Always Young and Restless: My Life On and Off America's #1 Daytime Drama

by Melody Thomas Scott, Dana L. Davis (With), Camille Paglia (Foreword by)

Overview

The renowned actress behind the character Nikki Newman of The Young and the Restless tells all in this scintillating memoir, divulging the insider details of her dramatic life and sixty-year career.

Melody Thomas Scott admits she is nothing like her Young and the Restless role, who has seen it all in her forty-year tenure on America’s highest-rated daytime serial. But the high drama, angst, and catastrophes aren’t confined to her character’s plotlines. In this captivating memoir, Melody reveals behind-the-scenes tales of her own riveting journey to stardom.

As Nikki went from impoverished stripper to resourceful, vivacious heroine—with missteps as gripping as her triumphs—Melody became a household name, enthralling global audiences. Her road to stardom was also her road to personal freedom, marked by an escape fit for cinema. In Always Young and Restless, Melody tells of her troubled, untraditional upbringing for the first time.

Learn how she suffered at home with her grandmother, a compulsive hoarder, whose cruelty as her guardian is shockingly extreme, and endured abuse at the hands of industry men; what it was like to act in feature films with Alfred Hitchcock, John Wayne, and Clint Eastwood; and how she took control of her life and career in a daring getaway move. And of course, Melody divulges juicy on-and-off-set details of what it’s like to be one half of the show’s most successful supercouple, “Niktor.” In witty, warm prose, meet the shining, persevering heart of an American icon—and prepare to be moved by a life story fit for a soap opera star.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781635766943
Publisher:	Diversion Books
Publication date:	08/18/2020
Pages:	288
Sales rank:	360,196
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Melody Thomas Scott is best known for her Emmy-nominated work in the iconic role of Nikki Reed Newman, a character she’s played for forty years and counting on America’s number one-daytime television drama The Young and the Restless. She’s also appeared in feature films with the likes of Clint Eastwood and John Wayne, and worked with esteemed directors like Alfred Hitchcock and Brian De Palma. Melody is known for her charitable efforts with ATAS TV Cares and Save the Earth Foundation. She lives with her husband, Edward Scott, and beloved rescue Terrier, Reilly, in Beverly Hills, California.

Table of Contents

Foreword Camille Paglia xiii

Part I The Beginning

1 I'm Not Actually Starting at the Beginning 3

2 Chairwoman of the Hoard 7

3 Sadly … Me Too 17

4 And So, My Fellow Americans … 23

5 The Blonde Hair Stayed 25

6 Psycho 29

7 (Oops) I Stabbed Clint Eastwood 41

8 Give My Regards to The Broadway 53

9 Shame on You 61

10 A Star is Reborn 67

11 The Giant Teddy Bear 71

12 Ding Dong 77

13 The Young and the Shirtless 83

14 The Fury 87

Part II Nikki Reed

15 The Young and the Replaced 93

16 The Lone Stripper of Daytime Television 97

17 And the Mother Is … 107

18 Knight in Shining Armor 119

19 We're Making Stories 125

20 Mmmhmm 129

21 Emotional Malware 133

22 It's a Girl? 141

23 Daddy Dearest 145

24 Another Goodbye 149

Part III Nikki Newman

25 A Few of My Favorite Things 155

26 Hair! 169

27 I'll Never Forgive O.J. 173

28 Float Like a Butterfly 177

29 With This Ring I Thee Wed 183

30 Peter Bergman 191

31 The Games People Play 193

32 Kristoff 199

33 Going off on a Tangent 203

34 Prescription for Madness 207

35 Aging Gracefully? 219

36 Becoming Nikki & Enjoying Mel 223

Postscript: A Message from the Word Wrangler 235

Acknowledgments 241

Index 247

About the Author 255

Editorial Reviews

Melody Thomas Scott’s life story is both engaging and illuminating. My parents and I have been watching Y&R since Melody was playing a teenager! And after reading her life story I can honestly say that the story of the fictional character of Nikki Newman, whom she plays, pales in comparison to the real life story of the actress portraying her.”—Fran Drescher, Actor, Author, Producer

“Melody Thomas Scott is a force to be reckoned with. In overcoming her difficult childhood; acting alongside some of cinema’s greatest giants; and achieving dynastic status as one-half of daytime’s biggest supercouple . . . From these pages, an icon emerges.”—Kristin Chenoweth, Tony and Emmy Award-Winning Actress

“Always Young and Restless is a page turner. You get to know the woman, Melody Thomas Scott, and everything SHE went through on the road to success—turning tragedy into triumph and giving insight into the ACTOR who grew a character, Nikki Reed, to Nikki Newman . . . and back! Brava!”—Sheryl Underwood, Host of The Talk

"Melody Thomas Scott’s life has had more twists and turns than Nikki Newman has hairdos—and, man, does this daytime uber-star deliver the goods in her long-awaited memoir! Always Young and Restless is a marvelous valentine to the wild world of soaps, but also a jolting and daring expose of her nightmarish years as a child actress in Hollywood. Parental abandonment, sexual abuse, mental illness—this lady endured it all, yet somehow survived wholly and triumphantly. Experience her story! You will be so damn glad you did.” —Michael Logan, Veteran TV Guide Journalist

"This book sings with unparalleled heart, personality, and perseverance. Melody’s generosity of detail and vivacious turns of phrase are a true delight. As a huge fan of Melody’s portrayal of the character Nikki—and given my love for The Young and the Restless, and our shared connection with its theme, 'Nadia’s Song'—I found Always Young and Restless a must-read.”—Nadia Comăneci, Five-Time Olympic Gold Medal Gymnast

"[Scott] reveals many stories that are fun reading while also very telling about the number 1 daytime drama, [The Young and the Restless]. Always Young And Restless is for anyone who would like to know more about the show, the characters and Melody Thomas Scott herself."—Midwest Book Review

From the Publisher

06/05/2020

Scott is best known as one of the longtime stars of the daytime soap The Young and the Restless, but her career in Hollywood started when she was a young child. Cowritten by actress and novelist Davis (The Voice in My Head), this no-holds-barred memoir gives insight into not only Scott's early days as a child actress but also the cruelties she experienced at the hands of adults who were meant to support and protect her, including multiple sexual assaults. She discusses this tumultuous time, exploring her early work with big name stars and directors (she appeared in Alfred Hitchcock's Marnie as well as on the series Charlie's Angels, The Rockford Files, and The Waltons). Scott also digs into her work on The Young and the Restless: how she landed the role of Nikki Newman, a role she's played since 1979; her least and most favorite story lines; and how she found love twice on set. She also relays anecdotes about her children, pets, and illnesses. Fans of the soap will enjoy learning about costars over the years and behind-the-scenes antics, though the jump between topics and chapters can sometimes feel abrupt, with an overuse of exclamation points. VERDICT For those interested in show business memoirs, both Young and the Restless fans and those unfamiliar with the series.—Courtney Pentland, Omaha, NE

Library Journal