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By their very nature autobiographies should be personal, heartfelt and honest accounts of the subject’s life, experiences, victories and defeats, loves and losses. When it comes to You Never Said Goodbye by John McCardle – Liverpool actor of Brookside, Merseybeat, Prime Suspect and, now, Emmerdale TV fame – all of these boxes are well and truly ticked and all with more than a few added splashes of refreshing humility and humour thrown in.
Written in the form of a letter to his late father who died suddenly aged 48 and when young John was just 16, from the book’s very outset there is a sense of “what if” about the narrative that is as intriguing as it is engaging.
This is not to say, though, that McCardle’s way with words is in anyway dull or woebegone. Far from it. In fact, the pace of the telling of his life is one that sets up a near ‘fly-on-the-wall’ atmosphere, which only helps draw the reader in.
There are also times when we, as outsiders, will openly declare him to be a lucky so-and-so, given that he never intended to be an actor and, indeed, didn’t begin his career until his late twenties.
With this said, though, the oft used quote of Gary Player can easily fit McCardle and his rise to becoming one of British television’s most popular and recognisable actors. “People often call me lucky,” Player famously mused. “It’s funny though how the more I practice and the harder I work, the luckier I seem to get.”
Yes, it can’t be argued that fate has played a part in John McCardle’s rise, yet don’t be fooled by this being a story that only knows the sunny side of the street. Indeed, the story delightfully describes more than a few potholes along the way whilst all the while maintaining the intended conversational tones it is intended to have.
There is also the fact that, whilst recognising those who have helped his career on professional, familial and friendly levels, those who have incurred his displeasure remain nameless. If you are after a kiss and tell actor’s biography, this is not for you. If instead you are after a story to inspire – particularly if you, too, are an aspiring actor – then grab a copy as soon as you can, read every word and cherish the experiences that John McCardle relates so passionately.
John McCardle
You Never Said Goodbye
Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; 1 edition
ISBN-10: 1517180805
ISBN-13: 978-1517180805
6 June, 2016