Steve Guttenberg believes Hollywood is akin to “walking on the edge of a razor.”
The genial actor, who had a string of hit movies in the ’80s, tells exclusively that show business is “exciting and fun, but it’s a dangerous game,” adding, “So you have to keep your head.”
Guttenberg credits his family, especially his father, with keeping him grounded and able to resist the temptations that Tinseltown offered.
The “Police Academy” star writes about the close bond he shared with his dad, Stanley Guttenberg, in his forthcoming memoir, “Time to Thank: Caregiving for My Hero.” He also details his father’s decline and how he helped look after him.
“I was in love with my dad,” he gushes to us. “He was one of the smartest, strongest, kindest guys ever born on this earth.
“He was a US Army Ranger. He was a New York City policeman. He was an electronics executive. He was a caring husband and father and friend. He was a great citizen, a great patriot. And I loved being in his company.”
In the book, Guttenberg recalls leaving Long Island for Hollywood at age 17 and becoming a major star within a few years with the “Police Academy” franchise.
He writes of his then-manager, the legendary Sandy Gallin, seeing the first film and being furious with Guttenberg, labeling it “the most horrible movie I’ve ever seen.”
Gallin, who also managed Dolly Parton, immediately booked the young actor a TV series, believing that Guttenberg had destroyed any hopes of a movie career. However, the 1984 flick was a huge hit, spawning several sequels.
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Guttenberg also starred in several other huge box-office hits, including “Cocoon,” “Three Men and a Baby” and “Short Circuit.”
That’s not to say the actor was completely immune to Hollywood’s charms, though.
“My God, I drank the Kool-Aid several times and went out and bought a Ferrari and had my times where I thought I was a big deal,” he shares with before coming to a realization.
“You get to the end of that tunnel and you realize you’re not that big a deal and that nobody’s that big a deal, right? The biggest, the biggest star in the world is not a big deal. The biggest CEO in the world. It’s not a big deal, right? Because you’re fungible. You’re human, right? You have a limited amount of time to dance on this earth. Try to do the right thing all the time.”
The “It Takes Two” star says knowing he always had his parents’s unconditional support helped.
“My dad would say to me, ‘Anytime you want, get your marbles and leave. You don’t have to stay in this thing,'” he remembers. “That was great.”
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