apologies for the upcoming C word

The following is an abridged extract from my book – how tom Holland eclipsed his dad –

It is relevant because today, Tom has a meeting in the same private members club as where the meeting I describe in this extract took place. But here the similarity ends. Today, my son is meeting a movie director who was recently listed in Variety Magazine’s 10 most influential people in the world of media – and secondly I am not expecting Tom to have such a rough time.

What follows is a description of what really took place. I have not exaggerated. It was awful at the time – but it serves a purpose now and even makes me smile…

The extract starts after a disappointing meeting with a film exec in LA…

I donâ€t think meetings like this are unusual in the film business. In film, if youâ€re hot, then expect obsequious attention but if youâ€re not, then get the fuck out of my face. And this is not the worst meeting that I would ever have. This honour goes to another American film executive who I would meet in London some years later. Like Batman, (a reference to a previous chapter in the book) he too shall remain nameless and even then he wonâ€t thank me for recounting what he said to me in The Groucho Club.

I have a child with a c***.

Yes, these were his exact words, and like readers are now; I was stunned by them as well as a little confused. It was said to me during what was supposed to a personal interlude during a meeting that was not going well, again about Only in America. I allude to it in a little more detail in the epilogue of this book. Something to look forward to then?…

 The Epilogue

 …let me finish by revisiting my most hideous meeting in the world of film. You will recall that it was in a private members club in London. He was a very angry and very self-important film executive, in effect, a bully. He had flown in for the day and he obviously enjoyed beating up on a writer and showing off to his colleague. By the way, his referral to his child with a c*** was a reference to the mother of the child and not to his daughter. Having trashed my script and my ability as a writer – “… reading your script, I am not getting that youâ€re a professional comedian…†We then moved on. I wanted to tell him that I didnâ€t have any kids with c**** but I didnâ€t. I did tell him though about Tom and the fact that I was writing a blog and a book called Eclipsed. His eyes widened and suddenly he slammed his fists onto the desk and shouted, ‘Right there! Thatâ€s it! Write that! Thatâ€s the movie you should write. Thatâ€s a hit fucking movie.â€

Can you see it? Eclipsed the Movie?

And wouldnâ€t this be the greatest and most delicious irony of all, that Eclipsed, borne out of my miserable experiences in film, should go onto become my breakthrough after all?

Today, I am off to Wales for a gig – and at 2pm whilst I am on the M4 – I will think of Tom sitting down for a an exciting meeting and I will smile broadly…

 how tom Holland eclipsed his dad is available as an ebook via this site at Amazon and at Smashwords also