Not Bad for a Human - Book Review

Being a fan of Lance Henriksen for most of my life, I was excited to learn about his biography Not Bad for a Human. I’ve never been one to submerge myself into a public figure’s personal life. I don’t care what clothes they wear or what food they like, but once in a while one of them actually has an interesting story to tell and just by looking and listening to Lance Henriksen you can easily infer, this guy has had some intense experiences. Lance Henriksen’s story is a grand odyssey and I thank him for having the graceful courage to share it with us.

His childhood would be considered a nightmare by most people, and as much as it was indeed for him, the way he shapes the story, you still sense the compassion he had for the one person that probably hurt him the most consciously and subconsciously.  His love for pottery is contagious as are his moral standards which he upholds before accepting any role.

What struck a chord with me mostly was that his greatest success occurred later in life. In his early days, Lance Henriksen was a rudderless ship without a compass so he had to learn life’s rules the hard way. He had to make all of the mistakes before finding the path to success, but he never turned his back on his principles. Some movies he did because he needed the money, but he never betrayed his ideals no matter how hard times were.  Plus, he drops f-bombs all over the place. I don’t think I would have ever imagined that about him, but it’s exciting and refreshing to know that there’s a star who talks like the rest of us.

From the reading onset I did not want to put this book down. Any moment I was interrupted or life’s necessary routines got in the way, I became frustrated because I had to stop reading Not Bad for a Human, but I grew excited because I knew it was waiting for me once I was finished. Co-written by Lance Henriksen and Joseph Maddrey, they have created an addictive, quick, fulfilling reading experience out of a humble, eccentric man’s whirlwind life.

Before, I was a fan of the actor and was pleased with what I read and saw of the man in interviews, but now I’m definitely a fan and admirer of the man Lance Henriksen.