Product Description

At the height of his television fame on The Man From UNCLE, Robert Vaughn was one of Hollywood's most eligible bachelors, with countless adoring female fans. His affairs with famous celebrities, including Natalie Wood, made front-page news. But Vaughn is not just a handsome face - he is a talented stage, television and film actor. In this fascinating biography Vaughn recounts his memories of a golden era in Hollywood and the trials and tribulations of life as a successful actor, from hot dates, having an FBI file because of his anti-Vietnam stance, being caught up in the Russian invasion of Prague in 1968 while filming, to being attacked in a restaurant by drunk basketball fans. Vaughn befriended such luminaries as Bobby Kennedy and stars such as Jack Nicholson, met presidents at parties and had many adventures with celebrities past and present, from Elvis and Judy Garland to Steve McQueen and Elizabeth Taylor. This is his revealing and captivating story. Emmy-winning actor Robert Vaughn has portrayed five US Presidents and currently stars in BBC TV's Hustle. He has appeared in many films and appeared in several TV series, from the The Magnificent Seven and The Towering Inferno to The Protectors and the classic, The Man From UNCLE.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #13387 in Books
• Published on: 2009-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 320 pages

About the Author
Emmy-winning actor Robert Vaughn has portrayed five US Presidents and currently stars in BBC TV's Hustle. He has appeared in many films and appeared in several TV series, from the The Magnificent Seven and The Towering Inferno to The Protectors and the classic, The Man From UNCLE.

Customer Reviews

Robert Vaughn - A Fortunate Life
As a youngster, I always watched the TV series : The Man From UNCLE and became a fan of the programme.
This autobiography written by Robert Vaughn is compelling reading - well written and a revelation on the character and life of the author.
It is a book that once you start, you cannot put down.
Robert Vaughn must be an inspiration to all aspiring actors and actresses. Through sheer determination, hardwork and confidence he progressed in his career in theatre (Hamlet), film and TV.
In the present depressing times, this book makes exceedingly good reading.

Too much politics
I can remember that for a while the `must have' fashion accessory at my school was a triangular plastic Man from UNCLE badge, as worn by the heroes of the then popular US TV series of the same name. Some kids imagined they were Ilya Kuryakin, the Russian spy with the blonde Beatles haircut, who was played by David McCallum, but the others, including myself, pretended to be the suave Napoleon Solo, as played by Robert Vaughn.

Forty years on, Robert Vaughn is still starring on TV, this time in the popular British series, Hustle. In this series Vaughn plays a conman, not a spy, but they are basically the same cool & debonair character, the type that Vaughn as played in countless films & TV series since the early fifties.

Robert Vaughn has had a long & successful acting career then, but there is much more to him than that. When not in front of the camera Vaughn enjoys to study the art of acting and, having read many books on the subject, holds many opinions about it. He is also a very political animal. He was vehemently opposed to the United States conflict with Vietnam in the sixties and was a friend of Robert Kennedy, campaigning on his behalf during his bid to become the US President.

Whilst these interests may make Vaughn a more rounded individual that the average Hollywood star, unfortunately they also make Vaughn's autobiography 'A Fortunate Life' a dull book.

I read this book to learn about Robert Vaughn's acting career and his life. Instead too many pages are devoted to his politics and his theories on acting, which I found very heavy going. Whilst the chapters about his show biz childhood (his parents were both thespians) are excellent, much of his later career his only touched upon, or not mentioned at all. Likewise, whilst he has been married to his life Linda since 1974, she is only mentioned in passing and his adopted daughters, Cassidy & Caitlin get even less coverage.

Many of his anecdotes about his film appearances are excellent, if he would have included more of these at the expense of his political recollections this would have been a much more readable book.

A facinating journey
A highly interesting read with great insights into Robert Vaughn's life and his 50 years in showbuisness. This book is well worth a read for anyone who is a fan of Robert and his work.