Behind the Fame: 2024’s must-read Celebrity memoirs

Autobiographies, Biographies, and Memoirs are vital to film buffs and celebrity fans. In 2024, many celebrities shared their lives and careers in deeply personal books.

As the year nears an end, immerse yourself in the captivating stories of Hollywood’s biggest stars. These memoirs are filled with inspiring journeys, shocking truths, and unforgettable stories that will keep you hooked. Also, where else can you get the ultimate blend of drama, passion, and intrigue that only Hollywood can deliver?

Al Pacino - Sonny Boy: A Memoir

Academy Award-winning actor Al Pacino has been around since the early 1970s and, for the first time, opens up to his fans in his Sonny Boy: A Memoir. His fans and followers will surely enjoy his nostalgic journey, which takes them to his humble beginnings and illustrious career.

Al Pacino - Sonny Boy: A MemoirInstagram

Pacino recounts the hardships he and his mother faced in the South Bronx, a gritty upbringing that shaped his legendary career, which continues even after seven decades. Readers will discover how Pacino landed the iconic role of Michael Corleone in The Godfather and developed the acting method that defined his career.

Tom Selleck - You Never Know: A Memoir

Some know him as Thomas Magnum, others as Frank Regan, but there’s more to Tom Selleck than his two starring roles in the TV series Magnum P.I. and Blue Bloods. The Hollywood star has been in the industry for over 50 years and recently opened up about his challenges finding work and keeping up with expectations.

In his latest memoir 'You Never Know,' Tom Selleck focuses mainly on the first half of his career, notably his struggling days and the Magnum phase. Nearly every project Selleck touched during this phase became a success, cementing his status as a household name. He starts from his early days, guides readers through the real face of Hollywood, and finally settles in when his career settles as a TV and film star.

Tom Selleck - You Never Know: A MemoirInstagram

Ellis Henican co-wrote the easygoing memoir, but it is not without flaws. Considering Friends and Blue Bloods played pivotal roles in shaping Tom's post-Magnum P.I. career, he should have discussed them in more detail. Fans of Friends will be disappointed by the lack of insight into his role as Dr. Richard Burke, a character who cemented his place in pop culture.

Josh Brolin - From Under the Truck: A Memoir

Josh Brolin is undoubtedly a superstar who has been included in successful franchises to make them even more successful. But there is more to The Goonies and No Country for Old Men actor who has been around for nearly five decades. His autobiography, From Under the Truck, proves that. In it, he offers his personal story. He talks about his famous actor dad, James, and his fearless mother, Jane Agee Brolin, whose tragic death in a car accident left a lasting scar on his life, shaping his views on family and resilience.

That doesn’t mean he doesn’t talk about Hollywood, where he enjoys a successful career thanks to essential roles in the Deadpool, Avengers, and Men in Black franchises. From his professional and personal ups and downs to his insights into relationships, addiction, and love, Josh talks about everything honestly, which will surprise readers.

Michael Richards - Entrances and Exits

Michael Richards is known worldwide for breathing life into one of the most remarkable and beloved television characters ever invented: Kramer in Seinfeld. In this memoir, he candidly reflects on the highs of playing Kramer and the controversies derailing his career.

The comedy genius and three-time Emmy Award-winning actor explains his life and career choices in this book, where he candidly talks to the readers. In this complex memoir, he also opens up about his working relationship with Jerry Seinfeld, Jason Alexander, Larry David, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who were instrumental in his success as Kramer and how it helped or affected him as an actor.

Billy Dee Williams - What Have We Here? Portraits of a Life

From being the first Black character in the Star Wars Universe to making a name for himself on TV, Billy Dee Williams has been around for seven decades and witnessed many changes. In this memoir, he talks about those changes and shares his aspirations, inspirations, and decisions that helped him achieve what many of his contemporaries couldn’t.

After all, who would want to miss a legendary actor sharing deeply personal stories and reflections from his groundbreaking career in his own words, especially when he has shared battles with Han Solo!

Whoopi Goldberg - Bits and Pieces: My Mother, My Brother, and Me

While most Hollywood folks talk about their career in their memoirs, multi-award winner Whoopi Goldberg comes out with a memoir that honors her family and their contributions to her early life. In this brilliant tribute, she explains that had it not been for her mother, Emma Johnson, she would have stayed with Caryn Johnson instead of becoming Whoopi Goldberg. She also credits her elder brother Clyde for helping her discover her talent, and terms them both as the only people ‘who truly knew her’.

Those who loved personal memoirs by Viola Davis or Sally Field will surely be touched by Bits and Pieces, in which a celebrated daughter remembers her mother (who died in 2010) and brother (who died in 2015) in a way that will bring tears to your eyes. It's a must-read for Whoopi Goldberg fans!

Cher: The Memoir: Part One

You have to read it to believe it—the uber-successful Cher was a dyslexic child who dreamed of becoming famous, eventually fulfilling her dreams, and excelling in whichever field she chose. For the first time in her career, she finally reveals her true story in intimate detail in a two-part memoir, the first of which has hit the market.

Who wouldn’t want to know about her secret to success? She is still the only woman to top the Billboard charts in seven consecutive decades, has won an Academy Award, an Emmy, a Grammy, and a Cannes Film Festival Award, and has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Add to that her activism and philanthropy, and you have a legend who knows the right moves.

In the first part of Cher: The Memoir, Part One, she delves into her turbulent childhood, her whirlwind romance and eventual split with Sonny Bono, and the beginnings of her trailblazing career, among other things.

Lisa Marie Presley - From Here to the Great Unknown: A Memoir

Although Lisa Marie Presley wasn’t a famous actor or a celebrated singer, she was related to two of the most iconic stars of the last century—Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson. Before tragically passing in January 2023 at the age of 54, she left her daughter Riley Keough with countless recordings and an incomplete manuscript, which eventually came out as her memoir.

This half-written memoir offers fascinating insights for Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson fans. In it, she recounts her troubled youth, four marriages, drug addiction, and short-lived music career. She also reveals that she grew up in the shadow of her iconic parents and carved out her path, even as tragedy seemed to follow her at every turn.