There I Go Again: How I Came to Be Mr. Feeny, John Adams, Dr. Craig, KITT, and Many Others

Written by William Daniels

Narrated by Tom Perkins

There I Go Again is a celebrity memoir like no other, revealing the life of a man whose acting career has been so rich that millions of Americans know his face even while they might not recognize his name.

William Daniels is an enigma-a rare chameleon who has enjoyed massive success both in Hollywood and on Broadway and been embraced by fans of successive generations. Few of his peers inspire the fervor with which buffs celebrate his most iconic roles, among them George Feeny in Boy Meets World, KITT in Knight Rider, Dr. Mark Craig in St. Elsewhere, and John Adams in the play and film 1776.

Daniels guides listeners through some of Hollywood's most cherished productions, offering recollections of entertainment legends including Lauren Bacall, Warren Beatty, Kirk Douglas, Michael Douglas, Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, Mike Nichols, Jason Robards, Barbra Streisand, and many more.

Looking back on his seventy-five-plus-year career, Daniels realizes that although he never had the courage to say "no" to being an actor, he backed into stardom. With his wife, actress Bonnie Bartlett, by his side, he came to realize that he wound up exactly where he was supposed to be: on the screen and stage.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: Jan 30, 2018
• ISBN: 9781541484771

Reviews for There I Go Again

[mark · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Seeing William Daniels I will always think of Dr Mark Craig.

He played that role so well and at the time the show was groundbreaking. He was a strong lead for that cast.

Recently I was watching Grey’s Anatomy and he once again played a terrific, but all to short role.

Looking at his website I was surprised to see he had written an autobiography and once again Scribd came through offering the book.

It was an amazing listen. He’s a gifted storyteller and he didn’t seem to go overboard building himself up but instead brings you through the story with great detail and humility.

Unlike many books this one is hard to stop listening. I wanted more...and he knows how to keep an audience’s attention.

Enjoy.

[darthdeverell · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

In There I Go Again: How I Came to Be Mr. Feeny, John Adams, Dr. Craig, KITT, & Many Others, William Daniels chronicles his long life in theatre, television, and film, beginning with his earliest experiences in show business at his mother’s behest during the Great Depression. He fills his memoir with wit and wisdom, but it never feels self-indulgent as he freely admits his mistakes and where he feels his personality got him into trouble. Already a beloved actor, this honest further endears him to the reader. His stories are poignant, insightful, and shed light on the changing field of acting during the twentieth century. He never sought celebrity, however, so his discussion of roles and the craft reads like an oral history, though with real humor. For example, after describing his time as John Adams in the Broadway and film versions of 1776, John Quincy Adams in The Adams Chronicles, and Samuel Adams in The Bastard, Williams quips, “I have now played every important member of the Adams family, except for Abigail” (pg. 157). Daniels ends his memoir by reprinting a particularly insightful conversation between himself and Lin-Manuel Miranda about the power of theatre to help people connect to their history.

[medwards429 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

John Adams, Dr. Mark Craig, KITT, Mr. Feeny – all of these have one person in common – an extraordinary and talented actor by the name of William Daniels.

Whether you are a theater buff, movie fan, or someone who watches television – you probably know his voice and perhaps his name. But, few people know the man behind the voices and characters and how he landed the iconic roles some of us know him for.

Originally written out in his own handwriting, on yellow legal pads, Daniels chronicles his life leading up to the key roles that have distinguished his career.

Often self-deprecating; but filled with a humble honesty; Daniels chronicles his life from his childhood in show-business to his time in the Army, his marriage to actress Bonnie Bartlett and their family, to his time in theater before his roles in film then television. He also tells of his two years as president of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG).

If you’re looking for “dirt” on others he has acted with – you won’t find it. This isn’t a scathing, revealing “tell-all”. If you’re looking for a more in-depth look at the roles of John Adams, Dr. Mark Craig, KITT, and Mr. Feeny – you won’t find that either. Though there are some stories he has included in this memoir, and the most touching is the “goodbye” scene from Boy Meets World.

As much as I wanted to hear about John Adams (which my mom gives high accolades to) and even more about the role of KITT (that’s what I know him as), it’s vitally important to remember that Daniels is greater than the roles he has played. Daniels deserves his entire story (and life) told.

In this book, you will find a man who has had a remarkable career in each medium – theater, film, and television. A man, who didn’t want to be an actor, but came to gradual acceptance of it and didn’t just perform, but excelled.

A man who often said “no”, only to find that a reluctant acceptance to the role brought not only great success, but accolades and praise over 30-40 years after the performance.

Daniels’ story is one of remarkable fortitude as well as persistence. And, despite some thinking he isn’t a success – his marriage, his family, his longevity – prove otherwise. His story proves that one doesn’t have to have a blockbuster movie or mega-star status to be “successful”, but small roles can make a difference in the success of a story as well as life. He also teaches us that sometimes, even if accidentally, we end up where we’re supposed to be in life.

[adonisguilfoyle · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love William Daniels - if I could, I'd adopt him as my TV grandad. He is the voice of my childhood, but not as Mr Feeny of Boy Meets World, and when I say 'childhood', I mean from the age of 6 right through until now. William Daniels will always be KITT, the artificially intelligent car from the hokey 80s series Knight Rider, for me. That show, and the character, mean so much to me that I was actually a little bit apprehensive to even start reading Mr Daniels' autobiography, but I needn't have worried - he is absolutely lovely. Modest, witty, honest, he remains my ideal TV grandad.Having reached that 'OK Google. Is William Daniels still alive?' stage of his life and career, the experienced actor takes us right back to the beginning, as a child 'entertainer' - forced into tap dancing and singing by his pushy mother - in the 1930s. Born in Brooklyn, he traded his natural accent for the cultured, slightly stuffy 'Boston' voice that has become his trademark, and made him instantly identifiable as KITT, even though he asked not to be credited - although he doesn't mention here that his inspiration was the actor playing 'Father' in the play 'Life With Father' that he acted in during his teens.Having survived his mother's 'promotion' as a child star, Bill then went onto college, where he met his (very patient and understanding) wife, Bonnie Bartlett, and served in the army for the last couple of years of the Second World War, DJing in Italy. He and Bonnie then found theatre work - she more successful than him at first - and even trained with Lee Strasberg (Bill name drops working with Marilyn Monroe at these sessions, along with his good friend Gene Wilder, who stood in for Bill during the adoption of his first son, and an early, inspirational meeting with Bill 'Bojangles' Robinson!) TV and film success, from The Graduate to St Elsewhere and, yes, Knight Rider ("Is this the voice of a car?" he asks Glen Larson incredulously, during a first test reading). He's been constantly in work, and hard-working, even since.His story had me smiling, laughing and occasionally close to tears (the death of his baby son), to the point where I raced through every chapter and actually hugged the book when I finished. Perhaps for fans only - people might know his voice, but I doubt few would recognise his name - but definitely worth a read. William Daniels is a humble star and a lovable personality, 90 years young.

[razinha-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I got an advanced look at this through NetGalley and it is {pick your superlative...I have too many}. Wonderful, charming, humbly self-effacing for a man with an 80 year career. I admit to never having seen him for even one second in the first role listed in the subtitle, and only snippets of the third - I wasn't a fan of St. Elsewhere, and know nothing of Boy Meets World, but I loved him in 1776. As for an uncredited voice role, I remember being in (US Navy) boot camp in January/February 1984 and we were getting a lecture from our Company Commander EM1 Wycoff on a Sunday night before we were wrapping for the day when he stopped and said, "What time is it?!" ... and took off mid-lecture. You see, Petty Officer Wycoff drove a black Trans Am, and was obsessed with Knight Rider, and the real star of the show, KITT.

Wonderful memoir. Clearly so, because I used "wonderful" more than once in this "review".