her Life and Career, 2012. Biography only. (2.22 Three Minus Two)
Denny Miller - Didn't You Used to Be What's His Name?, 2004. (2.22 Three Minus Two)

Season 3

Joel Rogosin - Writing A Life, 2004. (supervising producer 12 episodes 3.1-3.12)
Jameson Parker - An Accidental Cowboy, 2003. (3.3 Ki'i's Don't Lie)
Ernest Borgnine - My Autobiography, 2009. (3.9 Mr. White Death)
Burt Kennedy - Hollywood Trail Boss, 1997. Director. (3.10, Mixed Doubles)
Kim Richards - The Whole Truth: The Reality of It All, 2021? (3.10 Mixed Doubles)
Henry Gibson - Unfinished, unpublished. (3.10 Mixed Doubles)
Marcia Strassman - Life with a Side Order of Cancer, 2008. (3.12 Heal Thyself)
Peter Brown - The Fastest Gun in Hollywood: The Life Story of Peter Brown, 2013. (3.12 Heal Thyself)
Sylvia Sidney - Sylvia: A Memoir Of Hollywood Star Sylvia Sidney, 1999. (3.16 Birdman of Budapest)
Fritz Feld - On The Fritz, unpublished. (3.16 Birdman of Budapest)
Nicholas Coster - Another Whole Afternoon, 2021. (3.17 I Do?)
James Doohan - Beam Me Up Scotty, 1996. (3.22 The Big Blow)

Season 4

Eugene Roche - unpublished. (4.2 Luther Gillis: File #521, 4.16 The Return of Luther Gillis, 5.10 Luther Gillis: File #001, 7.5 A.A.P.I., 8.11 Transitions).
Blackie Dammett - Lords of the Sunset Strip, 2013. (4.3 Smaller Than Life)
Carol Channing - Just Lucky I Guess, 2002. (4.4 Distant Relative)
Jane Merrow - Being An Actor, 2019. (4.6 Letter To A Duchess)
Terrence Knapp - Hawaii's Adopted World Class Actor, 2000.(4.6 Letter To A Duchess)
Shannen Doherty - Badass: A Hard-Earned Guide to Living Life With Style and (The Right) Attitude, 2010. (4.8 A Sense Of Debt)
Carol Burnett - four books! 1) One More Time, 1986; 2) This Time Together, 2011; 3) Carrie & Me, 2014; 4) In Such Good Company, 2016. ​(4.14 Rembrandt's Girl and 8.7 A Girl Named Sue)
Gene LeBell - The Godfather of Grappling, 2003. (4.16 The Return of Luther Gillis)
Hermione Baddeley - The Unsinkable Hermione Baddeley, 1984. (4.17 Let the Punishment Fit the Crime)
Patrick Macnee - 1) Blind In One Ear, 1989. 2) The Avengers & Me, 1997. (4.18 Holmes Is Where The Heart Is)

Season 5

Sharon Stone - The Beauty Of Living Twice, 2021. (5.1 and 5.2 Echoes Of The Mind Parts 1 and 2)
Al Leong - The Eight Lives of Al "Ka-Bong" Leong, 2011. (5.3 Mac's Back)
Phil Hartman - You Might Remember Me: The Life and Times of Phil Hartman, 2014. Biography only. (5.4 The Legacy of Garwood Huddle)
David Hemmings - Blow Up... and Other Exaggerations – The Autobiography of David Hemmings. (5.6 Fragments, 5.14 Compulsion, 5.18 Let Me Hear the Music, 7.19 Out of Sync).
Rick Lenz - North Of Hollywood, 2012. (5.9 Tran Quoc Jones)
Jenny Agutter - Jenny Agutter: A Working Biography, 2009. Biography only. (5.12 Little Games).
Susan Oliver - Odyssey: A Daring Transatlantic Journey, 1983. (5.18 Let Me Hear the Music)
Dennis Weaver - All the World's a Stage, 2001. (5.18 Let Me Hear The Music)
Nehemiah Persoff - The Many Faces of Nehemiah, 2021. (5.21 Torah, Torah, Torah)

Season 6

Peter Davison - Is There Life Outside The Box? 2016. (6.1 and 6.2 - Deja Vu)
Geoffrey Beevers - One Man In His Time (6.1 Deja Vu)
Arthur English - Through the Mill and Beyond, 1986. (6.2 Deja Vu Part 2)
Harry Fielder - Extra! Extra Read All About It! My Life As A Film and TV Extra (6.1/6.2 Deja Vu). States in his memoir that he worked on this for a couple of days but he's not credited on IMDB.
Gwen Verdon - Gwen Verdon: A Life on Stage and Screen, 2015. (6.7 Going Home, 7.17 Forty, 8.1 Infinity & Jelly Doughnuts, 8.12 Resolutions Part I, 8.13 Resolutions Part II).
Henry Darrow - Henry Darrow: Lightning in the Bottle, 2015. (6.8 Paniolo)
Carl Ciarfalio - Stars, Stunts and Stories: A Hollywood Stuntman's Fall to Fame, 2015. (6.13 Summer School)
William Windom - Journeyman Actor: A Memoir, 2009. (6.15 All Thieves On Deck)
Thaao Penghlis - 1) Places: The Journey of My Days, My Lives, 2014. 2) Seducing Celebrities One Meal at a Time, 2015. (6.15 All Thieves on Deck).
Bruce Forsyth - 1) The Autobiography, 2001. 2) Strictly Bruce: Stories Of My Life, 2015. (6.20 A Little Bit of Luck... A Little Bit of Grief)

Season 7

Jonathan Goldsmith - Stay Interesting, 2017. (7.4 Straight and Narrow)
Angela Lansbury - Balancing Act: The Authorized Biography of Angela Lansbury, 1999. Also Angela Lansbury: A Life on Stage and Screen, 1996.(7.9 Novel Connection)
Bernie Pock - A Celebration of Life – Memories of My Son, 1997. Written by his mother Nancy Kwan. Biography. (7.13 Autumn Warrior)
Frank Sinatra - for a list of the many books about the man, go to Post 83. (7.18 Laura)
Jackie Cooper - Please Don't Shoot My Dog, 1981. (Director - 7.22 Limbo and 8.5 Forever In Time)

Season 8

Julia Migenes - Mémoires d'un oiseau rebelle, 2006. In French only. (8.2 Pleasure Principle)
Amy Yasbeck - With Love and Laughter, John Ritter, 2010. (8.2 Pleasure Principle, 8.4 Tigers Fan, 8.12 Resolutions: Part I, 8.13 Resolutions: Part II)
Ray Danton - Ray Danton: The Epitome of Cool, by Joseph Fusco, 2009 and updated in 2019. Biography only. (8.6 The Love That Lies, and 8.9 The Great Hawaiian Adventure Company)
Anthony Newley - Stop the World: The Biography of Anthony Newley, by Garth Bardsley, 2003, Biography only. (8.10 Legend of the Lost Art).
Kabir Bedi - Stories I Must Tell: The Emotional Life of an Actor, 2021. (8.10 Legend Of The Lost Art)

[litefoot]

Found another as I speak:

Kabir Bedi - Stories I Must Tell: The Emotional Life of an Actor (8.10 Legend Of The Lost Art)

[Pahonu]

Hi everyone.

I'm trying to compile a list of cast and crew members from Magnum PI who have ever written an autobiography, or had one written about them. This is the list I have compiled so far. Does anyone know of others? With the series having a mammoth 162 episodes, there must be more books I've missed?

Main cast:
Tom Selleck (coming next year)
Larry Manetti - Aloha Magnum

Guest cast:

Lew Ayres - Hollywood's Conscientious Objector (1.11 The Curse of the King Kamehameha Club)
Ernest Borgnine - My Autobiography (3.9 Mr. White Death)
James Doohan - Beam Me Up Scotty (3.22 The Big Blow)
Jane Merrow - Being An Actor (4.6 Letter To A Duchess)
Carol Burnett - four books! 1) One More Time; 2) This Time Together; 3) Carrie & Me; 4) In Such Good Company. ​(4.14 Rembrandt's Girl and 8.7 A Girl Named Sue)
Patrick Macnee - 1) Blind In One Ear 2) The Avengers & Me (4.18 Holmes Is Where The Heart Is)
Sharon Stone - The Beauty Of Living Twice (5.1 and 5.2 Echoes Of The Mind Parts 1 and 2)
Peter Davison - Is There Life Outside The Box? (6.1 and 6.2 - Deja Vu)
Bruce Forsyth - The Autobiography (6.20 A Little Bit of Luck... A Little Bit of Grief)
Frank Sinatra - Too many to count! (7.18 Laura)
Kabir Bedi - Stories I Must Tell: The Emotional Life of an Actor (8.10 Legend Of The Lost Art)

I recall a few years ago that an unfinished memoir by Orson Welles was discovered though I don’t know if it was ever published.

Red West was also working on an autobiography before his death. I think it may have been published. It was called Red and Elvis.

[Luther's nephew Dobie]

Hi everyone.
I'm trying to compile a list of cast and crew members from Magnum PI who have ever written an autobiography, or had one written about them. This is the list I have compiled so far. Does anyone know of others? With the series having a mammoth 162 episodes, there must be more books I've missed?
Main cast:
Tom Selleck (coming next year)
Larry Manetti - Aloha Magnum
Guest cast:
Lew Ayres - Hollywood's Conscientious Objector (1.11 The Curse of the King Kamehameha Club)
Ernest Borgnine - My Autobiography (3.9 Mr. White Death)
James Doohan - Beam Me Up Scotty (3.22 The Big Blow)
Jane Merrow - Being An Actor (4.6 Letter To A Duchess)
Carol Burnett - four books! 1) One More Time; 2) This Time Together; 3) Carrie & Me; 4) In Such Good Company. ​(4.14 Rembrandt's Girl and 8.7 A Girl Named Sue)
Patrick Macnee - 1) Blind In One Ear 2) The Avengers & Me (4.18 Holmes Is Where The Heart Is)
Sharon Stone - The Beauty Of Living Twice (5.1 and 5.2 Echoes Of The Mind Parts 1 and 2)
Peter Davison - Is There Life Outside The Box? (6.1 and 6.2 - Deja Vu)
Bruce Forsyth - The Autobiography (6.20 A Little Bit of Luck... A Little Bit of Grief)
Frank Sinatra - Too many to count! (7.18 Laura)
Kabir Bedi - Stories I Must Tell: The Emotional Life of an Actor (8.10 Legend Of The Lost Art)

Hi Lite,
Good post and welcome to MM. I bet you will find many more Bio's among the guest stars. I read Patrick Macnee's book. When he was 8 he appeared in his first play at school,
with classmate Christopher Lee. His parents divorced and he was raised by his mother and "Uncle Evelyn", his mother's girlfriend who supported them both. Evelyn even paid
for his education at Eton.
In WW 2 he served on a MTB boat, a Brit version of our PT boat, but missed D-Day as he was in hospital. His boat was sunk in his absence.
His service after that is murky because like David Niven and some other British stars, it SUPPOSEDLY later emerged they served in the SOE. So part of their service record
was altered to give them a cover as SOE activities were secret. I read an article - 30 years ago, I forgot most of it - about Niven and others true activities being first exposed because
some Vet would be talking about an action years after the war at a reunion or lecture and mention how this star or another performed during an operation.
None of this is officially confirmed because the British with their Official Secrets Act still keep the lid on operations from the 1860's! As when the great explorer Sir Richard
Burton toured the US during the Civil War, he was no doubt also gathering intel or even conducting espionage that would have been of aid to the CSA.
I guess London figures why add to the list of things they did for the CSA, it's definitely not a good look nowadays.
Higgins would fit right in with the SOE crew and Niven. Niven and Hillerman acting together on Magnum as ex service pals would have been a classic.

[litefoot]

I recall a few years ago that an unfinished memoir by Orson Welles was discovered though I don’t know if it was ever published.

Red West was also working on an autobiography before his death. I think it may have been published. It was called Red and Elvis.

Thanks for those! Just looked them up. The Orson Welles book - Confessions Of A One Man Band - was found in the University of Michigan. It was unfinished and hasn't been published. Shame.

The Red West book doesn't seem to have been published either. The title was One Hell Of A Ride. i have asked the ghostwriter - Jon W Sparks - what happened to it.

I've added both to the list!

Any more?

[litefoot]

Hi Lite,
Good post and welcome to MM. I bet you will find many more Bio's among the guest stars. I read Patrick Macnee's book. When he was 8 he appeared in his first play at school,
with classmate Christopher Lee. His parents divorced and he was raised by his mother and "Uncle Evelyn", his mother's girlfriend who supported them both. Evelyn even paid
for his education at Eton.
In WW 2 he served on a MTB boat, a Brit version of our PT boat, but missed D-Day as he was in hospital. His boat was sunk in his absence.
His service after that is murky because like David Niven and some other British stars, it SUPPOSEDLY later emerged they served in the SOE. So part of their service record
was altered to give them a cover as SOE activities were secret. I read an article - 30 years ago, I forgot most of it - about Niven and others true activities being first exposed because
some Vet would be talking about an action years after the war at a reunion or lecture and mention how this star or another performed during an operation.
None of this is officially confirmed because the British with their Official Secrets Act still keep the lid on operations from the 1860's! As when the great explorer Sir Richard
Burton toured the US during the Civil War, he was no doubt also gathering intel or even conducting espionage that would have been of aid to the CSA.
I guess London figures why add to the list of things they did for the CSA, it's definitely not a good look nowadays.
Higgins would fit right in with the SOE crew and Niven. Niven and Hillerman acting together on Magnum would have been a classic.

I had no idea of any of that. Thanks!

I have read the Doohan and Davison books. The Davison book has three pages on the London episode, with some funny stories about the main cast. Worth finding a copy if you can!

[litefoot]

After Googling last night, I found that James Garner and Marie Helvin briefly spoke about Magnum PI in their own books but as neither actually featured in the series, I won't include them here.

[litefoot]

Jackie Cooper wasn't in Magnum but directed Forever In Time and Limbo. His memoirs 'Please Dont Shoot My Dog' were published in 1981, before he did Magnum, but I'll still add it to the list.

[litefoot]

Marcia Wallace (1.18 Beauty Knows No Pain) published her memoirs 'Don't Look Back, We're Not Going That Way' in 2004.

[Sam]

Agatha's 1981 Autobiography...

The Quality of Mercy: An Autobiography

Book by Mercedes McCambridge

[litefoot]

Agatha's 1981 Autobiography...

The Quality of Mercy: An Autobiography

Book by Mercedes McCambridge

Thanks! Adding it to the list.

[Sam]

The Many Faces of Nehemiah

Book by Nehemiah Persoff

Character actor Nehemiah Persoff recalls his early childhood years in Jerusalem, his coming to New York during the terrible Depression, his work as a technician in the New York subway, and his remarkable transition to Broadway and Hollywood. .

[litefoot]

The Many Faces of Nehemiah

Book by Nehemiah Persoff

Character actor Nehemiah Persoff recalls his early childhood years in Jerusalem, his coming to New York during the terrible Depression, his work as a technician in the New York subway, and his remarkable transition to Broadway and Hollywood. .

Thanks! Will add it to the list.

He left that late. It was published when he was 101 years old! He turned 102 last month.

[litefoot]

Allan Caillou, who played the freighter captain in 1.12 Thicker Than Blood, wrote an account of his wartime experiences in The World is Six Feet Square (1954). In 1973 he published his account of his time as a police captain in 1940s and 50s Somalia - Sheba Slept Here.

[308GUY]

Anybody have info on how to pre-order Sellecks "memoirs"?

I saw something last year, but never could get it to work.