T'rific

by Mike Reid

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1852252774
• ISBN13: 9781852252779
• Release Date: January 1999
• Publisher: Partridge Press
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 1.25 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Mike, You were Terrific!

Mike Reid has led a fascinating life. He was the ordinary East End kid who grew up to be a man in a somewhat functional family. His father had planned him to take him to Scotland on his truck but when Mike is punished by his mother. He can't go and thankfully it was the wisest decision. His father barely survived a tragic accident that kept him unable to work and the family just financially surviving. Sadly, Mike Reid passed away in Spain from a heart attack. This book is a touching tribute to his legacy from the Comedians to his thankless role as Frank Butcher on the British soap, East Enders. He admits the difficulty working on a soap that has long days and that even the finest of actors and actresses break down because they can't handle it. Mike never got his British honor like his co-stars Barbara Windsor MBE, Wendy Richard MBE, Mona Hammond OBE, and Rudolf Walker OBE but he doesn't seem to mind it one bit. His personal life is most candid especially since he writes about the loss of his beloved son, Mark, and granddaughter, Kristy Anne. He also writes about his two marriages, the second has lasted for over 40 years. He writes about his time in Brixton Prison in London for his crimes and his relationship with the notorious Kray brothers. Mike writes about visiting America and loving it there but he never begrudges that he never got his fame. It was not until East Enders that he became a serious, well-respected actor among his peers. When he's not dramatic, he's a natural at stand-up comedy. He was one of the first of British stand-up comedians. He doesn't bash anybody else in this book but I think he's hardest on himself. He writes about the complicated relationship between his mother and himself. Still, I think he deserved something for services to entertainment by the Queen but I don't think it would matter to Mike.