This week I had the pleasure of interviewing Michael Loyd Gray, author of the book Not Famous Anymore, recipient of a grant from the Elizabeth George Foundation. For those who are unfamiliar with this thought-provoking novel the story is about Elliott Adrian, a famous actor of questionable skills, drinks too much and works himself to the bottom in Hollywood. He emerges from rehab wanting to put the American Dream into reverse: he embarks on a journey to not be famous anymore and works his way back to his hometown of tiny Argus, Illinois.

After a short exile in Loreto, Mexico, Elliott’s road trip takes him from Arizona to Arkansas and finally Argus, where he discovers the girl he was briefly married to in high school, has a daughter he never met. Along the way Fox News offers a reward for anyone who can find Elliott and once in Argus he can’t quite escape from fame and must learn to straddle both worlds – Hollywood as well as Argus. A novel about the value of fame and also discovering true self.

We talked about fame, fortunes and frustrations – the unique challenges that can come with celebrity and a life lived under the spotlight.  Here is the transcript of our conversation and exploration of the paradox of fame:

Valery Satterwhite (VS): Michael, what inspired you to write Not Famous Anymore?

Michael Loyd Gray (MLG):  Growing up in the Midwest in a sleepy college town surrounded by corn and soybeans, I first encountered Hollywood and movie stars on television and in movies.  Hollywood seemed not only exotic beyond belief, but a million miles away and almost unattainable as a destination. After all, a quick glance out a window of my house on the edge of town revealed flat fields and farms in the distance – it was all pretty much Norman Rockwell stuff.

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