Five star review, originally posted here on September 29th, 2025:
Well wasn’t this just delightful?
Yes, yes it was.
Hiller starts off his book by telling us that he loves the shit out of actor memoirs. It’s his favorite “genre.” This is the first time I’ve ever heard anybody else say they love these books that I also love to death. I haven’t read anywhere near as many as he has, but in my experience actor memoirs easily make some of the best audiobooks. They’re typically self-narrated by, of course, professional story-tellers. And honestly, the less known the writer, the more likely I am to love it. I’ve read books by actresses I’ve never even heard of before and been enraptured (check out Confessions of a Prairie Bitch by Alison Arngrim, and I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy.) Well, you can’t get much lesser-known than Jeff Hiller, whose claim to fame at the time of publication was just 14 episodes of a lesser-known TV show (of which I’d only seen 2 episodes.)
But, full disclosure, I don’t know Hiller from Somebody Somewhere on HBO. I know him from his time at UCB, when he was on an improv team with my sister almost 2 decades ago. I’ve seen and met plenty of recognizable actors through my sister, and almost any time I turn on the TV I can point to the screen and say, “Oh hey, that’s [insert actor’s name.] He was in [insert comedy project] with my sister.” I don’t talk with my sister about these constant sighting much anymore because it would get tedious. But a couple years ago she went out of the way to tell me to watch Somebody Somewhere, because she was so excited for Hiller. This is the ONLY time she has EVER specifically promoted someone’s project to me. The reason? Because Hiller is amazing and awesome and talented and nice and she wanted nothing but the world’s biggest success for him. “I remember Jeff! He WAS awesome! I’ll definitely watch his show!” I watched 2 episodes… then forgot about it. Doh! (I rarely control the remote in my house, and when my spouse is gone, I’m watching Newsies or Jane Austen adaptations or 90’s romcoms while eating a bowl of cookie dough.)
Fast forward to a couple weeks ago, when I woke up one morning and started scrolling the news to avoid getting out of bed. Emmy snubs and surprises… perfect procrastination fare! Halfway down the list, Hiller’s smiling face appeared holding HIS FUCKING BRAND NEW EMMY!!!! Heck’s yeah! I was delighted to get to share the good news with my sister, but felt regret for not having actually watched the show as promised. To make amends, I’m supporting now (uh… too late I know, given there won’t be a 4th season) by watching Somebody Somewhere and picking up this memoir.
I’m so glad I did! This memoir is wonderful! Hiller knows his stuff when it comes to memoir-writing, having read so many himself. This is the perfect mix of anecdotes, sometimes sad, but mostly charming and hilarious. You’ll laugh! You’ll cry! You’ll love every minute. Before reading I was thinking, “I dunno, who writes a memoir after just 1 TV show?” But as I was reading, I realized this is the perfect time to write a memoir. I’m reminded of This Team is Ruining My Life by Steve Dangle. Dangle commented in his book that it might seem weird to write a memoir when he was so young and really only starting to become famous. But (despite the age difference), his and Hiller’s stories are so similar in that they show the adventures and experiences that lead one to the cusp of fame, told with the excitement of someone who doesn’t know what the future holds (Is this the career climax? Or will Dangle and Hiller be household names? Either way, life right now is freakin’ exciting, and they should be proud of their achievements!) Like Dangle’s book, Hiller’s book focuses on the long journey that aspiring entertainers must traverse to reach success, whatever that success may look like. It was unflinching and self-deprecating. I loved reading about all of Hiller’s gigs, from working in a theme restaurant, to touring football games dressed as a snickers-loving pirate, to riffing about his near-nudity with Téa Leoni. This is a story about grinding it out. The unglamorous, constant battle when one follows one’s dreams.
Mixed in with the tales of career ambitions were, of course, deeply personal tales about family, love, and personal growth. Hiller grew up in a religious family in Texas, which is typically a less-than-ideal setting for a gay kid in the 80s. So I was pleasantly surprised to read about Hiller’s love of church that extended into adulthood, and well about his loving and accepting mother. It was such a wholesome tale that could have gone so sideways, but didn’t. One of my favorite chapters was the one about his love life (or, for the longest time, the lack thereof.) It was open and honest and, I think, comforting for anyone else whose relationship timeline maybe doesn’t match those that society seems to set.
My only critique, as a very biased reader, is that I went in hoping to read more about UCB and Hiller’s improv experiences. It feels weird to say that, because there is an entire chapter dedicated to just improv, and he mentions improv constantly in other chapters (usually in passing, like to say “I couldn’t stay for the date because I had an improv performance” or “I used my experience with improv in this audition.”) But still, I guess I was hoping for more fun personal stories about this time. Maybe a shout-out to my sister. That UCB theatre has to be crawling with anecdotes and drama! On the other hand, I understand staying away from a deep-dive there. Presumably plenty of UCB folks would be reading this book, and maybe any sort of expose would just stir the pot. I dunno.
Bottom line: This is a delightful memoir by a delightful person, and I highly recommend doing the audiobook version so you can get that perfect Jeff Hiller delivery. And heck’s yeah, that’s one well-deserved Emmy!
Helga without the H 