Error loading page.
Try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, there may be a network issue, and you can use our self test page to see what's preventing the page from loading.
Learn more about possible network issues or contact support for more help.

Playing Under the Piano

From Downton to Darkest Peru

Audiobook
1 of 2 copies available
1 of 2 copies available
A moving, laugh-out-loud memoir from one of today’s best-loved British actors, whose credits include Downton Abbey, Notting Hill, and Paddington.
From getting his big break as Third Shepherd in the school nativity play, to mistaking a Hollywood star for an estate agent, Hugh Bonneville creates a brilliantly vivid picture of a career on stage and screen. What is it like working with Judi Dench and Julia Roberts, or playing Robert De Niro’s right leg, or not being Gary Oldman, twice? A wickedly funny storyteller, Bonneville also writes with poignancy about his father’s dementia and of his mother, whose life in the secret service emerged only after her death. Whether telling stories of working with divas, Dames, or a bear with a penchant for marmalade, this is a richly entertaining account of his life as an actor.
  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

  • Formats

  • Languages

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      August 29, 2022
      Acting memoirs don’t come much better than this humorous and self-effacing account by Bonneville, best known for his roles as the Earl of Grantham on Downton Abbey and Henry Brown in the Paddington movies. Bonneville makes the vicissitudes of his profession accessible while never taking himself too seriously, or his successes for granted. Born Hugh Williams in London in 1963, Bonneville had a pleasant childhood, forming close bonds with his parents; his father was a urologist, and his mother a government worker whose true employer, MI6, he only learned after her passing in 2015. He was attracted to acting at an early age, starting modestly: when he was about nine, he impersonated Davy Crockett to impress a girl he had a crush on. He became a member of the National Youth Theatre in 1980, joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1991, and went on to perform with masters of his craft, including Judi Dench and Kenneth Branagh (who ended up giving him his first movie role, a small part in the 1994 film Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein). There are behind-the-scenes looks at Downton, as well as an entertaining account of Bonneville’s experiences with Courting Alex, an unsuccessful American sitcom. He also provides genuine insights into the actor’s craft as well as moving sections detailing his aging father’s diminishing mental capacities. This one’s a winner.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Hugh Bonneville's memoir is funny, personal, informative, insightful, and fun to listen to. The world-class British actor has a stunning list of credits and famous friends, as well as an abundance of anecdotes, which he delivers with self-deprecating humor. Probably best known to American audiences as the Earl of Grantham in "Downton Abbey," Bonneville has also worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company, sharing the stage with such luminaries as Dames Judi Dench and Maggie Smith and Sir Kenneth Branagh. In his memoir he opens himself up with stories from his private life and takes us behind the scenes at "Downton," including the moment that Dame Maggie met "Hurricane Shirley" (MacLaine). This well-written memoir is delivered with the timing, pace, and skill of a seasoned raconteur. S.J.H. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
    • Library Journal

      March 1, 2023

      Actor Bonneville, best known for his roles in Downton Abbey and Paddington, takes listeners on a retrospective of his life and career in what he describes as "a series of snapshots I've taken along the way." Born in London in 1963, Bonneville was one of three children of a urologist and a nurse (after his mother's death, Bonneville learned that she had worked for the Secret Intelligence Service MI6). He was attracted to the stage at a young age, taking part in school acting clubs and productions. He joined the National Youth Theatre at 17, and later he would begin his acting career with the Royal Shakespeare Company. Bonneville displays a humble approach to his career; the stories of his successes and blunders and his anecdotes about fellow actors--Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Laurence Olivier, and others--are engrossing and often laugh-out-loud funny. His narration is superb with just the right touches of humor and occasional sentiment. VERDICT Bonneville is a great storyteller, and this recollection of the ups and downs of his career is a winner.--Phillip Oliver

      Copyright 2023 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

Languages

  • English

Loading