Piper Laurie (1932–2023)

I have loved Piper Laurie since seeing her in "Dream A Little Dream" back in the 1980's. I even found out by reading the book that Piper played the mother in the original movie "Carrie", which I didn't realize when I saw the movie. I felt horrible for the childhood that Rosetta "Piper" experienced. She managed to rise above the sadness she endured. Piper is truly a beautiful person inside and out. I love the fact that Piper has played so many diverse roles in her career and would love to see her in something new.… (mehr)

Honest and forthright autobiography by actress Piper Laurie. She discusses her difficult childhood, not only was she incredibly shy, but her parents sent her to a "sanitarium" with her sister who suffered from asthma. The reasons were never fully explained. She always wanted to be an actress and was signed by Universal about the same time as Rock Hudson and Tony Curtis. She got to work with many interesting folks including Charles Coburn, Tyrone Power, Donald O'Connor, Dana Andrews, and eventually Paul Newman in her Oscar nominated role in Somebody Up There Likes Me. She struggled with shyness and insecurity most of her life but was finally able to overcome this and has expanded her career, not only in acting and directing, but in sculpting as well. Her book tells some amazing stories, including a mudslide at her home from which she narrowly escaped and her first love, who was Ronald Reagan. I thought this was a good look at someone who was able to overcome their shyness and insecurity and realize that they can live a full life and work well with others. The book was well written and contained numerous photos.… (mehr)