Actor’s life laid bare in his autobiography
The incredible life story of Shropshire’s Oscar-nominated actor Pete Postlethwaite will be told in full for the first time in his autobiography.
The book, called A Spectacle of Dust, is being released on June 23 by one of the UK’s biggest publishing houses, Orion, which bought the title shortly before Mr Postlethwaite’s death from cancer in January. Mr Postlethwaite, who lived near Bishop’s Castle, had been treated at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.
The actor, whose starring roles came in such films as Brassed Off, The Usual Suspects, In The Name of the Father and Jurassic Park: The Lost World, was asked to write a memoir at the end of 2008.
He worked on the book with Shropshire Star writer Andy Richardson, who had first interviewed Mr Postlethwaite for the newspaper in 1999. Mr Richardson became a close friend and also interviewed the star on a number of occasions.
The book traces Mr Postlethwaite’s life from his childhood in Warrington, where he grew up in a small terraced house with two sisters, one brother and his parents.
It recounts the origins of his acting ambitions and follows the arc of his career, from drama school in Bristol to repertory theatre work in Liverpool, London and other cities.
Mr Postlethwaite tells the story of his move into the world of TV and film, describing the experience of working with a number of A-list stars, including the double Oscar winners Kevin Spacey and his long-term friend Daniel Day-Lewis, as well as his long-term relationship with Julie Walters. All three attended a memorial to Mr Postlethwaite in London in February.
He describes his deep love affair with Shropshire and says he and his wife, Jacqui, felt proud to raise their children, Will and Lily, in the county. The actor was introduced to Shropshire by a friend, who taught locally, and he bought a home near Church Stretton, about 20 years ago.
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