Showbiz!: My Life as a Middle-Aged Man

Summary

In his powerful debut memoir, beloved comedian Murray Hill (Somebody Somewhere) opens up for the first time about how his painful past led to his unwavering commitment to spread joy—one rimshot at a time

Murray Hill, the trailblazing comic and self-proclaimed “hardest working middle-aged man in show business,” has been delighting audiences around the world with his signature blend of campy humor and subversive showmanship for three decades. Much like Fred Rococo, his character on HBO’s Somebody Somewhere, Murray radiates relentless positivity and an indomitable spirit as entertaining as it is inspiring.

Behind the one-liners lies a deeper truth. Growing up in a conservative New England household where abuse ran rampant, Murray found refuge in showbiz memoirs and watching old-school comedians on The Tonight Show. These tales of survival, in the face of maltreatment and discrimination, offered him hope and the possibility of reinvention through the world of entertainment.

After leaving home, Murray began the slow process of finding and defining his identity as a newly emancipated adult and queer, boundary-pushing artist. It wasn’t always easy. Murray drank to escape his past, and masked his depression with alcohol. His drinking spiraled into a mental health crisis that nearly cost him his life. But with loving support from his chosen family and community, Murray found not only his people but himself.

Warm, fearless, and laugh-out-loud funny, Showbiz! Murray Hill’s story of survival, reinvention, and finding joy against the odds. Because when life hands you trauma, you turn it into a tight five. Showbiz!