Joshua Bassett tears up as he announces memoir Rookie: ‘My most vulnerable and terrifying piece of work’
"I’ll take you behind the curtain of my public, private and secret life," says Bassett
By Aaron Sugg
Joshua Bassett has announced his upcoming memoir Rookie in an emotional promotional video, calling it his “most vulnerable and terrifying piece of work”.
The High School Musical star revealed the memoir has been five years in the making, adding that the hardest part of the process was reflecting on himself.
In the social media video, Bassett sits on a stool in a stark white room, book in hand. Appearing fidgety, he choked back tears while outlining what the project will unveil.
“I’ll take you behind the curtain of my public, private and secret life” – Joshua Bassett on his upcoming memoir Rookie
“It is, to date, my most vulnerable and terrifying piece of work,” he said. “Through stories, philosophy and poetry, I’ll take you behind the curtain of my public, private and secret life.”
He revealed the book will detail his “deepest struggles”, “darkest thoughts” and “deadliest moments”, before his voice began to break as he reflected on being a “broken teenager”.
“We’ll explore cycles of cowardice and courage,” he continued, “loss and love, bitterness and forgiveness, bondage and freedom, selfishness and servanthood.”
“Contemplating the transformative power of storytelling” – Bassett unveiling what to expect from his memoir Rookie
“Chasing your dreams while counting the cost,” he added. “Contemplating the transformative power of storytelling and its ability to redeem suffering, turning ashes to beauty.”
ROOKIE: My Public, Private, & Secret Life is out on 5 May 2026, and is available to pre-order now on Bassett’s official website. With every purchase, Bassett will donate one dollar to mental health charity NAMI.
The 25-year-old actor publicly addressed his sexuality in 2021 after facing speculation during his time on High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, which also starred Olivia Rodrigo.
“I would say that it definitely took a lot of time to realise that” – Bassett on being comfortable with his sexuality
In a video statement, he said: “I’m part of the LGBTQ+ community,” adding that labels were not important to him. He later clarified in interviews that he identifies as queer.
Appearing shortly afterwards on the front cover of Attitude magazine the same year, he spoke candidly about his sexuality, admitting it took time for him to feel comfortable with who he was.
“I never really questioned it, it just was, if that makes sense,” he said. “That’s something that I think is really cool about this generation, and the generation to follow – that you don’t need a box, and you don’t need to be put in a box. But I would say that it definitely took a lot of time to realise that.”
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