Mamie Van Doren, an actress and icon, has released a new memoir titled You Thought I Was Dead. At 95, she continues to share insights into her long career in show business. A new documentary about her is also in the works.
Van Doren’s memoir delves into Hollywood’s casting couch culture. She remarks on how the #MeToo movement exposed figures like Bill Cosby and Harvey Weinstein, challenging a longstanding issue in the industry. She emphasizes the need for women to support each other and acknowledges her survival through difficult times in Hollywood.
Women should feel empowered by the support of their sisters. The casting couch is a reality of Hollywood’s shameful legacy.
Van Doren recalls her own experiences, describing a Hollywood where young actresses often faced exploitation. She highlights the pressure and guilt she felt during her early years in the industry, reminiscent of a predatory atmosphere.
Reflecting on the past, Van Doren points to the grim fates of fellow actresses like Marilyn Monroe and Dorothy Stratten. Despite these challenges, she survived and managed a long career.
Apart from Hollywood, her memoir covers her time entertaining troops during the Vietnam War. Van Doren recounts performing in difficult conditions and connecting with soldiers, realizing the impact of her presence in their lives.
She shares a poignant story of meeting a young Marine named Charlie, who gave her a Zippo lighter as a gift. Charlie’s subsequent death in an ambush is a haunting memory.
Van Doren’s memoir follows her earlier autobiography, Playing the Field: My Story. Today, she appreciates life outside of Hollywood, having left behind the tumult of the 1960s.
While Van Doren acknowledges her past as a sex symbol, she expresses no regret over it. Her different path and choices allowed her to provide a better life for her son and avoid the many pitfalls of Hollywood.
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