Straight Chatting from the Library: Leon Acord

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READ THE INTERVIEW

What is the favorite book you remember as a child?

I had so many. But the first one that comes to mind is The Mysterious Disappearance of Leon (I Mean Noel) by Ellen Raskin. Why it was a favorite should be immediately obvious!

Tell us about your current book in 10 words.

SUB-LEBRITY* is a “Hollywood memoir with feuds, flops, and affairs by a non-famous actor!”

What are you reading right now?

The travel journals Happily Lost and Miles of Memories by my lovely friend Erika Atkinson [Ageloff Books]. I always enjoy her books, but maybe I’m loving these even more, because I know they’re as close as I’ll come to traveling anywhere this year.

Do you have any bad book habits?

I used to chain smoke like mad while reading (and writing)! Fortunately, I gave that up. In fact, in a couple of weeks, I’ll reach my one-year anniversary of not smoking.

Congratulations on that anniversary! E-Reader or print? and why?

I’ll always prefer print. I’m old! But I have to say, working on the e-book version of SUB-LEBRITY* did almost win me over, at least to a point. But I’ll always be old school, I’m afraid.

One book at a time or multiples?

Multiples, if non-fiction. If it’s a novel, I gotta stick to one at a time.

Dog-ear or bookmark? (don't worry—Librarian Judith won't hold it against you—much)

Dog ear (but only those books I have purchased, Judith, never a loaner!) I like to collect bookmarks but when I use them as bookmarks, I end up losing them.

Least favorite book you've read this year?

I am a huge Debbie Harry fan, so I was really let down by her memoir Face It. Maybe she’s just done too many drugs to remember all the details. What she does share is rather, uhm, disembodied.

Favorite book you've read this year?

See above, Happily Lost and Miles of Memories by my lovely friend Erika Atkinson.

When do you do most of your reading?

If it’s a book that’s really captured my imagination, constantly, any time I can. For more sedate reading experiences, its usually on long, boring weekend afternoons. But I don’t have too many those these days.

Favorite place to read?

Wherever it’s quiet!

Favorite genre?

Show-business autobiographies and memoirs, naturally! I used to love novels, but I don’t think I’ve read fiction in … I can’t tell you how long. I need to fix that, soon!

Do you loan your books?

I used to. Until I learned I never got them back. Now, only to awfully close friends who I know I will see again soon!

Favorite book to recommend?

Well, if you’re looking to write a memoir like I just did, The Art of Memoir by Mary Carr is about as good as it gets. Very smart, very inspirational.

How do you keep your books organized?

Wait. Am I supposed to keep books organized? (Laughs) Roughly by genre. Memoirs here. Scripts over there. Fiction up there. But there really are books all over the place at our house.

Re-reader or not?

Only my favorite books. I’ve re-read The Fan by Bob Randall maybe a dozen times since high school. I must really love a book a lot to re-read.

What would make you not finish a book?

Bad writing! I was once hired to adapt a novel into a screenplay. But the novel was so horrible, the characters were indistinguishable from one another. I knew I couldn’t make a good screenplay from that book without altering it substantially. So, I gave the payment back, and said best of luck to you!

Keep books or give them away?

I would never, ever give books away. That is, until we downsized two years ago from a large house to a two-bedroom apartment. I donated hundreds of books – plays, show-biz bios, novels, tons of filmmaking guides – to Goodwill and some theatre companies. It felt really good.

READ THE BLURB

A droll, oddly inspirational memoir from the actor Breitbart once called "a gay leftist activist," SUB-LEBRITY by Leon Acord (Old Dogs & New Tricks) is an honest, sometimes bitchy but always sincere story about growing up (very) gay in rural Indiana, achieving acting success outside the closet, and generating headlines with his very-public smackdown with Trump-loving Susan Olsen (Cindy, The Brady Bunch)

READ AN EXCERPT

With Laurence’s encouragement, I signed up for a commercial-casting workshop with the Bay Area’s leading commercial casting director Beau Bonneau. I’d auditioned for him so often the past few years, we were on a friendly first-name basis.

The workshop was a breeze. I nailed every exercise. Beau was quite complimentary after each one. But that only deepened the mystery.

At the end of the workshop, as the dozen or so of us prepared to leave, Beau asked me to stick around for a moment.

Wow! Maybe he’s casting something he thinks I’d be good for!

He busied himself gathering up sides as actors left. Once it was just us, Beau approached me with the gravitas of a doctor about to deliver a cancer diagnosis.

Oh my god. He’s going to tell me I suck!

“So, listen, Leon,” he began. “I shouldn’t say this. It could get me into a lot of trouble.”

Is he gay? Is he going to hit on me?

“But I really think you should know. You’re wasting your time with workshops.”

I suck!

“You know how to do this.”

Where the hell is he going with this?

“You have the skills, charisma and timing and warmth needed for commercials but –”

He took a deep breath. (As did I.)

“But you won’t get booked. Because … well…” He took another deep breath. “Leon, the truth is, you scare advertisers. Because, damn it, you’re just too gay.”

My thoughtful repose seemed to unnerve him. He clearly had expected an outburst.

I suppose I could have had one. I could’ve pointed out I’d played occasional straight roles. I could’ve accused him and the entire commercial industry of homophobia.

But I admired Beau’s bravery. He really did go out on a limb. I always prefer honesty. And, most importantly, I was relieved to finally hear, out loud, a reason why I wasn’t booking commercials.

“Thank you, Beau. That took guts. I appreciate your honesty.”

The relieved look on his face was priceless.

MEET THE AUTHOR

Leon Acord is an award-winning actor and writer who has appeared in over 35 films you've never seen and 30 plays you've never heard of. Possible exceptions include the digital TV series Old Dogs & New Tricks on Amazon Prime Video (which he created, wrote & co-produced), and the stage hit Carved in Stone (in which he played Quentin Crisp in both SF and LA productions). His memoir, SUB-LEBRITY: The Queer Life of a Show-Biz Footnote, is now available in paperback and e-book on Amazon. He wrote his one-man show Last Sunday in June (1996) and co-authored the 2014 play Setting the Record Gay. He was a "Take Five" columnist for Back Stage West throughout 2009 and a former contributor to Huffington Post. He has also written for San Francisco Examiner and the journal Human Prospect. He currently lives in West LA with husband Laurence Whiting and their cat Toby.

Website: http://www.LeonAcord.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LeonAcordActor
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/leonacord
Twiter: http://www.twitter.com/Sub_lebrityLeon
Blog: http://www.LeonAcord.com/blog
Old Dogs and New Tricks website: http://www.odnt.tv

Amazon: http://www.bit.ly/SUBpaperback

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