21 Comments
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Martin Mc Carthy's avatar

Your John Candy story brings vividly to life the doubts, insecurities, and sense of brokenness that great actors experience beyond the movie screens and the glamorous facades of Hollywood.

Thanks for sharing this, Tommy. Glad you eventually escaped the same downhill spiral. Hope the new movie goes well for you.

Tommy Swerdlow's avatar

Thank you Martino, me too.

Jimmy's avatar

Get on up, it’s bobsled time!

Nina S Hiken's avatar

"Heroin is strong, but the swirling cabal of fame, love, respect and money is a whole other category." Here's the Hollywood disease in a nutshell.

This story is absofuckinglutely brilliant. Not the amazingness of it actually happening, but the truths you pull out of it, the consistent way you find the human parallels, and like the love child of EB White and Charles Bukowski with some Dorothy Parker thrown in for titts, you write this dark, funny, beautiful, heartbreaking thing. You really see life.

Tommy Swerdlow's avatar

dorothy parker!!! now we are talking

Holly Starley's avatar

Love your perfect world, Tommy. May the new movie be spectacular!

Margaret Bennett's avatar

Just a beautiful story. Thanks for sharing it here. Take care of your heart.

Tommy Swerdlow's avatar

I'm doing my best Margaret and as of right now, that's pretty good. appreciate you letting me know you done the story.

Tommy Swerdlow's avatar

dug the story i meant.

Karen J's avatar

Read this, then switched to a music app, which played "Not The Only One" by Kris Delmhorst, echoing the line, "You’re not the only one with a broken heart."

Keep 'em coming, kid.

Tommy Swerdlow's avatar

I will kid, I will

Robert Lesser's avatar

Read your piece this morning Tommy. Tears and laughs with my coffee. You carve a piece out of my heart. And your own.

If we can only cage our demons they will inspire us and others, as you do.

Tommy Swerdlow's avatar

Glad i know where both of our tickers are Bobby L

Kelly L's avatar

Always enjoy reading this piece. I watched the documentary and I was waiting for them to get to Cool Runnings, but to my surprise they didn't even mention it. I thought it was really odd because that was his last great film. Thank you for re-sharing!

Tommy Swerdlow's avatar

You're welcome madame Lake

Rob Tourtelot's avatar

What a beautiful story, man. All the heart, the longing, the love. I saw this one and saved it for when I had proper time and silence to take it in, and it's one I'll carry with me.

CJ Milson's avatar

Loved the story, and of course John Candy. I just watched the documentary. But the Dawn Steel quote made me laugh out loud,

Renee Missel's avatar

I have not commented quickly because this is such a sad story. And there are so many sad stories such as this one in Tinseltown. He showed you everything that night. He opened to you as much as he could and it is heart breaking.

The Dawn Steele annecdote is hilarious/ she was a piece of work. We were friends she and I, lunch every other month type of thing. We will have to trade stories. Tragic ending though.

Look forward to your new film....brave undertaking.