Arts & Literature
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Forever Young: A Memoir
*NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER*
*USA TODAY BESTSELLER*
Iconic actress Hayley Mills shares personal memories from her storied childhood, growing up in a famous acting family and becoming a Disney child star, trying to grow up in a world that wanted her to stay forever young.
The daughter of acclaimed British actor Sir John Mills was still a preteen when she began her acting career and was quickly thrust into the spotlight. Under the wing of Walt Disney himself, Hayley Mills was transformed into one of the biggest child starlets of the 1960s through her iconic roles in Pollyanna, The Parent Trap, and many more. She became one of only twelve actors in history to be bestowed with the Academy Juvenile Award, presented at the Oscars by its first recipient, Shirley Temple, and went on to win a number of awards including a Golden Globe, multiple BAFTAs, and a Disney Legacy Award.
Now, in her charming and forthright memoir, she provides a unique window into when Hollywood was still 'Tinseltown' and the great Walt Disney was at his zenith, ruling over what was (at least in his own head) still a family business. This behind-the-scenes look at the drama of having a sky-rocketing career as a young teen in an esteemed acting family will offer both her childhood impressions of the wild and glamorous world she was swept into, and the wisdom and broader knowledge that time has given her. Hayley will delve intimately into her relationship with Walt Disney, as well as the emotional challenges of being bound to a wholesome, youthful public image as she grew into her later teen years, and how that impacted her and her choices--including marrying a producer over 30 years her senior when she was 20! With her regrets, her joys, her difficulties, and her triumphs, this is a compelling read for any fan of classic Disney films and an inside look at a piece of real Hollywood history.
*USA TODAY BESTSELLER*
Iconic actress Hayley Mills shares personal memories from her storied childhood, growing up in a famous acting family and becoming a Disney child star, trying to grow up in a world that wanted her to stay forever young.
The daughter of acclaimed British actor Sir John Mills was still a preteen when she began her acting career and was quickly thrust into the spotlight. Under the wing of Walt Disney himself, Hayley Mills was transformed into one of the biggest child starlets of the 1960s through her iconic roles in Pollyanna, The Parent Trap, and many more. She became one of only twelve actors in history to be bestowed with the Academy Juvenile Award, presented at the Oscars by its first recipient, Shirley Temple, and went on to win a number of awards including a Golden Globe, multiple BAFTAs, and a Disney Legacy Award.
Now, in her charming and forthright memoir, she provides a unique window into when Hollywood was still 'Tinseltown' and the great Walt Disney was at his zenith, ruling over what was (at least in his own head) still a family business. This behind-the-scenes look at the drama of having a sky-rocketing career as a young teen in an esteemed acting family will offer both her childhood impressions of the wild and glamorous world she was swept into, and the wisdom and broader knowledge that time has given her. Hayley will delve intimately into her relationship with Walt Disney, as well as the emotional challenges of being bound to a wholesome, youthful public image as she grew into her later teen years, and how that impacted her and her choices--including marrying a producer over 30 years her senior when she was 20! With her regrets, her joys, her difficulties, and her triumphs, this is a compelling read for any fan of classic Disney films and an inside look at a piece of real Hollywood history.
Editorial Reviews
"As charming on the page as she's ever been on the screen. Her memoir touches on growing up in a family of performers, thoughtfully considers life as a child star, and finds honest, often very funny, ways to examine what it means to live in and around the spotlight...Delightful."―Town & Country
"A greatly enjoyable and eye-opening memoir: a showbusiness chronicle which proves equal parts celebration and cautionary tale...Forever Young is an unexpected treat: a brave and revealing memoir with nary a dull passage."―Wall Street Journal
"With a novelistic eye for detail and a disarming sense of humor, Mills illuminates her extraordinary past while evoking the lost empire of mid-20th-century Hollywood...The result is a luminous work commensurate with the unforgettable movies that made Mills an icon."―Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Hayley's insights into Disney and the interaction between Disney and Hayley and the Mills family are worth the price of admission...You'll likely love reading this behind-the-scenes account of what our Hayley was really up to during her formative years."―New York Journal of Books
"The iconic star of Pollyanna and The Parent Trap recalls her rise to stardom, her experiences on
set, and her friendship with Walt Disney in this endearing memoir.…A warmhearted peek behind the curtain at youthful fame and filmmaking in the 1960s."―Booklist
"Child star Mills's charming and eloquent walk down memory lane is a fascinating study of moviemaking in 1960s Britain and the United States...Movie buffs will be riveted by Mills's behind the scenes tales."―Library Journal
"This memoir by the English actress who rose to fame as a child star for Disney is rather like a Disney movie: enchanting, entertaining and only fleetingly dark."―Shelf Awareness
"A greatly enjoyable and eye-opening memoir: a showbusiness chronicle which proves equal parts celebration and cautionary tale...Forever Young is an unexpected treat: a brave and revealing memoir with nary a dull passage."―Wall Street Journal
"With a novelistic eye for detail and a disarming sense of humor, Mills illuminates her extraordinary past while evoking the lost empire of mid-20th-century Hollywood...The result is a luminous work commensurate with the unforgettable movies that made Mills an icon."―Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Hayley's insights into Disney and the interaction between Disney and Hayley and the Mills family are worth the price of admission...You'll likely love reading this behind-the-scenes account of what our Hayley was really up to during her formative years."―New York Journal of Books
"The iconic star of Pollyanna and The Parent Trap recalls her rise to stardom, her experiences on
set, and her friendship with Walt Disney in this endearing memoir.…A warmhearted peek behind the curtain at youthful fame and filmmaking in the 1960s."―Booklist
"Child star Mills's charming and eloquent walk down memory lane is a fascinating study of moviemaking in 1960s Britain and the United States...Movie buffs will be riveted by Mills's behind the scenes tales."―Library Journal
"This memoir by the English actress who rose to fame as a child star for Disney is rather like a Disney movie: enchanting, entertaining and only fleetingly dark."―Shelf Awareness
Readers Top Reviews
Graeme123sR. I.
Forever Young is a beautifully written, heartfelt memoir. Hayley Mills does not disappoint the reader. Her dual life as a Hollywood-Disney star and English boarding school adolescent, was extraordinary. But Hayley survived the demands put upon her. She says: "It is care and encouragement, not fear, that brings out the best in people. If someone you respect believes in you, it means more than just believing in yourself alone."
Susan M. Macy
Growing up I wanted to be Hayley Mills. Or at least pretty much all of the characters she played. I loved her Disney films and Tiger Bay and Whistle Down the Wind were 2 favorite non-Disney movies. I know I’ve seen both countless times. I was excited when I heard she’d written a memoir and it is totally worth reading. She’s had an interesting life. And she comes across as honest and likable. Definitely 5 stars.
garnet red
This book was unusual in that it seemed almost to have two people writing it. The first 92 pages covered the author's recollection of her childhood years and was told in such a way that I felt as though I was there experiencing the same events with her. The language was very descriptive and gave a beautiful picture of that time in her life. Starting on page 93 however the point of view seemed to shift so that I was no longer a participant with her in her adolescent years and years beyond but rather was simply an outside observer which is how most memoirs are written. As a totality I would say that the book started out magical and then digressed into simply ordinary.
Neil in King of Prus
Ms. Mills' bio is a disappointment. I obtained more from a basic internet search on any of her films than I did from her book. Beyond bland and lacking substance. The name dropping with glossed over and/or vague reference is insufferable. Her trust & taxation issue could have been summed up in two sentences. So, Ms. Mills met Mary Wikes in "The Parent Trap?" Funny that Mary Wikes isn't in "The Parent Trap unless her scenes were cut or she was visiting the set. Or, maybe it was on a bus in L.A. ??? Also, John Mills lost the lead role to Dickie Attenborough for Gilligan's Island. On what planet? Ms. Mills statement that Rev. Billy Graham was "part of a movement that had abandoned the extreme narrowness of Christian fundamentalism"is both inaccurate and offensive. Love her movies, did not appreciate the book.
S. Kurner
Quick read. Most of the book is about Hayley Mills younger years first as a child of talented parents, and then as a Disney contract star. Mills comes across as modest and hard working, no hint of diva behavior. She touches lightly on her writer mother’s drinking, her father’s acting career and her performance life in two countries. She doesn’t feel exploited by having been a child star, perhaps because her parents did seem cautious and protective. She’s genuinely kind about even her most difficult fellow actors and directors. Much like Pollyanna, Mills seems to look more for the ‘glad things’ rather than dwell on the disappointments. Although she’s worked steadily for several decades, don’t look for much insight into her acting career or relationships beyond her 20’s, perhaps that’s another book.
