Anthony Sher: Beside myself

By GILBERT WONG books editor

Those who recall the early 1980s BBC series The History Man, based on Malcolm Bradbury's novel about the sexual and political foment in the sociology department of a red-brick regional university in the 1970s, may remember Sher as Kirk, the randy, womanising Machiavellian centre of the story.

That was pretty well his shot at television or cinematic fame and he remains largely unknown here. In Britain he has earned huge respect as an associate artist of the Royal Shakespeare Company where he has played Richard III, Shylock, Cyrano de Bergerac and Macbeth and, as part of the generation of British actors that followed Olivier, Gielgud and Richardson, has earned a knighthood. His peers are fine actors of the ilk of Michael Gambon, Simon Callow and Jonathan Pryce, lions of the British stage but often relegated to character roles in Hollywood.

Of course, even a distinguished stage actor in Britain rarely has to worry about being too famous. When she knighted him last year Queen Elizabeth had to ask the president of the RSC, Sir Geoffrey Cass, who Sher was. "One of our leading actors, ma'am," Cass said, to which Elizabeth replied, "Oh are you?"

Sher's self-description in this autobiography - "just a little gay Yid from somewhere called Sea Point on the other side of the world" - might imply that he is still not sure. That very uncertainty about his own identity, as gay, as South African, trying to make a go of it in the world's most demanding theatres is a major driving force, but not as important as the creative ambition that fuels his acting to this day.

Sher does not shirk from describing what many could see as personal flaws - an addictive nature that left him an 80s coke victim, the predatory nature of his sexuality and an inherent insecurity that may be the best spur a great actor can have. An engaging perspective on a life in theatre.

Random House

$59.95