The surprising thing to me about this autobiography is the scope and strength of Nolte's acting career. Growing up watching his films, he was always 'there', but in my mind never reaching superstardom.
In 1992 named People magazine's sexiest man alive, his 2002 police mugshot dropped him down alongside Gary Busey as another drug addled celebrity. Rebel changed my mind, and I commend him for detailing his whole body of work, setting the record straight and giving fellow artists the credit they deserve.
In the early 1960's he was a Midwest football student at 21, rooming at a Laurel Canyon commune, a cool scene with the around-the-clock booze and pills taking a toll on his mood. He went to an acting class with a friend who was considered for Peyton Place, and was smitten with the acting bug, reading the established texts. In 1966, he was cast in plays such as The Miracle Worker, Orpheus Descending, and The Last Pad (the final William Inge play), before a role in the TV sensation Rich Man, Poor Man. The doors opened and he was offered the lead in The Deep alongside Jacqueline Bissett, whose wet white t-shirt made it a hit in 1977. He produced North Dallas Forty from paperback to screen, then starred with an unknown Eddie Murphy in 48 Hours, followed by Cannery Row - here he sets the record straight on the wrongful firing of first choice lead Raquel Welch and replacement with Debra Winger, leading to a landmark court case which Welch won. Under Fire was a chaotic shoot in Mexico with Joanna Cassidy, but turned out to be one of my favourite films of his, another hit. Katherine Hepburn chose him for what turned out to be her final lead role in film, Grace Quigley, directed by Hal Ashby. (You are not the only one who has not heard of it). It was a major flop leading to the redemption film Down And Out In Beverly Hills, which rose the profiles of Richard Dreyfuss and Bette Midler, fresh off being treated like dirt on Jinxed. One portion of New York Stories was directed by Martin Scorsese, leading to the starring role in his remake of Cape Fear with Jessica Lange, and Lorenzo's Oil with Susan Sarandon. His first Oscar nomination came with The Prince of Tides directed and starring Barbra Streisand, followed by two Merchant Ivory directed films. His second nomination came with Paul Schrader's Affliction.
These are not all his credits, but I was continually surprised at the quality of his career, and he has details throughout all the productions for film buffs. Miraculously, he continued drinking, pills, weed, experimenting with LSD with Timothy Leary, pharmaceutical grade cocaine use and other psychotropics for many years, until setting those aside for legal GHB, leading to a car accident and infamous arrest in 2002. How he managed I don't know.
For film buffs, there is a wealth of backstage information on all his projects, and even if you are not a Nolte fan already, a new respect for his work, which speaks for itself.
2018 / Hardcover / 256 pages
The doors opened and he was offered the lead in The Deep alongside Jacqueline Bissett, whose wet white t-shirt made it a hit in 1977.
Lol! I first knew him when he starred in 48 Hours. - Neeru