Reviewed by Vincent Dublado for Readers' Favorite

In Jordan Rhodes’s introduction to his memoir, The Life of a Blue Collar Actor, he recounts when someone suggested to him that he should write a book, to which he asks who would want to read a book about him? That would be anyone who is interested in the ins and outs of Hollywood through the perspective of a working actor. The author’s name doesn’t ring a bell to many moviegoers, but with over two hundred combined television shows, films, and theatrical plays, and one who has rubbed elbows with the who’s who in the American film industry, Jordan Rhodes has lived the life that most struggling would-be actors can only dream of. His experience is a no-holds-barred trip into the realities of working in a competitive film industry, and he hopes that his thespian adventures will inspire acting hopefuls to take their passion wherever they go.

The Life of a Blue Collar Actor is an inspiring study of the life and times of a working actor. What I admire about Rhodes is that he has been very productive when it comes to landing acting gigs, despite the fact that he is not a household name. He writes his memoir as it is, with no romanticizing of his adventures. What you get is an inspiring true story of humility, of an actor whose craft is honed by years of solid experience that got him to this point, and not the typical celebrity who depends on image rather than talent. After reading his memoir, I checked out some of Rhodes’s film credentials, and I am sincerely impressed by the invisible naturalism that he puts into his characters. Rhodes is among those gifted underrated actors, and I am glad that he wrote this memoir. I highly recommend it to all lovers of films, beginning actors, and those who are simply interested in reading a good memoir.