Actress Celia Imrie Recounts Challenging Train Journeys in New Memoir

Actress Celia Imrie has detailed her challenging experiences with long-distance train travel across the United States and other parts of the world in her new memoir, "The Elegant Hustler." Advised to avoid flying for medical reasons, Imrie opted for train journeys, often accompanied by her friend and fellow actress, Fidelis Morgan. The memoir, published by Sphere, chronicles these adventures, which were not always glamorous.

Imrie recounts instances of trains running up to 11 hours late, uncomfortable seating, and missed connections. She describes having to board replacement buses in the middle of the night. For vegetarian Imrie, observing vast stockyards of cattle destined for fast food on Amtrak journeys led her to suggest the company's slogan should be: "Ride Amtrak and see America’s backside."

Despite the difficulties, Imrie's enthusiasm for adventure remains undimmed, prompting her to undertake daunting itineraries. Her lifelong travel companion, Morgan, whom she met in 1975 at the Royal Shakespeare Company, shares in these escapades, which Imrie likens to those of "Thelma and Louise."

Some journeys offered moments of glamour, such as a trip on the Queen Mary II, where Imrie performed one-woman reviews and posed for photos with the captain and crew. The memoir also touches on Imrie's self-deprecating perspective on her fame, noting instances where audience members recognize her but struggle to recall the specifics of her work, once mistaking her for a supermarket cashier.

Imrie also shares humorous anecdotes about public misinterpretations of her career and cultural references, including a tale of an entrepreneur who believed he had seen a Shakespeare play titled "A Fellah."