Title: Uncle of the Year: And Other Debatable Triumphs
Author: Andrew Rannells
Genre: Nonfiction, Memoir
Publishes On: May 16, 2023
Publisher: Crown
Source: digital (Netgalley)
Pages: 254
Synopsis:
Candid, hilarious essays from the star of The Book of Mormon, Girls, and Big Mouth on anxiety, ambition, and the uncertain path to adulthood, which ask, how will we know when we get there?
In Uncle of the Year, Andrew Rannells If he, now in his early forties, has everything he’s supposed to need to be a true adult–a career, property, a well-tailored suit–why does he still feel like an anxious twenty-year-old climbing his way toward security? Is it because he hasn’t won a Tony, or found a husband, or had a child? And what if he doesn’t want those things? (A husband and a child, that is. He wants a Tony.)
In essays drawn from his life and career, Rannells argues that we all pretend we are constantly winning. And with each success, we act like we’ve reached the pinnacle of happiness (for our parents), maturity (for our friends), success (for our bosses), and devotion (for our partners). But if “adulting” is just a pantomime that’s leaving us unmoored, then we need new markers of time, new milestones, new expectations of what adulthood is–and can be.
Along the way, Rannells looks back, reevaluating whether his triumphs were actually failures–and his failures, triumphs–and exploring what it will take to ever, ever feel like he has enough. In essays like “Uncle of the Year,” he explores the role that children play in his life, as a man who never thought having kids was necessary or even possible—until his siblings have kids and he falls in love with a man with two of his own. “It’s an Honor to Be Eligible” reveals the thrills and absurdities of the awards circuit (and the desire to be recognized for your work). And in “Horses, Not Zebras,” he shares the piece of wisdom that helped him finally come to terms with crippling anxiety and perfectionism.
Filled with witty and honest insights, and a sharp sense of humor, Uncle of the Year challenges us to take a long look at who we’re pretending to be, who we know we are, and who we want to become.
My thoughts
(Spoiler free)
Most people might know Andrew Rannells from his starring role in a little broadway show called The Book of Mormon. (Or when he temporarily played King George III in Hamilton.) I was first introduced to Rannells when he played on the hit HBO show Girls. He was one of my favorite characters, despite originally only having a smaller part. In Uncle of the Year, a collection of short essays, Rannells’ shares snippets from his life, covering subjects from how he feels about his birthday to performing his solo song from Mormon on the Tonys to how strange life got during the pandemic. And, of course, how he feels about being an uncle. Witty and charming, this collection kept drawing me back, oddly comforting when I needed an escape from reality.
“I went to dinner with my best friend Zuzanna the other night. We were celebrating the fact that it has been twenty-five years since we moved to New York. Twenty-five years. That’s a whole new grown-up! In fact, I have proof of this because my niece Tess was born the year I moved here and she is now twenty-five and has her own child. The baby had a baby! …. This makes me a great-uncle now. As far as I know the only peope who are great-uncles are people who are full-blown adults. But aside from basic genealogy, am I truly a great uncle? That’s debatable.”
Despite reading this in ebook form, I could “hear” Rannells’ distinctive voice throughout the pages. I can only imagine the audiobook form of this collection read from Rannells’ own lips would be even better. Uncle of the Year is Rannells second book. From what I understand, his first book Too Much is Not Enough is more of a traditional memoir, covering his childhood up to being cast in The Book of Mormon. It’s not one I have read yet. So maybe Uncle of the Year picks up where that one left off, although he does include events from that time period, as well, in Uncle of the Year. He also includes a story he left out of his first book about appearing on the Ricki Lake show when he was 18, which was quite memorable.
Some of my other favorite essays in the book:
“Saigon in the Finger Lakes” – Rannells shares his experience performing the lead male role in Miss Saigon over five weeks in the Finger Lakes region of New York by sharing his email correspondence with his best friend during the time. I smiled so much throughout this chapter. Only with our best friends can we be so frank and comfortable.
“Happy Birthday” – He discusses his complicated relationship with his birthday: his favorite birthday when he was five, the birthdays that slipped quietly by when he was working, and how he spent his last birthday sitting at the oncologist with his mother. I think I identified with this chapter because I’ve always had similar feelings about my own birthday. Rannells concludes that because his birthday always fell during the first week of school when he was a child, he never got to really celebrate it the way other kids did, which had me thinking about my own birthday which falls very near Valentine’s Day and how my experience was somewhat similar. Maybe there’s something to his theory?
“What Words Can I Give You That Will Comfort Me?” – During the pandemic, Rannells decided to join the Cameo app to raise money for the Actors Fund. Cameo allowed fans of public figures to reach out directly and request a short video for a fee. Many people requested birthday or anniversary wishes, but Rannells was surprised and understandably nervous about some of the requests, which varied from words of comfort to bordering on therapy sessions by repeat clients. I remember hearing about Cameo during the pandemic, but I never used it. It was intriguing to get a glimpse into the experience from the perspective of a celebrity who was also struggling through the pandemic.
If you’re a fan of Andrew Rannells or The Book of Mormon or actors’ experiences behind the scenes—or even if you’re an adult who has no desire for their own children—you’ll enjoy Uncle of the Year. Told in quick, short essays, this is a collection that can be read slowly—or you might find yourself unable to set it aside, like me!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to Crown and Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy.
(All quotes are taken from the advance copy and are subject to change in final print.)
Rating: 4.25 stars
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About the Author
Andrew Rannells
Andrew Rannells is an actor, singer, performer, and the author of Too Much Is Not Enough. A Tony, Drama Desk, and Critics Choice Award nominee and Grammy winner, he originated the role of Elder Price in The Book of Mormon and has starred in Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Hamilton, Falsettos, and The Boys in the Band. On the small screen, he has appeared in Girls, The New Normal, Big Mouth, The Knick, The Romanoffs, Black Monday, and Girls5Eva. Rannells’s film credits include A Simple Favor, The Intern, Bachelorette, The Boys in the Band, and The Prom. He has published essays in the New York Times and he made his directorial debut adapting one of his own essays for the anthology series “Modern Love.”
(photo by Cara Robbins)
Are you a fan of Andrew Rannells? Let me know in the comments!
Happy Wandering!
This does sound like a great read…both interesting and funny. 😀
Yes! It is both of those!
This is one of those actors I’ve seen around a bunch on TV and recognize his face but know nothing about him. His book sounds interesting. Glad you enjoyed it.
Yes! Whenever I start a new show, I’m usually checking IMDB to figure out where I recognize actors from. 😃
I do the same thing!!
This sounds really neat! I saw videos of his performance at the Tony’s, but I think that might be all I’ve seen of his. (He wasn’t doing the touring version of Book of Mormon that I saw.) I can imagine it would be weird comforting people on Cameo during the pandemic when you need that same reassurance, too. Thanks for the review!
That Tony performance was amazing. We watched it after seeing The Book of Mormon in December in NY. He talks about how nervous he was throughout that, he talks about how his mouth was so dry, but you can’t tell. Such talent!