Josh Gad.
Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic for HBOJosh Gad rips off the bandage in his next memoir, In Gad We Trust: a revealerproving that he is much more than just a musical mormon and an animated snowman.
The triple threat sat down with Us every week exclusively to look back at some of his most memorable stories from the book (out Tuesday, January 14), including his slow rise to fame, which required working through difficult times and setbacks along the way. Today, however, Gad can say he’s officially made it. With this book, he tells both personal and professional stories. Don’t you understand why he calls it “a tell-all”? The actor was quick to set the record straight.
“It’s more of a joke.” On the contrary, I say everything and more,” Gad explained to We. “I watched the exercise, as I progressed, as if it were therapy in front of a mirror. The more vulnerable I became, the more I allowed myself to follow this path – even though I was hesitant, afraid and, perhaps, resistant.
Gad decided he wanted to “give people a reason to read this book,” which included being honest.
“It was kind of an obvious decision, but also profound for me because I’m not generally an open book — no pun intended,” he explained. “I learned a lot about myself writing this and talking about everything from personal to career to family matters.”
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THE Frozen The star writes about having an absent father for most of her life and explains how it impacted her own journey to parenthood. (Gad shares Ava, 13, and Isabella, 10, with his wife Ida Darvish.)
For those more interested in his Hollywood success, he also shares many anecdotes about his career.
“I really enjoyed writing [the book]and I hope that everyone who reads it will take away something useful and inspiring,” he said. We. “At least I hope they have a good laugh.”
Keep scrolling to learn more about Gad:
Live from New York… It’s rejection
After graduating from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh in 2003, Gad decided to try his hand at Saturday evening live. His friend Bryce Dallas Howard recruited his father, a famous director Ron Howardto open his audition tape – yet Gad was turned down three times.
“I love failing because it gives me a platform to succeed. Don’t let others force you to give up on yourself. I think perseverance is as important as skill,” Gad explained. “I didn’t like it at the time, and I certainly hated it – but rejection was as important to me and continues to be as important as acceptance. Part of it is, “F— me?” F— you. I’ll prove you wrong.’
A lifelong struggle
“I was always self-conscious and ashamed of my overweight body,” Gad writes in the book. By 2007, Hollywood had placed him in the “fat best friend” category when it came to casting, something he feared would continue throughout his career.
“It’s always in the background,” he admitted. We. “I hope that discussing issues like the fight against weight [and] severe anxiety gives people an idea [of]“If I can be here and do this and overcome these things and still manage them, you have this. “We have all of that together. I felt strongly that this was something I needed to talk about [in the book]no matter how uncomfortable it is.
Befriend an icon
Look Aladdin at 11 years old, this had a profound impact on Gad. Robin Williams“Genie made him want to voice a Disney cartoon character (which he did with Olaf in 2013). Frozen). After Gad meets the legend during his run The Book of Mormonthey began a friendship that ended too soon. (Williams death by suicide at age 63 in August 2014.)
“It’s so frustrating because you imagine someone will be there forever. There were so many things I planned to talk to him about. We spoke less and less. I saw him, I think, the year before he passed away,” Gad recalls. “I could tell he was down. He wasn’t himself, but I didn’t really know what was going on. I didn’t want to clutter it with conversations, especially about myself. I’m grateful that he had the opportunity to hear me talk about how he inspired me – it’s something I told him personally.
A memorable encounter
Years before Kevin SpaceyDisgraced Gad appeared alongside him in the 2008 film 21. During filming, he wrote, Spacey “forced” him to do an “impression” at dinner parties in Boston. (The disgraced actor faced multiple allegations of sexual assault since 2017, which he denied. He was acquitted of nine charges in July 2023.)
“It was such a strange thing,” Gad said We. “But it was also like a sign of respect where he was really, I think, tickled by the fact that I could do voices.”
Gad explained that he had no apprehension discussing Spacey in the book.
“I’m not saying anything embarrassing,” he continued. “This is my life; These are the people I met. Kevin Spacey is one of them and I have a very funny story to tell. I’ll leave the controversy to other writers, but I’ll just tell you, I hope, an anecdote that will make you say, “That’s crazy.”
