The Actor
Published on 15. August 2024
Book
Paperback/Softback
384 pages
978-1-4059-5831-8 (ISBN)
Description
TO ACHIEVE GREATNESS, HE MUST SACRIFICE EVERYTHING . . .
Read most original new thriller, a story of glamour, secrets and obsession
'This compelling psychological thriller set in the acting world is both uncompromising and unsettling, with deeply layered characters and a narrative voice that grabs you from the opening line and won't let you go' Alex Michaelides, author of The Silent Patient
----
Actor Adam Sealey owes his Oscar nomination to mentor Jonathan Dors. It was Jonathan who trained him in the Method: digging deep into personal trauma in pursuit of the greatest performance.
It gets results.
But there's a price.
For Adam, it cost him the love of his life.
And then there's what happened twenty years ago.
An awful secret he's buried deep inside.
Yet as Oscar night beckons, someone is threatening to dig up the truth.
Adam is finally in the spotlight that he craved for so long.
But it might just mean the world is watching as everything falls apart . . .
----
'A compulsive thriller . . . very, very moving, I adored it' Abigail Dean
'Twisty, compulsive fun' i
'A barnstorming performance' The Times
'A brilliantly twisted (and twisting) tale . . . I loved it' Mat Osman
'Brilliantly evoked, totally compelling. A first-class thriller' Daily Mail
'Brilliant, dark, immersive, and ultimately hugely satisfying' Jennie Godfrey, author of The List of Suspicious Things
Read most original new thriller, a story of glamour, secrets and obsession
'This compelling psychological thriller set in the acting world is both uncompromising and unsettling, with deeply layered characters and a narrative voice that grabs you from the opening line and won't let you go' Alex Michaelides, author of The Silent Patient
----
Actor Adam Sealey owes his Oscar nomination to mentor Jonathan Dors. It was Jonathan who trained him in the Method: digging deep into personal trauma in pursuit of the greatest performance.
It gets results.
But there's a price.
For Adam, it cost him the love of his life.
And then there's what happened twenty years ago.
An awful secret he's buried deep inside.
Yet as Oscar night beckons, someone is threatening to dig up the truth.
Adam is finally in the spotlight that he craved for so long.
But it might just mean the world is watching as everything falls apart . . .
----
'A compulsive thriller . . . very, very moving, I adored it' Abigail Dean
'Twisty, compulsive fun' i
'A barnstorming performance' The Times
'A brilliantly twisted (and twisting) tale . . . I loved it' Mat Osman
'Brilliantly evoked, totally compelling. A first-class thriller' Daily Mail
'Brilliant, dark, immersive, and ultimately hugely satisfying' Jennie Godfrey, author of The List of Suspicious Things
Reviews / Votes
Brilliantly evoked, totally compelling. A first-class thriller * Daily Mail * This compelling psychological thriller set in the acting world is both uncompromising and unsettling, with deeply layered characters and a narrative voice that grabs you from the opening line and won't let you go. Fascinating. -- Alex Michaelides A barnstorming performance * The Times * Twisty, compulsive fun * i * The Actor is both a compulsive thriller and a fascinating insight into the world of method acting. Chris MacDonald's writing captures it all, and beautifully: from the glamour of Hollywood to the grunge of 90s Camden. It's also very, very moving, packed with characters both lovable and entirely detestable. I adored it. -- Abigail Dean Ego and ambition, guilt and redemption collide in this masterfully plotted and beautifully written psychological thriller. I couldn't tear my eyes from the page. -- Erin Kelly A darkly dazzling and glamorously wicked thriller. Take a bow, Chris MacDonald. -- Chris Whitaker Brilliant, dark, immersive, and ultimately hugely satisfying -- Jennie Godfrey, author of The List of Suspicious Things What an incredibly tense, immersive debut. I was completely absorbed by this window into the world of method acting and the dark, twisted consequences of such intense commitment. A bravura performance from MacDonald - I didn't want it to end. -- Amy McCulloch An intense, absorbing read about the danger of sacrificing everything for your art, with echoes - in its fascinating depiction of the relationship between student and mentor - of The Secret History and Black Swan. -- Mark EdwardsMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 196 mm
Width: 128 mm
Thickness: 27 mm
Weight
272 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-4059-5831-8 (9781405958318)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Person
Chris MacDonald is a novelist, screenwriter, playwright and actor, who attended a top UK Drama School whose alumnae include Tom Hardy and Michael Fassbender. His debut play Eye of a Needle played at the Southwark Playhouse and as an actor he's worked for the BBC, the RSC and Amazon Studios among others. His screenwriting includes social horror This Merrie Land for Agile and his band Playground Champions have soundtracked the ITV show Buffering.