Barry Livingston Shares On Set Secrets Of His Life On TV

STUDIO CITY (CBS) — Barry Livingston visited the KCAL 9 studios Thursday to talk about his new book!

Livingston's new book, The Importance of Being Ernie: From My Three Sons to Mad Men, A Hollywood Survivor Tells All. is filled with many of the NEVER BEFORE TOLD stories about many of the industry's elite including, Lucille Ball - and we thought that every Lucy story had been told, didnt you?

Perhaps best recognized from his 8 years on the 12 year hit series "My Three Sons" and most recently for his roles on Mad Men or The Social Network, Barry Livingston has wisely managed to re-invent himself over the years. In the now iconic role of Ernie Douglas, he practically defined the word nerd (buck teeth, horn-rimmed glasses and all), to survive the stereotypes, the dangers of sex, depression and drugs that seem to plague former child stars to become one of Hollywood's most respected, working actors and the quintessential family man.

In his new book (The Importance of Being Ernie/$24.95), Barry puts an amazingly humorous spin on details such as:

*Home life as the product of a father with a paralyzing inferiority complex and a peacock feather carrying, fan dancing mother, whose unusual circumstances gave their son a life as one of the top child actors on a hit series, with its triumphant's and turmoil's both on and off camera.

*Why do some child stars lose everything-their money, their reputations, even their lives?

*The friendships and foes forged on the sets and NEVER-BEFORE-TOLD stories of working with industry greats like Lucille Ball, Paul Newman, Debbie Reynolds, Jerry Lewis and Elvis - The good, the cruel & the beautiful.

*How co-star William Frawley, encouraged his young cast mates to pull pranks on former I Love Lucy co-star, Vivian Vance, on the set of The Lucy Show.

* Surviving the stigma of being America's #1 nerd to eventually conquer Broadway and work steadily in an industry he himself helped pioneered, on hit shows like Mad Men, Two and Half Men, Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, Monk, Big Love, Crossing Jordan, Will and Grace, the West Wing, and many others, as well as feature films like The Social Network.

*How Paul Newman crawled inside a TV Set to help a young Barry with a scene.

Barry will be signing his new book night at Barnes & Noble, 731 North San Fernando Blvd. in Burbank from 6 - 8 p.m.

For more information, visit Barry online.