How I Slept My Way to the Middle
Secrets and Stories from Stage, Screen, and Interwebs
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Narrated by:
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Kevin Pollak
About this listen
Audie Award Finalist, Humor, 2014
Kevin Pollak rose through the comedy club ranks at the feet of Don Rickles and Bill Cosby, Johnny Carson, and George Carlin. Named one of Comedy Central’s Top 100 Stand-Up Comedians of All Time, he’s a killer impressionist - Falk, Shatner, Walken, Nicholson - a versatile actor with one of the most respected filmographies around, and an Internet pioneer. He’s done it all, and now he’s ready to spill the beans.
Ballsy, hilarious, and revealing, How I Slept My Way to the Middle winningly combines never-before-heard stories featuring A-list entertainers with fan favorites and Kevin’s own thoughts about how he made it. He turned down his first invitation to do stand-up on The Tonight Show because he knew that he’d make a bigger splash if he sat on the couch next to Johnny. That huge risk - which paid off in spades - was just the beginning. Find out how he brought John Belushi to his knees, tortured Paul Reiser (twice), bamboozled Larry King, stole Alan Arkin’s soul, almost killed Warren Beatty, and sucked face with Robert De Niro’s girlfriend. Now a new media entrepreneur, Kevin is laughing proof that if you follow your gut and believe in yourself, you can do anything you want - except have a rational conversation with Rip Torn, who’s an evil, paranoid $#!%.
©2012 Kevin Pollak (P)2012 Brilliance Audio, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
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Zombies, aliens, a little skin, lots of gore - and even more laughs - the cinematic universe of Charles Band is legendary. From the toilet-invading creatures of Ghoulies to the time-travelling bounty hunter in Trancers to the pandemic-crashed Corona Zombies, Band has spent four decades giving B-movie lovers exactly what they love. In Confessions of a Puppetmaster, this congenial master of Grindhouse cinema tells his own story, uncut.
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Great story and narration
- By Jerry on 08-21-23
By: Charles Band, and others
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The Chris Farley Show
- A Biography in Three Acts
- By: Tom Farley, Tanner Colby
- Narrated by: Therese Plummer, L. J. Ganser, Mark Boyett
- Length: 9 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
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The New York Times best-selling biography of an American comedy legend. After three years of sobriety, Chris Farley's life was at its creative peak until a string of professional disappointments chased him back to drugs and alcohol. He fought hard against them, but it was a fight he would lose in December 1997. Farley's fans immediately drew parallels between his death and that of his idol, John Belushi. Without looking deeper, however, many failed to see that Farley was much more than just another Hollywood drug overdose. In this officially authorized oral history, Farley's friends and family remember his work and life.
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Incredibly sad....
- By Marie B on 04-12-15
By: Tom Farley, and others
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Conversations with My Agent (and Set Up, Joke, Set Up, Joke)
- By: Rob Long
- Narrated by: Rob Long
- Length: 7 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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Barely out of film school, Rob Long struck the jackpot and landed a job on the phenomenally successful TV sitcom Cheers. However, with the demise of the show, Long was faced with the question, "Is there life after Cheers?" Mercilessly witty about the daunting process of setting up a new series and getting it on air, these two audiobooks tell the absurd tale of what came next.
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The writers should run the business
- By Charles on 04-21-23
By: Rob Long
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The Improv
- An Oral History of the Comedy Club That Revolutionized Stand-Up
- By: Budd Friedman, Tripp Whetsell, Jay Leno - foreword
- Narrated by: Johnny Heller
- Length: 10 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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In 1963, 30-year-old Friedman - who had recently quit his job as a Boston advertising executive and returned to his hometown of New York to become a theatrical producer - opened a coffee house for Broadway performers called the Improvisation. His goal? Simply to make a living, and if all went according to plan, to also make enough professional contacts to be able to mount his first Broadway show within a year's time. Later shortened to the Improv, its first West 44th Street location was in a seedy section of Manhattan's Hell's Kitchen.
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Shockingly tone deaf
- By JenniferW on 06-28-23
By: Budd Friedman, and others
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Easy for You to Say
- By: John Melendez
- Narrated by: John Melendez
- Length: 6 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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Easy For You To Say is "Stuttering" John Melendez's memoir of his childhood being bullied in school for his stutter; his years as an on-air personality with The Howard Stern Show; and his subsequent 10-year career as a writer and on-air announcer for Jay Leno's Tonight Show. It details his famously acerbic relationships with celebrities he interviewed/insulted (Raquel Welch once punched him in the face). In the audiobook, Howard Stern emerges as a surprisingly mean, stingy, and megalomaniacal boss - and Jay Leno as a seeming sufferer from OCD.
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Was expecting more
- By Amazon Customer on 10-25-18
By: John Melendez
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As You Wish
- Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride
- By: Cary Elwes, Joe Layden, Rob Reiner - foreword
- Narrated by: Cary Elwes, Christopher Guest, Carol Kane, and others
- Length: 7 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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From actor Cary Elwes, who played the iconic role of Westley in The Princess Bride, comes a first-person account and behind-the-scenes look at the making of the cult classic film filled with never-before-told stories, exclusive photographs, and interviews with costars Robin Wright, Wallace Shawn, Billy Crystal, Christopher Guest, and Mandy Patinkin, as well as author and screenwriter William Goldman, producer Norman Lear, and director Rob Reiner.
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I don't normally write reviews but...
- By Anonymous on 10-18-14
By: Cary Elwes, and others
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Top of the Rock
- Inside the Rise and Fall of Must See TV
- By: Warren Littlefield, T. R. Pearson
- Narrated by: Bob Balaban
- Length: 8 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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Warren Littlefield was the NBC President of Entertainment who oversaw the Peacock Network’s rise from also-ran to a division that generated a billion dollars in profits. In this fast-paced and exceptionally entertaining oral history, Littlefield and NBC luminaries including Jerry Seinfeld, Jason Alexander, Kelsey Grammer, Matt LeBlanc, Lisa Kudrow, Julianna Marguiles, Anthony Edwards, Noah Wylie, Debra Messing, Jack Welch, Jimmy Burrows, Helen Hunt, and Dick Wolf vividly recapture the incredible era of Must See TV.
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Nostalgic Look at NBC in the 90's
- By Jill on 10-10-12
By: Warren Littlefield, and others
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Starmaker
- Life as a Hollywood Publicist with Farrah, The Rat Pack, & 600 More Stars Who Fired Me
- By: Jay Bernstein
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 12 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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Revealingly candid, this Hollywood memoir is the story of Jay Bernstein, an entertainment industry fixture who helped launch and sustain the careers of many celebrities including Farrah Fawcett and Suzanne Somers. From his childhood in Oklahoma City and his first job in a Hollywood mail room to the ownership of his own public relations firm and his work as a television producer, Bernstein’s life is chronicled in his own words.
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Very Entertaining
- By patrick on 09-27-15
By: Jay Bernstein
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Baby, Don't Hurt Me
- Stories and Scars from Saturday Night Live
- By: Chris Kattan
- Narrated by: Chris Kattan
- Length: 8 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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Chris Kattan has defied comparison, expectations, and sometimes gravity with his inimitable style of physical comedy. By creating some of the most memorable Saturday Night Live characters, as well as his many roles in film and television, Kattan has remained one of the most fearless and versatile comedians in the world. Now, for the first time, Kattan opens up about eight seasons on SNL, performing alongside friends and future legends including Will Ferrell, Jimmy Fallon, and Tina Fey, and guest hosts from Charlize Theron to Tom Hanks to David Bowie.
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Funny and complex.
- By Anna Jennings on 05-15-19
By: Chris Kattan
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Dirty Daddy
- The Chronicles of a Family Man Turned Filthy Comedian
- By: Bob Saget
- Narrated by: Bob Saget
- Length: 6 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
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Millions of viewers know and love Bob Saget from his role as the sweetly neurotic father on the smash hit Full House, and as the charming wisecracking host of America's Funniest Home Videos. And then there are the legions of fans who can't get enough of his scatological, out-of-his-mind stand-up routines, comedy specials, and outrageously profane performances in such shows as HBO's Entourage and the hit documentary The Aristocrats.
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Meh to the 2nd Power
- By Hilary on 06-30-14
By: Bob Saget
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Coreyography
- By: Corey Feldman
- Narrated by: Corey Feldman
- Length: 8 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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In this brave and moving memoir, Corey Feldman is revealing the truth about what his life was like behind the scenes: His is a past that included physical, drug, and sexual abuse, a dysfunctional family from which he was emancipated at age fifteen, three high-profile arrests for drug possession, a nine-month stint in rehab, and a long, slow crawl back to the top of the box office.
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Didn't like the Two Coreys, but liked this.
- By ricketsj on 04-29-14
By: Corey Feldman
What listeners say about How I Slept My Way to the Middle
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Dave Staats
- 12-26-12
Of My 627 Audio Books This is Top 3
What did you love best about How I Slept My Way to the Middle?
I loved best that Kevin Pollak seems to be the guy he always seemed to be. He is amazingly talented. Incredibly funny, humble but at the same time not unaware that he is really good at what he does. He talks a lot about Tom Cruises' enthusiasm for everything. I'd similarly note Kevin's excitement at getting to meet as many of his heroes as he has and his seeming lack of awareness that he is right there with them as far as his fans are concerned.
What did you like best about this story?
I liked his writing style. It was effortless to listen to. I may get the book someday just to see the photos but if I had read the book I'd still do the audio just for the voices. I mean reading this book when audio is available would be like sending Stevie Wonder a painting for Christmas.
Which scene was your favorite?
There were so many where I laughed out loud. I don't even want to pick one...but to honor the question I'll mention Alan Arkin calling to tell Kevin he had to stop leaving messages for himself (it makes sense when you hear it). Or Rip Torn maybe which can't be printed here.
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
I choked up several times when he said things I feel deeply. I didn't choke up over his comment about why he hates strip clubs but I did laugh. I have always felt the same.
Any additional comments?
God, I hope he writes another book. I am going to find his online show next.
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7 people found this helpful
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- Shawn
- 02-03-16
A very fun time to be had
Would you listen to How I Slept My Way to the Middle again? Why?
I'm sure I will listen to Pollak's memoir again - it is chock full of stories that are fun to relive with him, and he is just just absolutely a funny, entertaining guy.
What did you like best about this story?
There are two elements that are particularly excellent. First, Pollak's retelling of personal anecdotes (for example, impressing Columbo himself, early on in life) are entirely entertaining and impressive, due to Pollak's boldness and wit. Second, his adoration of his own acting idols shines through and it's fun to hear him idolize them like any other hollywood fan.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
This is more a series of stories that can be enjoyed in broken up settings, though it's really well told, drawing you forward through each connected piece.
Any additional comments?
While it's true that his idol worship is fun, it's also a drawback, as Pollak is rather harsh on those who don't conform to his idea of Hollywood and its stars. They are raked over the coals (in his witty, ascerbic way) when his idols could just as easily be criticized by people who don't share his social/political leanings. It does make for a bit of an uneven read.
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- J. Daniel
- 08-26-17
Excellent story with plenty of laughs
Ended up binge listening to the last half. The names dropped are amazing and vital to the story.
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- RHT
- 10-23-21
Better than I expected
Good stories and a few tell alls. Self-effacing. Worth the listen and like his story telling.
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- R Gunn
- 01-16-22
Very Entertaining Stories
Kevin Pollak as always tells great stories about the behind scenes of comedy and Hollywood
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- Debra Garfinkle
- 07-13-13
Perfect for Audio
Kevin Pollak is fantastic at doing impersonations, so audio is the best way to experience this book. In this audiobook, he impersonates Johnny Carson, Tom Cruise, Jon Voight, Bill Clinton, William Shatner and many others.
He knows how to tell a good story, dish dirt about celebrities he's worked with, and make people laugh.
He does brag too much and I'm sure he's withholding some interesting things. For instance, he has only positive things to say about Demi Moore, Bruce Willis, Tom Cruise, and other controversial stars he's worked with, and he doesn't talk about why his marriage dissolved.
But even though this memoir is somewhat shallow, it's a ton of fun.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Callie
- 11-13-15
Fun autobiography read by author
Kevin Pollak relates great stories from his early career to the high point at Carnegie Hall.
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- Dorian
- 05-17-16
A very great listen.
Kevin does a great job with the reading/performance. Highly recommended for comedy fans looking for a light hearted and comical listen.
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- Brian
- 06-26-13
I REALLY LIKED THIS A LOT - GREAT AUDIOBOOK
I REALLY LIKED THIS A LOT - GREAT AUDIOBOOK
Kevin Pollak is dead on with his impressions. Very goos story -- Very enjoyable listen.
Highly recommended.
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- Matt
- 01-19-17
Entertaining as hell
I am a big fan of pollak and listen to his show and interviews he does. I feel like the book would be great to someone who occasionally listens to his show. I have heard nearly all of his shows and have heard all these stories before but he was great as the narrator and it was still entertaining. of course I recommend it.
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