Dropped Names— By Frank Langella

Rita Hayworth dancing by candlelight in a small Mexican village; Elizabeth Taylor devouring homemade pasta and tenderly wrapping him in her pashmina scarf; streaking for Sir Laurence Olivier in a drafty English castle; terrifying a dozing Jackie Onassis; carrying an unconscious Montgomery Clift to safety on a dark New York City street. Captured forever in a unique memoir, Frank Langella's myriad encounters with some of the past century's most famous human beings are profoundly affecting, funny, wicked, sometimes shocking, and utterly irresistible. With sharp wit and a perceptive eye, Mr. Langella takes us with him into the private worlds and privileged lives of movie stars, presidents, royalty, literary lions, the social elite, and the greats of the Broadway stage.

What, for instance, was Jack Kennedy doing on that coffee table? Why did the Queen Mother need Mr. Langella's help? When was Paul Mellon going to pay him money owed? How did Brooke Astor lose her virginity? Why was Robert Mitchum singing Gilbert & Sullivan patter songs at top volume, and what did Marilyn Monroe say to him that helped change the course of his life? Dropped Names is a sizzling platter of stellar vignettes— pungent, indeed, but poignant as well. He opens telling of a chance Manhattan encounter with Marilyn Monroe in 1953, and ends with the wealthy Bunny Mellon, whose motto was "Nothing should be noticed." Through these shared experiences, we learn something, too, of Mr. Langella's personal journey from the age of fifteen to the present day. Dropped Names is, like its subjects is absolutely riveting and unforgettable.

Frank Langella has been a professional actor for over five decades and hopes to carry on for several more. He began performing as a boy in his hometown of Bayonne, New Jersey, and currently resides in New York City. This is his first book.

Brad Pitt Speaks Openly About Depression

Rethink Mental Illness said Pitt was ''brave'' for opening up about his depression in the 1990s and that his revelation could give many people ''renewed hope''. The Moneyball star, whose long-term girlfriend is Angelina Jolie, told the Hollywood Reporter he saw his experience with the mental illness as ''a great education''. In the 1990s Pitt starred in some of his biggest films including Fight Club, 12 Monkeys, Seven and The Devil's Own and admitted he smoked too much marijuana. 

Mark Davies, director of communications at Rethink Mental Illness, said on Thursday: ''Mental illness can happen to any of us at any time, whether famous or not, rich or poor. Sadly it can sometimes be difficult to talk about, even though people with mental illness need as much compassion and support as people with physical health problems." 

I personally commend Brad Pitt for speaking so courageously and openly about his experiences. Everyone knows someone with some form of mental illness, whether depression, anxiety or bipolar. When people in the public eye talk about mental illness, it sends a powerful message to all who face it at some point in their lives. I myself have suffered from both depression and anxiety and can sincerely attest that it isn't something you speak about with just anyone, some people simply do not understand it. Brad Pitt's story shows that it is possible to recover from depression, which will give many people renewed hope as well as the inspiration to talk about it openly.