Famed Movie Producer Peter Samuelson On Finding His Happy Through Authorship

You probably know Peter Samuelson from these films: Revenge of the Nerds, Tom & Viv, The Return of the Pink Panther, and any of his 25 major films. However, did you know that he also founded five charities and genuinely cares about our at-risk youth, the homeless, and others in need? Here are his charities: Starlight Children’s Foundation, Starbright World (w/Steven Spielberg), FirstStar, Everyone Deserves A Roof, ASPIRE, and now he has just written Finding Happy: A User's Guide to Your Life with Lessons From Mine (Regalo Press - June 2025).

Finding Happy is filled with Peter's gripping adventures and misadventures that demonstrate just how possible the seemingly impossible often is, from daredevil filmmaking in Africa and Asia to making daunting rules work for you, to earning a full college scholarship after being completely unable to answer the entrance exam essay question…to climbing down a hundred-foot pipe shaft at 3 a.m. to rescue a kitten, with no plan for how to climb back up.

Here's a case study of someone who benefited from Samuelson’s attention: “Alex” is an alumnus of the First Star Academy at UCLA, bravely pursuing a university degree after COVID and being awarded a place to do so. He finally achieved a placement with an excellent foster family, and their family home was then burned to a cinder in the Palisades Fire earlier this year. First Star was able to rally around Alex and ensured he had the money and encouragement to continue his Studies and replace everything but the clothes on his back (and a new trumpet, his passion).

Finding Happy is about how to best seize the day, identifying which risks are brave and which foolish, navigating roadblocks and solutions, learning from leaders, and discovering your secret sauce. Samuelson explains how to find your compass and persuade others to help you. He shows how to live your passion, make a living, take off your mask, build your best place in the universe, and find your own unique and personal Happy

Perfect for young adults starting their adult journey, as well as those well into theirs who have not yet sighted land, Finding Happy: offers true, lived wisdom that will inspire readers to find their own unique and personal Happy.

More about Peter and his work can be found here: https://www.samuelson.la/