Stephen King, a writer with an incredibly distinguished career, has been the creative force behind some of the most influential books and films of recent decades. Despite his success and popularity, he is not immune to regret. However, contrary to what one might expect, King’s regret is not about any of his books or movie adaptations, not even those that have been criticized by fans or himself.
In a conversation with Neil Gaiman, King once said, “If I had my life over again, I’d have done everything the same. Even the bad bits”. But he did admit to one exception. It’s not his often-criticized book, The Tommyknockers, which was written during a period when King was dealing with addiction to alcohol and drugs. He has since referred to the book as an “awful” novel, and has attributed its poor quality to his substance abuse at the time. It’s not even the adaptation of The Shining by Stanley Kubrik, which King famously disliked.
King’s regret is not about any of his written works or allowing Kubrik to adapt his book. He respects Kubrik’s right to his own interpretation, even if he strongly disagreed with it.
His actual regret is his participation in the American Express ‘Do You Know Me?’ TV ad in 1983. This ad, despite its odd and somewhat poorly written script, made King’s face widely recognizable across the United States, similar to how people today can identify George Martin or J.K. Rowling. King was not fond of this level of fame, even though he later made several small on-screen appearances, including a recent cameo in It Chapter Two.
Despite this regret, King continues to contribute to the literary and cinematic world, leaving an indelible mark with his unique storytelling. His journey serves as a reminder that even the most successful figures have their own set of regrets and that fame can sometimes come with unexpected consequences.
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