My Three Sons, the TV series where I played Ernie Douglas for eight years, was nearing a milestone: the 50th anniversary of its premiere.  Not many TV shows last a half a century and are still held in such high regard.   It seemed like an appropriate time to look back and write about my series, and my life, especially because it didn’t end in the crash-and-burn tale that is typical of so many child stars.

I’m in my mid-fifties now and working regularly as a character actor in some of today’s biggest films (The Social Network, You Don’t Mess With The Zohan, First Daughter) and TV projects (Mad Men, Big Love, Two and a Half Men, Desperate Housewives).    To be forthright, I wrote my book to trumpet my comeback, an accomplishment I’m proud of.   In recent years, I’ve been lucky to work with such contemporary stars as Robert Downey, Jr., Brad Pitt and Katie Holmes.  I felt that people would enjoy reading about these positive experiences.   I also knew that fans would be curious about my child actor past, where I had good times and bad, particularly after the jobs disappeared.  I began to fill my idle hours with drug use, which led to disillusionment and despair.   Eventually, I controlled my demons, charted a new life course and reclaimed my acting career.   I became a Hollywood survivor with some hard lessons to share about fame, peer pressure and the process of reinventing one’s self.

I also wrote my memoir to answer questions that fans continually ask me: What was Fred MacMurray really like?  Who was the most fun to work with:  Lucille Ball, Jerry Lewis or Jack Benny? What was it like to act with your real brother on My Three Sons?  How did you move on with your life and career after the show was canceled in 1972?  What was it like working with Charlie Sheen on Two and A Half Men or Robert Donwey, Jr. on Zodiac?  I’ve tried to be truthful with all my answers, revealing my personal perspective on some of America’s most beloved entertainment icons.