Growing Pains
by Billie Piper
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Book Summary Information
Author: Billie PiperEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2006-10-19
ISBN: 0340938498
Number of pages: 368
Publisher: Hodder Hb
Book Reviews of Growing Pains
Book Review: Life's Lessons
Summary: 5 Stars
What prompted me into ordering this book through Amazon was the Season 2 finale of the current Dr. Who series. Billie Piper's performance was astounding to me. Of all the previous seasons of the show and all the previous companions, her farewell with David Tennant was by far the most emotional scene in the show's history where the viewer actually felt empathy with the characters. Her acting and character development throughout the second season drew me into this science fiction series much more than it had in the first season. Note: Am still a Tom Baker and John Pertwee Dr Who fan at heart.
So the question is, how did she become such a good actress? Being an American male not interested in teen music, I completely missed her performance and songs as a British teen music star in the 1990's, though I vaguely remember the top 40 radio stations having her songs competing against an up and coming Britney. This book starts with her very brief childhood and describes the very difficult times trying to balance the family life and expectations of being a pop star touring and performing for months on end.
The personal toll of relationships, loss of privacy and her decline in health is told. After reading her book, what becomes very apparent is how she lost her childhood. She missed the opportunity of being an "average teen", to live life without any worries. The demands of constantly being on tour resulted in the lack of many basic social skills that we take for granted. Simple things such as cooking one's food, driving a car, or being able to relax read a good book (and a fine one this is) did not happen until she was married and was able to distance herself from the demands of being a pop star.
She does frequently mention her insecurity and doubts as a pop singer. She also stated many performances in the UK can be mimed to music, but in the US, it is all live. Unfortunately am not able to discern on youtube if her live UK performances are live or mimed, if I can notice if she is missing the notes as she stated. One thing is noticeable in the youtube videos is she appears to be tense in the performances, not happy and enjoying the moment, just as she described in the book.
She has definitely aged quickly in her life, from helping to take care of her younger siblings and then jumping into the media spotlight with older dancers. She does recognize the stress her star status created on her family and how it separated her from them as she dealt with her personal challenges.
She does mention falling in love and trying to be happy. Her marriage with a popular British DJ allowed her to settle down as a normal person, to further develop her acting skills, and actually be functional in being able to cook, clean, and spend quiet moments at home and not at the pub partying.
But there is a price for her star status, the distance away from the ones she loves and cherish as they live and work their separate careers. This has resulted in the break-up of her personal relationships. But with every break-up, she was able to focus more on her acting, her true passion.
She is not an average person by any means, she was given a special gift and had the fortune to be recognized in an early age. Her family's work ethic made her a determined person to achieve her personal best. Her family and loved ones were able to pick her up after she fell, to give her the strength to continue on despite the uncertainty and insecurity she may have. After reading her book, I understand that it is her life experience that makes her a spectacular performer.
Just looking at her personal photos in the book, one can see how as a child she was happy with the family dog, but later, as a pop star, the spark wasn't there. Later in her wedding photo, the beaming smile of happiness returned. This is the Rose Tyler character in Dr. Who that brought in so many fans. Her acting gave us empathy which we shared in her journey.
I enjoyed reading her autobiography, it showed how she developed and grew as a person, not as a spoiled rich diva living a life of decadence. She was first concerned about being a top performer and star, to make her fans happy. Later she wanted to be happy herself and enjoy the music and performances too, but it never happened, she was empty inside. Finally, she has grown to become the person she is today.
I think that Billie Piper performs today because she is happy and able to share the love with her family and friends. Perhaps this is what matters most to her. All the money in the world didn't buy her happiness or joy. It was the personal time in sharing life with friends and family, away from the spotlight, that makes her happy as a person, just like the rest of us feel in our much simpler (and mundane) lives.
Summary of Growing Pains
This is an astonishingly candid insight into the world of Billie Piper. Famous since the age of 15 -- first as the face of Smash Hits, then as a pop singer with three No.1 hits in less than three years -- Billie Piper has won over the critics and the British public for a second time by re-inventing herself as an actress in BBC productions of Much Ado About Nothing, The Canterbury Tales and, of course, Doctor Who. And that's just the professional Billie. In this book, for the first time, she talks honestly about her whirwind romance and marriage to Chris Evans, about her battles with anorexia and the dark side of teen fame. Moving, funny and honest, this is a page-turning read by one of the nation's favourite stars.Entertainers Books
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