Otherwise Engaged

The first in-depth, authorised biography of this extraordinary actorIn 1956, at the age of 22, Alan Bates was cast in John Osborne's controversial play, Look Back in Anger. The play changed the course of British theatre - and of Alan's life.With a sudden rush of fame, he became a member of a new circle of actors at the Royal Court- the English Stage Company. From then on, he also worked steadily in television and won international acclaim for his roles in a number of major films, from A Kind of Loving and Zorba the Greek to Women in Love.But his personal life was not always as seemingly straightforward as his career - his relationships, including that with his wife, Victoria Ward, were often turbulent. Drawing on dozens of interviews with his family, lovers, colleagues and friends - and mining a rich store of primary research - Donald Spoto chronicles Alan's achievements as a performer against the backdrop of a complicated personal life.

“The actor who emerges in this biography is a compassionate man who was drawn to troubled souls, who disliked the passivity he detected in himself but was capable of communicating and understanding psychological subtleties.”

Observer
Major new biography of a brilliant actor Daily Mail
Judicious critical appraisal The Times
Serious and sympathetic Literary Review
Spoto's authorised biography, anchored by extensive interviews with family and friends, portrays a complicated and intriguing man. Good Book Guide

Donald Spoto was born near New York City in 1941 and received his PhD degree from Fordham University in 1970. He is the author of 27 books, including internationally bestselling biographies of Alfred Hitchcock, Tennessee Williams, Marlene Dietrich, Marilyn Monroe and Ingrid Bergman. He is married to the Danish school administrator and artist Ole Flemming Larsen. They live in a quiet village an hour's drive from Copenhagen.

'The actor who emerges in this biography is a compassionate man who was drawn to troubled souls, who disliked the passivity he detected in himself but was capable of communicating and understanding psychological subtleties' Observer In 1956, at the age of 22, Alan Bates was cast in John Osborne's controversial play, Look Back in Anger . The play changed the course of British theatre - and of Alan's life. With a sudden rush of fame, he became a member of a new circle of actors at the Royal Court: the English Stage Company. From then on, he also worked steadily in television and won international acclaim for his roles in a number of major films, from A Kind of Loving and Zorba the Greek to Women in Love . But his personal life was not always as seemingly straightforward as his career - his relationships, including that with his wife, Victoria Ward, were often turbulent. Drawing on dozens of interviews with his family, lovers, colleagues and friends - and mining a rich store of primary research - Donald Spoto chronicles Alan's achievements as a performer against the backdrop of a complicated personal life. 'A judicious critical appraisal' ' The Times 'Serious and sympathetic' Literary Review 'You have captured Alan and his life ... It has been very moving to read and to relive' Benedick Bates, son of Alan Bates 'Fascinating. Donald Spoto's book captures his essence' Arthur Laurents, author of The Way We Were

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