Red Carpets and Other Banana Skins: The Autobiography

Everett’s performance in 1997’s My Best Friend’s Wedding turned the camaraderie between gay men and straight women into a mainstream pop culture staple. However, 2000’s The Next Best Thing landed with a thud, and Everett quickly exited the rarefied air of stardom. Reading his new memoir, the veteran actor of stage and screen oozes rakish charm, a gossipy court jester providing wickedly witty—if not particularly consequential—commentary on show business shenanigans. Everett glibly dishes the dirt on such co-stars as Faye Dunaway, who Everett confides has earned the nickname “done fade away” among backstage insiders, and Sharon Stone, who coaches the skeptical Everett on channeling the aura of a character. Everett, whose family background steeped him in an Edwardian stiff-upper-lip ethos, does occasionally pause for reflection on pain and loss, especially his experiences in the waning days of the South Beach party scene. A guilty pleasure, albeit a rather sophisticated and tony offshoot of the species, this will primarily appeal to listeners who appreciate the E! cable network and In Style magazine. Simultaneous release with the Warner hardcover. (Feb.)