So I started with "a biography or memoir" and my selection was "So That Happened" by Jon Cryer. I have been a fan of Jon Cryer since seeing him play Duckie in Pretty in Pink many moons ago. I had heard great things about the book on Twitter and decided to add it to my Amazon cart.
It is less of a biography and more of a memoir about his time so far in show business. Some of it was very interesting and insightful. Jon has experience as an actor in theater, movies, and TV, as well as a writer, director, and producer. He does a great job explaining the difference between the various genres and giving you a taste of the ins and outs of show business through his experiences, all with a healthy dose of humor. You can really sense the respect he has for certain people in the business and his frustration with different aspects. He touches on different areas of his personal life, but does not delve too deeply. He does have a chapter on his experience with an old girlfriend and talks about his relationship with Demi Moore when they filmed "No Small Affair" together. He doesn't really bash anyone, although after his description of working on Pretty In Pink, I get the sense that Molly Ringwald was a stuck up snobby bitch and Andrew McCarthy was a condescending prick (my words, not his). Even though he brushes off some of their actions and words, I think he was a little hurt at their behavior towards him, both on and off camera.
The one section of the book I had a problem with was when he spoke about Charlie Sheen, specifically when Charlie went off the deep end. There was just a little too much detail about the whole scenario. I really didn't need to know the specific text messages Jon and Charlie exchanged. I know "Two and a Half Men" comprised a large part of Jon Cryer's professional life and Charlie Sheen was a big part of it; I know Charlie Sheen's behavior was all over the media at the time and fodder for TMZ and the tabloids; and I am sure Charlie's behavior really hurt and pissed off Jon. But I wished that Jon focused a little less on the circus that was Charlie Sheen and stuck more to his show business experiences or talked more about his relationship with his family or being a father. The last third of the book is mostly about Charlie Sheen and it should ALL be about Jon Cryer.
All in all, I enjoyed the book and if you are a fan of Jon's, give it a read! I own the book, so if you would like to read it, let me know and I will be happy to send it to you!
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