Ask Me Again Tomorrow - by Olympia Dukakis (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Something about Olympia Dukakis just speaks to people. In her signature straight-talk style, she tells the story of her own history and career.

Olympia Dukakis, internationally known movie and theater star, was born into a Greek family in Lowell, Massachusetts. As a first generation Greek-American, Olympia "lived in the hyphen" and struggled to reconcile her American desires with her family's old-world traditions. ASK ME AGAIN TOMORROW tells the story of Olympia's struggle to find her place as an American, as a woman and as a star. It specifically explores the relationship between Olympia, whose main ambition was to live her life exactly as she wanted, and her mother, who spent a lifetime constrained by a tradition that delegated her to second class. Like Sidney Poitier's THIS LIFE and THE MEASURE OF A MAN, this is a book that is more than a celebrity memoir. ASK ME AGAIN TOMORROW will speak to many audiences: readers who also experienced America as an adopted country; readers interested in the art of acting; readers interested in autobiography, and particularly to female readers who have struggled with fitting their own aspirations in with the needs of family. It is a book that will endure.

From the Back Cover

Something about Olympia Dukakis just speaks to people. Now, for the first time, she speaks out-in her signature straight-talk style-about her own history and career.

Olympia Dukakis, internationally known movie and theater star, and cousin of presidential candidate Michael Dukakis, was born into a Greek family in Lowell, Massachusetts. As a first generation Greek-American, Olympia "lived in the hyphen" and struggled to reconcile her American desires with her family's old-world traditions. ASK ME AGAIN TOMORROW tells the story of Olympia's struggle to find her place as an American, as a woman and as a star. It specifically explores the relationship between Olympia, whose main ambition was to live her life exactly as she wanted, and her mother, who spent a lifetime constrained by a tradition that delegated her to second class. Like Sidney Poitier's THIS LIFE and THE MEASURE OF A MAN, this is a book that is more than a celebrity memoir. ASK ME AGAIN TOMORROW will speak to many audiences: readers who also experienced America as an adopted country; readers interested in the art of acting; readers interested in autobiography, and particularly to female readers who have struggled with fitting their own aspirations in with the needs of family. It is a book that will endure.

Review Quotes

"A fine portrait of a hardworking, dedicated, proud, and inspiring woman, by turns affecting and laugh-out-loud funny." -- Publishers Weekly

"Wonderful ...this chatty, conversational autobiography is a fascinating account of the beloved actress' life." -- BookPage

"An often intense personal memoir ...memorable." -- Kirkus Reviews

"On stage and screen, as in life, you can't possibly upstage Olympia. If you're trying to figure out who you want to be when you grow up, read this book." -- Whoopi Goldberg

"Some of the most valuable and exciting things I know about acting, friendship and life, I have learned from Olympia Dukakis. How thrilling she has put down what she knows in a book." -- Austin Pendleton, actor, A Beautiful Mind

"When I was a child, I read about Greek goddesses. Then I grew up and met Olympia Dukakis. In this memoir, she can touch everyone with the power of her personality and her magical life force." -- Martin Sherman, playwright, Rose

"Olympia is talented, warm, funny, and smart. This book is a reflection of her wonderful qualities." -- Cher

"Olympia Dukakis knows a lot about acting, but she knows even more about life." -- Norman Jewison, director, Moonstruck

"Olympia Dukakis sought only to be a solid citizen of the American experience and found herself on top of the whole world. This fairy tale is a true story rendered beautifully on the page." -- Phil Donahue

"Every element of Olympia's performances--all that passion and kindness and aching humanity--has been forged in the fires of her own tumultuous heart. She's the genuine article, this woman, and what she has to say about life is always worth hearing." -- Armistead Maupin, author of Tales of the City

"Olympia Dukakis brings depth and compassion to the roles she plays because that is the way she lives her life. It's as if she is in touch with some ancient way of uniting head and heart, and helps us to do that, too." -- Gloria Steinem

"Inspirational, especially if you grew up in a close-knit family. A-" -- Entertainment Weekly

"Personal and spiritual ...a satisfying look into the personal and professional life of a theater actor." -- Library Journal

"Dukakis deserves merit for her candid disclosure of her most formidable battles, which include an interfering mother, depression, ethnic biases and two bouts of cancer." -- Baltimore Sun