‘Mindy Project’ Star Ike Barinholtz Inks Deal for Essay Collection

Actor, director and writer Ike Barinholtz sold his debut essay collection to Grand Central Publishing, the publisher announced on Monday.

The still-to-be titled book, scheduled for a fall 2017 publication date, will be comprised of humorous stories from Barinholtz’s Chicago childhood and his take on Hollywood. Barinholtz is no stranger to comedy, having written for and starred in The Mindy Project. He also appears in the upcoming Amy Poehler/Tina Fey vehicle Sisters.

“I’m thrilled to be able to share my thoughts on the world, and my piping hot takes will cover all the bases: Comedy, showbiz, sex, Hollywood, the Chicago Bulls of the 90’s, sex and drugs, movies, politics, the ‘Biz,’ pizza and travel, religion and entertainment,” Barinholtz said in a statement announcing the project.

Related Stories

TV

'TV's Top 5': The Latest on Hollywood's Labor Unrest as Actors, Directors Join the Fray

Movies

Venice: 25 Films That Could Be Heading to the Film Festival's 80th Anniversary Edition

Barinholtz was repped by Richard Abate at 3 Arts Entertainment, who has become the go-to man for comedians looking for book deals, most recently having secured high-profile deals for the likes of Aziz Ansari (Modern Romance) and Poehler (Yes Please). Other clients include B.J. Novak, Tracy Morgan, Mindy Kaling and Fey. 

It was Fey who helped kick off the recent wave of best-selling comedic essay books with 2011’s Bossypants. Women have dominated with Kaling (Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns)), Lena Dunham (Not That Kind of Girl) and Judy Greer (I Don’t Know What You Know Me From) hitting the best-seller list. But appearances by Novak (One More Thing), Ansari and Judd Apatow (Sick in the Head) on the best-seller list mark an upswing in male voices for a category that was long dominated by men (Bill Cosby‘s Fatherhood, Jerry Seinfeld‘s Seinlanguage and Paul Reiser‘s Couplehood). 

Executive editor Ben Greenberg acquired world rights for Grand Central Publishing in a preemptive deal.