This slim volume is a transcription of Gray’s stage monologues about his time on the set of THE KILLING FIELDS in Thailand in the early 1980s.
As an almost aggressively introspective New York stage actor scrambling for film jobs, Gray is out of place in the world of film—especially when the movie is about genocide and is being shot in a third world country. Still, he goes to Thailand in search of “the perfect moment,” a flash of ultimate poetic understanding.
Does this type of literary self-indulgence hold up well in 2025? Very much so. The psychoanalytical ruminations are scented with ’80s therapy-speak, but they’re also infused with a humor that’s both amusingly self-deprecating and undeniably intelligent. The book is a breezy, stimulating read, complete with Hollywood gossip and a surprisingly fascinating character arc. It won’t give you your own perfect moment, but it’ll put you in a good frame of mind.