Reiser recalls his memorable encounters with legendary Hollywood greats whose advice, friendship and example showed him how to be a better artist and better man. Both touching and funny, Reiser shares the intimate details of inspiring backstage moments with comedy greats such as Johnny Carson, Carl Reiner, Neil Simon, Carol Burnett, and Peter Falk, and what they taught him about life, work, and creativity. Finding himself at a loss for advice as his own children come of age, Reiser invokes an age-old joke — "How do you get to Carnegie Hall?" — to remind us that some things never change, especially the eternal value of hard work and practice.
"For the longest time, based on no evidence other than our own insecurity and sense of incompetence, my wife and I were convinced that we were the flat-out, no-question-about-it, least-skilled parents in the country. Furthermore, we were convinced that every other set of parents we knew was perfect. They were more thorough in going over their kids' homework, they set better boundaries than we do, didn't let their kids watch as many hours of TV as we do, raised kids who are unfailingly polite in public and have a far greater sense of community and public service than our underachieving offspring over there on the couch watching SpongeBob. We were certain everybody else's kids willingly and joyfully eat nothing but healthy foods, shunning all candy and candy-based products, they all sensibly and automatically put on weather-appropriate clothing, and voluntarily call their grandparents with clockwork regularity, giving fully detailed accounts of their numerous accomplishments, ending with testimonials to their wonderful and perfect parents.
Turns out: not so much. At all."
In the number one New York Times bestseller Couplehood, Paul Reiser writes about the highs and lows of falling in love and getting married—and the heart-break and hilarity that comes with it. In Babyhood, he turned his sharply observant eye to the experiences of having a brand-new family. And now in Familyhood, Reiser shares his observations on parenting, marriage, and mid-life with the wit, warmth, and humor that he's so well-known for.
From the first experience of sending his two boys off to summer camp—the early feeling of gleeful freedom in an empty house, to realizing how empty the house actually was—to maneuvering the minefield of bad words learned at school, this hilarious new book captures the spirit of familyhood, the logical next frontier for Reiser's trademark perspective on the universal truths of life, love, and relationships.
"I'm going to be totally honest. This is not the kind of book that can help you. It's not a "how-to", "when-to", a "what-to-expect" book. It's not even endorsed by anyone remotely connected to the medical profession. (Although a cousin of mine who sells carpeting to doctors' offices not only found it "insightful" and "informative," but felt that, "if properly vacuumed, it should last a lifetime.")
"A fine endorsement," you say. "But if I have only one book to buy, shouldn't I go for the helpful one?"
Let's compare:
Those "know-it-all" books tell you how to have a happy, healthy pregnancy.
My book mentions a squirrel.
Those books tell you how to care for a newborn child.
My book describes how tired I am.
Those books give you essential information you can use in a life-threatening emergency.
My book has some very amusing anecdotes about poop.
So really, it's up to you. If you want to be prepared and well-informed, I understand. But if you enjoy seeing the words "pterodactyl" and "uterus" in the same book, you've got to the right place.
Reiser brings his trademark wit to the page in a book that will delight his eagerly-awaiting audience, and anyone else who has ever fallen in love—or tried not to. In Couplehood, a New York Times bestseller for more than 40 weeks, Reiser reflects on what it means to be half of a couple—everything from the science of hand holding, to the technique of tag-team storytelling, to the politics of food and why it always seems to come down to chicken or fish.
Actor/comedian Paul Reiser of MAD ABOUT YOU and DINER fame has teamed up with British singer-songwriter Julia Fordham for UNUSUAL SUSPECTS, an album of original songs featuring Fordham's vocals and Reiser's piano playing. Fordham contributed the lyrics, while Reiser, a composition major in college, wrote the music.
The comedian describes the collaborations on UNUSUAL SUSPECTS as "bittersweet songs about loves that have died, loves that are dying, loves that you wish would do you a favor and die… surprisingly heavy stuff for two pretty contented people. (Paul wanted to call the album "Why So Sad?" but was thankfully dissuaded.)"
Comedian, actor, television writer, author and musician Paul Reiser is one of Hollywood’s most prolific creatives.
2024 is a busy year for Reiser. On the heels of his new comedy The Problem with People, out this fall, which Reiser wrote, produced, and starred in alongside Colm Meaney and Jane Levy, Reiser has projects across a multitude of media formats. In March, Carter Burke, Reiser’s iconic character from Aliens re-emerged in a What-if… concept comic book from Marvel comics and he appeared in the independent comedy The Gutter, directed by Isaiah and Yassir Lester. Reiser also co-wrote the New York Times bestseller What A Fool Believes: A Memoir the candid, freewheeling memoir of his friend and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Michael McDonald from HarperCollins/Dey Street Books. In July, Reiser will appear in Netflix’s Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, reprising his role from BH Cop 1 and 2.
Recently, Reiser could be seen in Hulu’s critically-acclaimed comedy series “Reboot” by Modern Family creator Steve Levitan. Awards Daily wrote, “Reiser truly excels, giving one of his very best performances…here, he reminds us just how very funny and experienced he is in the world of television comedy.”
He also took his first step into bloody, superhero glory in Season 3 of Amazon Prime’s Emmy-nominated The Boys playing “The Legend.”
Reiser is widely celebrated for his roles in two hit shows for Netflix: Stranger Things—the company’s biggest series of all time— and Chuck Lorre’s The Kominsky Method, for which he received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor.
Mad About You, the long-running Emmy, Peabody, and Golden Globe-winning comedy that Reiser created and starred in with Helen Hunt, returned as a limited series on Spectrum Originals.
Throughout his prolific career, Reiser has worked with both independent and mainstream filmmakers. Having earned acclaim for his supporting role in the Academy Award-winning film Whiplash, Reiser was also seen in frequent collaborator Jeff Baena’s The Little Hours and Horse Girl, which premiered at Sundance 2020, the fourth film the pair has worked on together. The veteran actor has garnered praise for notable performances in films such as Diner, Bye Bye Love, One Night At McCool’s, and The Thing About My Folks, which Reiser wrote for his co-star Peter Falk.
Reiser is a fixture behind the camera as well. He co-created and produced the seven-episode series There’s Johnny!, a seven-episode series which streamed on Hulu and Peacock. The show, a fictional story set behind-the-scenes of Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show circa 1972, co-produced with director David Gordon Green.
As an author, Reiser’s first book, Couplehood, sold over two million copies and reached the number one spot on The New York Times bestsellers list. His subsequent books, Babyhood and Familyhood, were best sellers as well.
Voted by Comedy Central as one of the Top 100 Comedians of All Time, Reiser regularly performs sold-out stand-up at venues nationwide. His new standup special – his first in 30 years – will be released later this year via Comedy Dynamics.
A SUNY Binghamton graduate of its prestigious music program, Reiser co-wrote the theme song for Mad About You “The Final Frontier” with Grammy-winning producer Don Was, and released an album of original songs with British singer-songwriter Julia Fordham called Unusual Suspects. Over the course of his career, Reiser has received multiple Emmys, Golden Globes, American Comedy Awards, and Screen Actors Guild nominations.
Reiser and his family reside in Los Angeles.
For press inquires, please contact Doug Edley at UTA edleyd@unitedtalent.com