Wild and Crazy Guys: How the Comedy Mavericks of the '80s Changed Hollywood Forever

Nick de Semlyen

Pan Macmillan, Jun 9, 2020 - Biography & Autobiography - 336 pages

The larger-than-life story of the much-loved Hollywood comedy stars that ruled the 1980s. As well as delving behind the scenes of classic movies such as 'Ghostbusters', 'Beverly Hills Cop', 'The Blues Brothers', 'Trading Places' and dozens more, it chronicles the off-screen, larger-than-life antics of Bill Murray, Eddie Murphy, Chevy Chase, Steve Martin, John Candy et al. It's got drugs, sex, punch-ups, webbed toes and Bill Murray being pushed into a swimming pool by Hunter S. Thompson, while tied to a lawn chair.

About the author

Nick de Semlyen is the editor of Empire, the world's biggest movie magazine. As a film journalist, he has also written for Rolling Stone and Time Out. Over the years he has orchestrated cast reunions for Lethal Weapon, The Goonies and Gremlins, been driven around Shanghai at high speed by Jackie Chan, visited Jack Nicholson's house, and interviewed everybody from Robert De Niro to David Lynch. He can be seen on screen for two seconds in the movie Jurassic World, being splashed by a water-dinosaur. The Last Action Heroes is his second book.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Wild and Crazy Guys: How the Comedy Mavericks of the '80s Changed Hollywood Forever
• Author: Nick de Semlyen
• Edition: illustrated
• Publisher: Pan Macmillan, 2020
• ISBN: 1529015812, 9781529015812
• Length: 336 pages
• Subjects: Biography & Autobiography / Entertainment & Performing Arts; Performing Arts / Comedy; Performing Arts / Film / Genres / Comedy; Performing Arts / Film / History & Criticism