Try before you buy the book. Enjoy this excerpt about “Making it in Hollywood”
In 1986 or ‘87, writer Thom Racina introduced me to a young man named Brad, who had moved in with him. Thom referred to him as his new houseboy, which I thought was a little over the top, but Brad didn’t seem to mind. He had just arrived from Missouri and was, naturally, an aspiring actor.
Brad was a husky blonde, handsome and clean-cut in a wholesome midwestern fashion. Not my type at all, as I was attracted to quirkier guys. He had been working part-time for the El Pollo chicken stand at the corner of La Brea and Sunset. Dressed in a yellow feathered suit, he waved a sign to attract customers. I guess he was kinda quirky, after all, and he was desperate to make it in Hollywood.
Thom was writing for the soap opera Another World at the time and created a part for Brad, good for a two-episode gig on the show, mainly to qualify him for a union card. The sponsors and producers panned Brad’s performance in devastating terms. “He’s not appealing,” “No talent” and “Didn’t do much for me” were the verdicts. There was no future for Brad in the soaps, but at least he got his card.
Over the next couple of years, I occasionally saw Brad at Thom’s house. A friend from back home sent Brad an old, broken-down ATT PC 6300, hoping it would help him pursue a writing career since acting wasn’t working out for him. Brad asked me to try to fix it. I warned him that it was probably a hopeless cause. ATT parts were no longer available and there was no eBay back then.
I took the PC to my office and worked on it for hours but, after a week or two, I had to return it to him, still non-functional. He was deeply disappointed. In hindsight, it’s probably for the best that I couldn’t fix that PC, and he abandoned the idea of becoming a writer. I haven’t had another opportunity to do any more favors for Brad Pitt.
