"I had to read my own biography to learn who I was": George Hamilton recalls memory loss after surgery

Los Angeles [US], August 22 (ANI): Veteran actor George Hamilton has revealed that he had to re-read his own biography to reconnect with his identity after waking up from surgery and experiencing memory loss, according to People.
The 87-year-old actor, known for playing Count Dracula in 'Love at First Bite', opened up about the experience in a recent interview, recalling an operation he underwent around four or five years ago that left him "not knowing who I was."
Hamilton said doctors had informed him that the condition would last only a few days, but he spent years processing the experience and revisiting his past to understand himself again, according to People.
"I had to read my own biography to learn who I was," Hamilton said. "And I had to think, 'Do I like this person?' I read it through several times and looked at things from my past, and I wasn't sure if I had done them."
The actor had documented his life and Hollywood journey in his 2008 memoir 'Don't Mind If I Do: My Adventures in Hollywood', which later became a significant source for him while trying to reconnect with his memories.
Hamilton said revisiting his own story made him reflect on his past experiences and helped him identify the moments and values that mattered most to him, according to People.
Interestingly, he said the memories that returned most strongly were not necessarily from his Hollywood career but from his childhood and the lessons he learned during that period, including "kindness" and "resiliency."
Reflecting on life after decades in the public eye, Hamilton said qualities such as kindness, good manners and optimism hold greater importance than fame or material success.
"Other things have come and gone, but kindness and good manners and optimism and belief in something more important than our egos is something people probably don't think I think about, but it's most important to me at this age," he said.
Hamilton added that the experience changed his perspective on what truly matters in life.
"You realize those are the things that are the valuable things in life once you have lived it," he said. "You don't want to learn it too late," according to People. (ANI)