At my age, it’s impossible to thank all the people who should be thanked for helping me with this book. I would have nothing to write about if it wasn’t for everyone I’ve known from childhood to the present. So many people have impacted my life, and so many who I thought didn’t make much of an impression have returned in my thoughts years later. It’s just been a full, rich, varied, and rewarding life filled with good work and even better friends and fans around the world who give my life more meaning than they’ll ever know. I hope the feeling is mutual. At this point, the best thing I can say to you is thank you.
If you’ve read this book, and I trust you have or will, then you know the way I feel about my family. You also know, as I wrote, that the worst part about being this old is that I miss saying “Mommy” and “Daddy.” Those kisses and hugs and the care and support they gave me and my twin sister, Lady, were everything. They still are. The same is true about my sister. We called her Lady, and she really, truly was a lady. And my grandmother, who was my biggest critic and most ardent supporter. I know I gave all of them reasons to be concerned about me and my welfare, and yet their love never wavered. Although they are no longer here for me to thank, any Acknowledgments section would be remiss if they weren’t mentioned, and so to Mommy, Daddy, Lady, and Grandmommy, thank you.
My children, Corey and Hanako, are the prizes in my life and the best projects I’ve ever been connected to. They’ve tolerated me their entire lives, and in return they have given me the best of them. Hanako has also given me two wonderful grandchildren, Finnegan and Lucy, who keep me young and texting and checking TikTok every few hours. And Teruko—we’re still married after all these years, still living under the same roof, and still wondering how the hell that is so. I hope I have made all of you feel loved and shown you some good times, because you’ve made sure my life is the best of times with your love. Thank you.
I want to thank all those associated with the actual making of this book, starting with my collaborator and lunch partner Todd Gold. Our wide-ranging conversations and friendship have been the best part. I also want to thank the entire staff at Mauro’s in West Hollywood, where we worked on this book while enjoying delicious food and wine and visits with everyone who stopped by the table. It feels like we’ve shared lifetimes with one another. Dan Strone, the CEO of Trident Media Group, put me together with Todd and then sold the book to my editor, Victoria Wilson, at Knopf. Thank you, you do brilliant work. Likewise, Trident Media Group’s Claire Romine, whose diligence is responsible for most of the photos in this book, and Vicky’s assistant, Belinda Yong, who helped with so much on the publishing end, as did our production editor, Nora Reichard. Thank you to everyone for helping in this process of telling my life story.
Then there are all the people who keep me plugged in and plugging away: my manager Brad Kramer and agent Harry Gold…executive assistant Brittany Fine…my regular lunch crew: Rod, Seth, Josh, Dom, Anthony…and the Mauro’s gang, including Romano, who always makes sure there’s a space for me…and Jonathan and everyone at Gendarmerie…and my Sci-Fi agent Derek and his team Alberto and Anise…my art agent Claudia…my trainer Gunnar Peterson, and my nutritionist Dr. Philip Goglia…you’re all beautiful bright lights.
Finally, I want to shine a light on my team’s quarterback and my life’s guardian angel. In my case, both are one extraordinary person, Marci Fine. I’ve thanked you at least one million times, only because I can’t thank you enough, but what the hell, here’s one more.
Oh, and George…thanks for giving me the ride of my life.
To everyone mentioned above, to everyone I have thought about but don’t have the space to mention by name, and to everyone reading this, I hope I’ve brought some light into your life, because you’ve brought so much into mine.
Chandelier…I love you.