The Disaster Artist: My Life Inside The Room, the Greatest Bad Movie Ever Made

Greg Sestero · Tom Bissell

Oct 2013 · Sold by Simon and Schuster

About this ebook

New York Times bestseller—now a major motion picture directed by and starring James Franco!

From the actor who somehow lived through it all, a “sharply detailed…funny book about a cinematic comedy of errors” (The New York Times): the making of the cult film phenomenon The Room.

In 2003, an independent film called The Room—starring and written, produced, and directed by a mysteriously wealthy social misfit named Tommy Wiseau—made its disastrous debut in Los Angeles. Described by one reviewer as “like getting stabbed in the head,” the $6 million film earned a grand total of $1,800 at the box office and closed after two weeks. Years later, it’s an international cult phenomenon, whose legions of fans attend screenings featuring costumes, audience rituals, merchandising, and thousands of plastic spoons.

Hailed by The Huffington Post as “possibly the most important piece of literature ever printed,” The Disaster Artist is the hilarious, behind-the-scenes story of a deliciously awful cinematic phenomenon as well as the story of an odd and inspiring Hollywood friendship. Actor Greg Sestero, Tommy’s costar and longtime best friend, recounts the film’s bizarre journey to infamy, unraveling mysteries for fans (like, who is Steven? And what’s with that hospital on Guerrero Street?)—as well as the most important question: how the hell did a movie this awful ever get made? But more than just a riotously funny story about cinematic hubris, “The Disaster Artist is one of the most honest books about friendship I’ve read in years” (Los Angeles Times).

Ratings and reviews

Haha, What a Story Mark! As often is the case, the book blows the movie absolutely out of the water. While both are great on their own, being able to dive in alongside Greg Sestero and be a parrot on his shoulder as he navigates the burning and sinking S.S. Wiseau is an unmatched experience. This is a years-long stranger-than-life experience wrapped up into a 288-page barnstorming comedy and "friendship" story and it's easy to see why James Franco wanted the rights to this thing, even if Greg tells it better. Once you're a few pages in, you're on the hook. Such a great book, can't recommend it enough. If you've seen the Room and Disaster Artist and haven't read this book, well you're missing out on the best piece of the Holy Trinity.

I sincerely couldn't put it down. This is truly a bizarre, heartfelt, upsetting, hilarious story. If you get what makes The Room special, you must read this book. It explains everything. I agree that it feels a little short. We can only guess what comes after and it's left me pondering what Tommy may be feeling these days, given the success of the book and film recently.

I'm a big fan of The Room. I've watched it countless times with my friends and each time has been a blast. This book not only hilariously details the creation of this oddball film, it also gives a previously unknown view of the man behind it all: Tommy Wiseau. This book is often hilarious, sometimes heartbreaking and wholly sincere. I'd highly recommend this book to anyone who hasn't seen The Room, and to anyone who appreciates good, character driven literature.

About the author

Greg Sestero is a French-American actor, producer, and writer. He costarred in the cult phenomenon The Room.

Tom Bissell is the author of several books and a winner of the Rome Prize and a Guggenheim Fellowship. He writes frequently for Harper’s and The New Yorker.