Host of Cutthroat Kitchen and author of Good Eats, Simon Majumdar is not exactly who you might envision when you think of a typical immigrant to the United States. As he says, “I’m well rested, not particularly poor, and the only time I ever encounter “huddled masses” is in line at Costco.” But immigrate he did when he met his future wife, and he was content with a green card until he came across a burly TSA agent who asked him if he ever planned on making it official. As someone who is very proud of his heritage, he wanted becoming an American to mean something, and so he turned to the thing he knows best: food.
Simon dives headfirst into the food cultures that make up America—brewing beer, picking vegetables, working at a food bank, and even finding himself, very reluctantly, at a tailgate. FED, WHITE, AND BLUE is a warm, funny, and inspiring portrait of becoming American.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
SIMON MAJUMDAR is a food writer, broadcaster, and author of Eat My Globe and Eating for Britain. He is a recurring judge on Iron Chef, The Next Iron Chef, and Cutthroat Kitchen. The fine living correspondent for AskMen.com, he writes regular features for the Food Network website and was one of the voices behind the Dos Hermanos blog, which GQ called “Michelin starred food blogging.” He lives in Los Angeles, CA.
JON CRYER - AWARD WINNING ACTOR & AUTHOR OF, “SO THAT HAPPENED: A MEMOIR”
From Broadway stages to movie screens…From Duckie to Alan Harper…Emmy Award-winning actor and pop culture icon Jon Cryer shares stories from his life and career in a sharply-observed and candidly funny memoir SO THAT HAPPENED.Sporting a 1950s-era pompadour, white pointy shoes, John Lennon sunglasses and colorful patterned vests, Jon Cryer stole the hearts of moviegoers around the world as Molly Ringwald’s loveable, loyal, and quirky best friend “Duckie” in the 1986 classic Pretty in Pink. And, in the process, he became a pop culture icon. But that’s not where Cryer’s story begins or ends. In his revealing, heartfelt, and entertaining memoir SO THAT HAPPENED (New American Library Hardcover; April 7, 2015; $27.95), Jon Cryer reflects for the first time on his life in show business—both onstage and off.
Growing up on Manhattan’s Upper West Side in a theater family (both his parents were actors), Cryer was bit by the acting bug early. A self-proclaimed “awkward” kid in high school, Jon spent his summers at the legendary Stagedoor Manor theater camp in the Catskills, alongside fellow would-be stars like Robert Downey Jr. At Stagedoor Manor, awkward was normal and the camp’s freedom allowed Jon to hone his craft and really shine. In SO THAT HAPPENED, Cryer recounts his sometimes bumpy, often hilarious journey from theater camp to Broadway, where his first role in Torch Song Trilogy came about, in part, because of his resemblance to actor Matthew Broderick. A Los Angeles production of that same play led to Cryer’s first movie job, acting for legendary film director Robert Altman.
Cryer’s eventual casting as “Duckie” alongside Molly Ringwald and Andrew McCarthy in what was to be one of John Hughes’ most beloved films opened doors he never could have imagined—but did not lead to overnight success or full inclusion in Hollywood’s cadre of popular young actors, the media-coined “Brat Pack.” Instead, he navigated the constant ups-and-downs in a turbulent industry, finding work in a series of film, television, and theater projects that took the actor from L.A. to London to Coney Island.
Following several failed sitcoms, Cryer’s biggest success came when he was cast as Alan Harper in the longest-running and most talked-about sitcom in recent history, Two and a Half Men. The show ran for twelve seasons, and Cryer won two Emmy Awards for his work.
With the instincts of a natural storyteller, Cryer shares his favorite anecdotes from three decades in front of the camera—from his first lead role in a movie alongside Demi Moore to his position as one of the highest paid men in television. The actor’s wit and charm fill every page of SO THAT HAPPENED as Cryer shares never-before told stories from his career, including:
- Life in the theater, including an early lesson in how the industry works when he was fired from one Broadway job and hired for another—on the same day
- Candid details about his relationship with Two and a Half Men co-star Charlie Sheen
- His first Hollywood romance with actress Demi Moore on the set of No Small Affair
- A backstage look at the classic John Hughes movie Pretty in Pink
- The roles he missed out on, including Chandler Bing on Friends, Mr. Pink in Quentin Tarantino’s breakthrough movie Reservoir Dogs, Daniel in The Karate Kid, and cocky young soldier Bunny in Oliver Stone’s Platoon.
- The final years of Two and a Half Men, sharing the stage with Ashton Kutcher
In SO THAT HAPPENED Jon Cryer opens up about friendships and relationships, pays tribute to his mentors, and offers readers a front-row seat as he humorously reminisces about his experiences as a triumphant—and good-humored—survivor of the often unpredictable world of showbiz.