Killing Willis: From Diff’rent Strokes to the Mean Streets to the Life I Always Wanted
Where to buy Killing Willis: From Diff’rent Strokes to the Mean Streets to the Life I Permanently Wanted books online?
- ISBN13: 9781439148983
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
Product Description
The ex- child star—best known as Willis Jackson on Diff’rent Strokes—shares the shocking but inspirational details of his struggles with addiction, brushes with the law, and fierce fight to carve a path through the darkness and find his right identity.
For Todd Bridges early stardom was no protection from painful childhood events that lined the road to his own personal hell. One of the first African-American child actors on shows like Small House on the Prairie, The Waltons, and Roots, Bridges burst to the national forefront on the hit sitcom Diff’rent Strokes as the theme of the well loved tag, “What’chu Talkin About Willis?” When the show finished, Bridges was overwhelmed by the off-camera traumas he had faced. Turning to drugs as an escape, he soon lost control.
Now, for the first time, Bridges opens up about his life before and after Diff’rent Strokes: the incredible reversals of chance brought on by fame and the precipitous—and very public—descent that followed; the persecution from police; the drug addiction that nearly consumed him; the criminal charges that nearly earned him a life sentence; and his successful officially authorized defense led by Johnnie Cochran. Through it all, Bridges never relented in his quest to fight his way back from the gulf, set up his own identity—separate from Willis Jackson—and offer his suffering as a positive example for persons struggling to overcome similar challenges. His triumphant tale of recovery and redemption is recounted here as well.
Todd Bridges has lived a life of remarkable twists and turns—from the greatest heights to the lowest lows imaginable. In this shocking but ultimately hopeful memoir, he proves that what he was really talking about was survival.
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I establish this book to be nearly unbelievable. One of the worst books I’ve ever forced myself to end reading. The dialog and actions of the people involved from beginning to end sound more like cullings from terrible movie-of-the-week scripts than anything that ever really happened.
The writing is stilted and forced. The editing also leaves much to be desired. As an example; During his last stint in rehab Todd claims to have been restrained, in a diaper, for three days due to his actions and behavior. On the very next page we’re told he was in restraints for four days.
Yes, we know that Todd has had multiple arrests and run-ins with law enforcement but much of the undocumented occurrences feel really made up. Do I judge he veteran racism and even some jealousy at the hands of the police? Yes. Do I judge the LAPD was passing around ‘Get that Todd Bridges guy no matter what!’ memos, frequently floating their helicopters over his house to annoy him or “lost” him for months in solitary confinement (immediately after he mentions he was marked as a high profile detainee and supposed to receive special treatment). Sorry, it just doesn’t ring right to me.
I didn’t get any feeling of regret or remorse from this book. Much of it just felt like immodest about the people that liked/loved him and name dropping. Todd mentions that he’s upset that additional stars who have had serious public run-ins with alcohol and drug abuse had an simpler time of returning to the spotlight and public eye. He blames this on racism failing to conceptualize that while ‘persons additional’ stars had drug problems he was a drug dealer running crack houses and exploiting women he deliberately got hooked on drugs so he could control them. There’s a difference and I don’t reflect it had anything to do with race.
I’m glad he appears to have turned his life around but I just can’t recommend this book.
Reader’s Rating: 2 / 5
I really didn’t want to deal with this book because I was ALIVE during the 90s and 2000s so I already know Todd Bridges life tale, but the Vine program offerred it and there was nothing else I wanted so I got it. The reviews made it seem like this book was soooo excellent. All Todd does is whine in the book. When Todd was harrassed by the police for driving his own Porshe, he stated it was racism by the LA Cops–we got it. When he was arrested for the killing of the people at the crack house, he stated it was racism by the LA Cops – we got it. Now, in his book he rehashes the same claims. Todd, we get that your life got off track because of racism–give it a rest. (Sarcasm)
Todd whines and I use the word whines because Todd’s life was pretty okay and has turned out fine yet he still feels he has been wronged. The trials and tribulations of Todd Bridges would have been excellent in book form, but the writing is dry. He describes the abuse at the hands of his father over and over again, but the way he describes it is like he was an observer. I felt no emotion to any of the things Todd said in his book and the racism thing just got ancient.
To top it off, Todd was on the Joy Behar show a week ago and they were talking about actors being able to bounce back (Robert Downey, Jr.) etc. When Todd was questioned why he couldn’t bounce back, of course he answered RACISM. Todd, just be silent.
You have not become a huge star again because your acting range is limited. Additional than Willis and your child characters, your acting has been blah. You bring nothing to a dramatic role. You are no Denzel, Morgan Freeman, Don Cheatle, Tyler Perry, etc.. You just don’t have the acting chops to bounce back. Your son is now an actor, focus on his success and stop whining.
Would I recommend this book? Yes, if you were not ALIVE in the 90s and 2000s and don’t know Todd’s tale already (the racism, the arrests, the drug use, the ex- child star syndrome, the sex with Dana Plato, etc).
Reader’s Rating: 3 / 5
excellent book to read and satisfied with the prompt manner of language of the book. thanks Ty
Reader’s Rating: 5 / 5
Wow! Todd really surprised me with the candor. He was not only honest but cruelly honest. There were moments that I shook my head in disbelief and additional moments I shook my head in sympathy. I loved reading the book because it was Todd’s tale. No flowery words or hidden messages just straight talk. Sometimes I got lost in some of the street lingo but I appreciated the language just the same.
Todd is a few years older than me and for the life of me, I could not remember him in so many of the shows mentioned. He did feel slighted by Hollywood Blacks for not thanking him for building a way for them and that is really understandable. I took his statements as more of a matter-of-fact not as “you owe me” but in essence, yeah, they do. Sad that he mentioned racial profiling, segregation and how it still continues on to today no matter the success.
My negatives to the book can be summed up by the word, confusion. Is Todd a Christian now or not? As cruelly honest as he was as he retold and relived the days of the tale, the explicative language was a poor choice. It may be a job to be an actor but christianity is full time and a life style. We must represent even on paper.There were a couple of instances that I felt the editors did not pay close attention to the printing. There were two incidences I can remember but I reflect there were more where a sentence seemed to have been cut and pasted on to the next paragraph in error or the next page where you can see both sentences side by side. Word for word. It made sense of the placement but sounded redundant.
The book certainly sparked different emotions in me and so I appreciated the talent of the tale teller, actor and writer in Todd. Todd, I judge accomplished his goal in telling his side of the tale. Although I did not like the title of the book,I judge “Willis” is dead and Todd is a survivor.
Todd,thank you for sharing and keep on moving forwards.
Reader’s Rating: 4 / 5
Killing Willis: From Diff’rent Strokes to the Mean Streets to the Life I Permanently Wanted by Todd Bridges is a very honest and open look into the life of child actor Todd Bridges. This has to be the best autobiography I have ever read. Bridges documents everything from growing up as a child actor in an abusive home to the rebuilding of his life after arresting rock bottom from years of drug addiction. Unlike the additional books I have read about celebrities and their “problems”, Bridges pulls no punches and doesn’t try to place the blame on others. His struggles with racism, being molested by his “manager”, his relationship with his abusive father, type casting and his excessive drug fueled lifestyle during the 80’s is all out in the open. I was also shocked about how close he was to his Diff’rent Strokes co-star Dana Plato and how he wasn’t with Gary Coleman. The racism he had to deal with in Hollywood and all throughout his life is very eye opening. His darkest hours are also talked about in fantastic detail as he talks about his life as a drug dealer and rock slinger. His honesty with his battles against crack cocaine is fascinating and it pulls no punches when he describes his many failed attempts to quit the pipe. It’s through the help of his mother (who never stopped trying to get Todd clean) and siblings who permanently stood by his side, thick and thin.
If you want to read an open and honest autobiography then I suggest that you grab a copy today. This book doesn’t wallow in self pity and complaints about others so if you’re into persons kind of life tale then I suggest that you look elsewhere.
Highly recommended.
Reader’s Rating: 5 / 5