Apparently There Were Complaints

Emmy Award–winning actress Gless recounts her life in this hilarious, laugh-out-loud memoir. She grew up in California, with an idyllic upbringing (her grandfather was a prominent Los Angeles attorney who represented such clients as Howard Hughes and Katharine Hepburn). Her childhood was privileged but shadowed by her parents’ divorce and her struggles with weight. She entered the acting profession in her late twenties and was one of the last contract players signed by Universal Studios in the early 1970s. She appeared in many television series and films before landing a major hit with Cagney & Lacey, which ran for seven seasons in the 1980s. She later made a notable impression with her portrayal of Debbie Novotny on the groundbreaking series Queer as Folk. Here Gless discusses her struggles with addiction, her affair with married producer Barney Rosenzweig (whom she later married), and her experiences dealing with sexist producers. There is also a generous bit of name-dropping, as Gless shares entertaining stories about her encounters with major Hollywood players.