Charles Nelson Reilly
Encyclopedia
Charles Nelson Reilly (January 13, 1931 – May 25, 2007) was an American
actor
, comedian
, director
and drama teacher known for his comedic roles in theater, movies, children's television, animated cartoons, and as a panelist on the game show
Match Game
.
, New York City
, the son of Charles Joseph Reilly, an Irish
Catholic
commercial artist, and Signe Elvera Nelson, a Swedish Lutheran. When young he would often make his own puppet theater to amuse himself. His mother, foreshadowing his future as an entertainer, often would tell him to "save it for the stage." At age 13, he escaped the Hartford Circus Fire
where over a hundred people died, and as a result, he never sat in an audience again through the remainder of his life.
As a boy, Reilly developed a love for opera
and desired to become an opera singer. He entered the Hartt School of Music as a voice major but eventually abandoned this pursuit when he came to the realization that he lacked the needed natural vocal talent to have a major career. However, opera remained a life-long passion and after he achieved celebrity he was a frequent guest on opera-themed radio programs, including the Metropolitan Opera radio broadcasts
. He also directed opera productions for the Lyric Opera of Chicago
, Dallas Opera
, Portland Opera
, San Diego Opera
, and Santa Fe Opera
among others. He was also good friends with opera singers Renée Fleming
, Rod Gilfry
, Roberta Peters
, and Eileen Farrell
.
. Most of his work during this period was on the stage. Reilly appeared in many Off Broadway productions. His big theatrical break came in 1960 with the enormously successful original Broadway
production of Bye Bye Birdie. In the ground-breaking musical, Reilly had a small onstage part, and was the standby for Dick Van Dyke
in the leading role of Albert Peterson. In 1961, Reilly was in the original cast of another big Broadway
hit, the Pulitzer prize
-winning musical How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
. For his memorable origination of the role of Bud Frump, Reilly earned a 1962 Tony Award
for featured actor in a musical. In 1964, Reilly was featured in the original cast of yet another giant Broadway success, Hello, Dolly!
For originating the role of Cornelius Hackl, Reilly received a second nomination for a Tony Award
for performance by an actor in a featured role in a musical.
While he kept active in Broadway
shows, Reilly would soon become better known for his TV work. Reilly appeared regularly on television
in the 1960s. For example, he did stints both as one of the What's My Line? Mystery Guests
and as a panelist on the popular Sunday night CBS-TV program. In 1965, he made regular appearances on The Steve Lawrence Show
, which aired for a single season. From 1968 to 1970, he appeared as uptight Claymore Gregg on the television
series The Ghost & Mrs. Muir
, which also starred Hope Lange
and Edward Mulhare
. In one episode, Reilly was reunited with his Hello, Dolly!
original Broadway
castmate Eileen Brennan
.
In 1971, he appeared as the evil magician
Hoodoo in Lidsville
, a psychedelically flavored live-action children's program produced by Sid and Marty Krofft
that aired on Saturday mornings on ABC
. The show was about a boy who falls into a magician's hat and enters a magical world of hat-humans. It is through these roles, as well as his playing the titular role in Uncle Croc's Block
and appearing once on Walt Disney
's The Mouse Factory
, that Reilly's voice and mannerisms were embedded in a generation of young fans.
During the 1960s and 1970s, Reilly also appeared as a regular on The Dean Martin Show
, and had multiple guest appearances on television
series including McMillan & Wife; Here's Lucy
; Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
; The Love Boat
; and Love, American Style
. Commercials he made throughout the 1960s and 1970s included Excedrin
and Bic Banana Ink Crayons in which he wore a banana costume.
He was also a frequent guest on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
, appearing more than one hundred times. Because Reilly was such a lively and reliable talk-show guest and lived within blocks of the Burbank
studios where The Tonight Show
was taped, he was often asked to be a last-minute replacement for scheduled guests who did not make it to the studio in time. During this time, Reilly was perhaps best known as a fixture of game shows, primarily due to his appearances as a regular panelist on the television game show
Match Game
. Reilly was one of the longest-running guests, and often engaged in petty, hilarious arguments with fellow regular Brett Somers
(the two generally sat next to each other on the show, Somers in the upper middle seat and Reilly in the upper right-hand seat). Reilly typically offered sardonic commentary and peppered his answers with homosexually themed double entendre
s that pushed the boundaries of 1970s television
standards.
From 1975 to 1976, Reilly starred in another live-action children's program called Uncle Croc's Block
with Jonathan Harris
. Reilly was often a guest celebrity in the 1984 game show Body Language
, including one week with Lucille Ball
and another week with Audrey Landers
.
From 1976, Reilly was primarily active teaching acting and directing for television and theater.
In 1976 he directed Julie Harris
portraying Emily Dickinson
in her one-woman Broadway play The Belle of Amherst
by William Luce
. In 1979, he directed Ira Levin
's play Break a Leg on Broadway. Despite the previous year's success of Levin's Deathtrap
, Break a Leg closed after one performance.
Reilly directed episodes of Evening Shade
in 1990 and earned a 1997 Tony Award
nomination as Best Director of a Play for the revival of The Gin Game
starring Julie Harris
, opposite whom he had acted in Skyscraper
in 1965-66.
Reilly was a longtime teacher of acting at HB Studio
, the acting studio founded by Herbert Berghof
and made famous by Berghof and his wife, the renowned stage actress Uta Hagen
. Reilly's acting students included Lily Tomlin
, Bette Midler
, and Gary Burghoff.
In the 1990s, Reilly made guest appearances on The Drew Carey Show
, The Larry Sanders Show
, Family Matters
, Second Noah
, and as eccentric writer Jose Chung in the television series The X-Files
("Jose Chung's From Outer Space
"), Millennium
("Jose Chung's Doomsday Defense
") and occasionally as the voice of "The Dirty Bubble" on the animated series SpongeBob SquarePants
before that character was taken over by Tom Kenny
.
Reilly was nominated for Emmy Award
s in 1998 and 1999 for his performances in The Drew Carey Show and Millennium, respectively.
of the same era, Reilly played up a campy
on-screen persona. In many episodes of Match Game
, he would lampoon himself by briefly affecting a deep voice and the nickname "Chuck," and self-consciously describing how "butch" he was. He mentioned in a 2002 interview with Entertainment Tonight
that he felt no need to note this and that he never purposely hid being gay from anyone.
Patrick Hughes III, a set decorator and dresser, was Reilly's domestic partner; the two met backstage while Reilly was appearing on the game show Battlestars
. They lived in Beverly Hills
.
Despite sporting what appeared to be a full head of hair for most of the prime of his career, Reilly was in fact bald, wearing a toupée
throughout most of his appearances in the 1970s and 1980s. He abandoned the toupée in the late 1990s and appeared bald in public for the rest of his life.
A Hartford native, Reilly was seated in the big top the day of the 1944 fire
at a Ringling Brothers event in Hartford that has since become well known, he was only 13 at the time. Because of this, he never was in attendance at the theater, as he had stated that the large crowds reminded him of what happened that day. He would dramatize it in his stage show, "The Life of Reilly," and even talked about his experience on a few occasions.
Reilly was ill with respiratory problems during the filming of The Life of Reilly and retired from directing and performing immediately after the final day of shooting.
The Life of Reilly was premiered in March 2006 at the South by Southwest
film festival and Reilly's performance in the film received great acclaim. Reilly canceled his personal appearance at South by Southwest due to illness and by the time the film premiered he had been hospitalized.
On May 25, 2007, Reilly died at his home from pneumonia. His remains were cremated.
After his death, Game Show Network
dedicated the weekend to Reilly, airing Reilly's funniest episodes of Match Game.
In 2001, Reilly was the subject of a sketch on Saturday Night Live
spoofing Inside the Actor's Studio, and was portrayed by Alec Baldwin
. A later Baldwin character, the Generalissimo from 30 Rock
, mentions both Julie Harris and The Belle of Amherst, directed by Reilly as noted above. A 2008 parody of "Match Game" on "Saturday Night Live" included Fred Armisen
playing a Reilly-like character. In the sketch, the host is found murdered moments before the show's taping; the subsequent on-air police investigation reveals that he'd been having a clandestine homosexual affair with the Reilly character.
"Weird Al" Yankovic
wrote and recorded a tribute song titled "CNR
", jokingly caricaturing Reilly with parodies of the internet phenomenon Chuck Norris Facts
, with absurdities like winning the Tour de France
"with two flat tires and a missing chain", or how "every day he'd make the host
of Match Game
give him a piggyback ride". This was part of Yankovic's digital Internet Leaks
EP and included on 2011 CD release Alpocalypse
. The music video was released by JibJab
on August 4, 2009.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
, director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
and drama teacher known for his comedic roles in theater, movies, children's television, animated cartoons, and as a panelist on the game show
Game show
A game show is a type of radio or television program in which members of the public, television personalities or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, play a game which involves answering questions or solving puzzles usually for money and/or prizes...
Match Game
Match Game
Match Game is an American television game show in which contestants attempted to match celebrities' answers to fill-in-the-blank questions...
.
Early life
Reilly was born in The BronxThe Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, the son of Charles Joseph Reilly, an Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
commercial artist, and Signe Elvera Nelson, a Swedish Lutheran. When young he would often make his own puppet theater to amuse himself. His mother, foreshadowing his future as an entertainer, often would tell him to "save it for the stage." At age 13, he escaped the Hartford Circus Fire
Hartford Circus Fire
The Hartford Circus Fire, which occurred on July 6, 1944, in Hartford, Connecticut, was one of the worst fire disasters in the history of the United States...
where over a hundred people died, and as a result, he never sat in an audience again through the remainder of his life.
As a boy, Reilly developed a love for opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
and desired to become an opera singer. He entered the Hartt School of Music as a voice major but eventually abandoned this pursuit when he came to the realization that he lacked the needed natural vocal talent to have a major career. However, opera remained a life-long passion and after he achieved celebrity he was a frequent guest on opera-themed radio programs, including the Metropolitan Opera radio broadcasts
Metropolitan Opera radio broadcasts
The Metropolitan Opera radio broadcasts are a regular series of weekly broadcasts on network radio of full-length opera performances. They are transmitted live from the stage of the Metropolitan Opera in New York City...
. He also directed opera productions for the Lyric Opera of Chicago
Lyric Opera of Chicago
Lyric Opera of Chicago is one of the leading opera companies in the United States. It was founded in Chicago in 1952, under the name 'Lyric Theatre of Chicago' by Carol Fox, Nicolà Rescigno and Lawrence Kelly, with a season that included Maria Callas's American debut in Norma...
, Dallas Opera
Dallas Opera
The Dallas Opera is an opera company located in Dallas, Texas . The company was founded in 1957 as the Dallas Civic Opera by Laurence Kelly and Nicolà Rescigno, both of whom had been active with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the first as administrator, the second as artistic director.-The company's...
, Portland Opera
Portland Opera
Portland Opera is an American opera company based at The Hampton Opera Center in Portland, Oregon. Its mainstage performances take place in the Keller Auditorium, while the Portland Opera Studio Theater at the Hampton center is used for performances of chamber operas...
, San Diego Opera
San Diego Opera
The San Diego Opera Association is a professional opera company located in the city of San Diego, California and is a member of OPERA America. It was founded in 1950 to present productions by San Francisco Opera in the San Diego area...
, and Santa Fe Opera
Santa Fe Opera
The Santa Fe Opera is an American opera company, located north of Santa Fe in the U.S. state of New Mexico, headquartered on a former guest ranch of .-General history:...
among others. He was also good friends with opera singers Renée Fleming
Renée Fleming
Renée Fleming is an American soprano specializing in opera and lieder. Fleming has a full lyric soprano voice.Fleming has performed coloratura, lyric, and lighter spinto soprano repertoires. She has sung roles in Italian, German, French, Czech, and Russian, aside from her native English. She also...
, Rod Gilfry
Rod Gilfry
Rodney Gilfry is a leading American opera baritone. After launching his career at Frankfurt Opera in 1987, Gilfry quickly established a reputation for stylish singing and acting...
, Roberta Peters
Roberta Peters
Roberta Peters is an American coloratura soprano.One of the most prominent American singers to achieve lasting fame and success in opera, Peters is noted for her 35-year association with the Metropolitan Opera Company in New York...
, and Eileen Farrell
Eileen Farrell
Eileen Farrell was an American soprano who had a nearly 60 year long career performing both classical and popular music in concerts, theatres, on radio and television, and on disc. While she was active as an opera singer, her concert engagements far outnumbered her theatrical appearances...
.
Career
Reilly made his first motion-picture appearance in 1957, playing an uncredited role in A Face in the Crowd, directed by Elia KazanElia Kazan
Elia Kazan was an American director and actor, described by the New York Times as "one of the most honored and influential directors in Broadway and Hollywood history". Born in Istanbul, the capital of the Ottoman Empire, to Greek parents originally from Kayseri in Anatolia, the family emigrated...
. Most of his work during this period was on the stage. Reilly appeared in many Off Broadway productions. His big theatrical break came in 1960 with the enormously successful original Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
production of Bye Bye Birdie. In the ground-breaking musical, Reilly had a small onstage part, and was the standby for Dick Van Dyke
Dick Van Dyke
Richard Wayne "Dick" Van Dyke is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer with a career spanning six decades. He is the older brother of Jerry Van Dyke, and father of Barry Van Dyke...
in the leading role of Albert Peterson. In 1961, Reilly was in the original cast of another big Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
hit, the Pulitzer prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
-winning musical How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Abe Burrows, Jack Weinstock, and Willie Gilbert, based on Shepherd Mead's 1952 book of the same name....
. For his memorable origination of the role of Bud Frump, Reilly earned a 1962 Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
for featured actor in a musical. In 1964, Reilly was featured in the original cast of yet another giant Broadway success, Hello, Dolly!
Hello, Dolly! (musical)
Hello, Dolly! is a musical with lyrics and music by Jerry Herman and a book by Michael Stewart, based on Thornton Wilder's 1938 farce The Merchant of Yonkers, which Wilder revised and retitled The Matchmaker in 1955....
For originating the role of Cornelius Hackl, Reilly received a second nomination for a Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
for performance by an actor in a featured role in a musical.
While he kept active in Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
shows, Reilly would soon become better known for his TV work. Reilly appeared regularly on television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
in the 1960s. For example, he did stints both as one of the What's My Line? Mystery Guests
What's My Line? Mystery Guests
The following is an alphabetized list of persons who were Mystery Guests on one version of the United States version of the television game show What's My Line?.-A:*Edie Adams...
and as a panelist on the popular Sunday night CBS-TV program. In 1965, he made regular appearances on The Steve Lawrence Show
Steve Lawrence
Steve Lawrence is an American singer and actor, perhaps best known as a member of a duo with his wife Eydie Gormé, billed as "Steve and Eydie"...
, which aired for a single season. From 1968 to 1970, he appeared as uptight Claymore Gregg on the television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
series The Ghost & Mrs. Muir
The Ghost & Mrs. Muir (TV series)
The Ghost & Mrs. Muir is a situation comedy based on the 1947 film The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, which was based on the 1945 novel by R.A. Dick. It starred Hope Lange as Carolyn Muir, a young widow who rents Gull Cottage, near the fictional fishing village of Schooner Bay, Maine along with her two...
, which also starred Hope Lange
Hope Lange
Hope Elise Ross Lange was an American stage, film, and television actress.- Early life :Lange was born into a theatrical family in Redding, Connecticut...
and Edward Mulhare
Edward Mulhare
Edward Mulhare was a popular television actor whose career spanned four decades.Born at 22 Quaker Road, Cork City, County Cork, Ireland, and educated by the Irish Christian Brothers, Mulhare intended to study medicine, but was sidetracked by a growing interest in acting...
. In one episode, Reilly was reunited with his Hello, Dolly!
Hello, Dolly! (musical)
Hello, Dolly! is a musical with lyrics and music by Jerry Herman and a book by Michael Stewart, based on Thornton Wilder's 1938 farce The Merchant of Yonkers, which Wilder revised and retitled The Matchmaker in 1955....
original Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
castmate Eileen Brennan
Eileen Brennan
Eileen Brennan is an American actress of film, television, and theater. Brennan is best known for her role as Doreen Lewis in Private Benjamin for which she received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. She reprised the role in the TV adaption and won a Golden Globe Award and an Emmy...
.
In 1971, he appeared as the evil magician
Magic (illusion)
Magic is a performing art that entertains audiences by staging tricks or creating illusions of seemingly impossible or supernatural feats using natural means...
Hoodoo in Lidsville
Lidsville
Lidsville was Sid and Marty Krofft's third television show following H.R. Pufnstuf and The Bugaloos . As did its predecessors, the series combined two types of characters: conventional actors in makeup filmed alongside performers in full mascot costumes, whose voices were dubbed in post-production...
, a psychedelically flavored live-action children's program produced by Sid and Marty Krofft
Sid and Marty Krofft
Sid Krofft and Marty Krofft , are a sibling team of television producers who were influential in children's television and variety show programs in the USA, particularly throughout the 1970s and early 1980s....
that aired on Saturday mornings on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
. The show was about a boy who falls into a magician's hat and enters a magical world of hat-humans. It is through these roles, as well as his playing the titular role in Uncle Croc's Block
Uncle Croc's Block
Uncle Croc's Block was a short-lived, hour-long live-action/animated series on ABC, produced by Filmation Associates.-History:A spoof of kid shows, Charles Nelson Reilly played the titular Uncle Croc, who hated his job as the show's host. Also featured were Alfie Wise as his sidekick Mr...
and appearing once on Walt Disney
Walt Disney
Walter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon, and philanthropist, well-known for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. Along with his brother Roy O...
's The Mouse Factory
The Mouse Factory
The Mouse Factory was a syndicated television series produced by Walt Disney Productions, that ran from 1972 to 1974. It showed clips from various Disney cartoons and movies and showed celebrity guests, including Johnny Brown, Charles Nelson Reilly, JoAnne Worley and many more, visiting the Disney...
, that Reilly's voice and mannerisms were embedded in a generation of young fans.
During the 1960s and 1970s, Reilly also appeared as a regular on The Dean Martin Show
The Dean Martin Show
The Dean Martin Show is a TV variety-comedy series that ran from 1965 to 1974 for 264 episodes. It was broadcast by NBC and hosted by crooner Dean Martin...
, and had multiple guest appearances on television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
series including McMillan & Wife; Here's Lucy
Here's Lucy
Here's Lucy is Lucille Ball's third network television sitcom. It ran on CBS from 1968 to 1974.-Background:Though The Lucy Show was still hugely popular during the previous season, finishing in the top five of the Nielsen Ratings , Ball opted to end that series at the end of that season and create...
; Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In is an American sketch comedy television program which ran for 140 episodes from January 22, 1968, to May 14, 1973. It was hosted by comedians Dan Rowan and Dick Martin and was broadcast over NBC...
; The Love Boat
The Love Boat
The Love Boat is an American television series set on a cruise ship, which aired on the ABC Television Network from September 24,1977, until May 24,1986.The show starred Gavin MacLeod as the ship's captain...
; and Love, American Style
Love, American Style
Love, American Style is an hour-long TV anthology produced by Paramount Television and originally aired between September 1969 and January 1974...
. Commercials he made throughout the 1960s and 1970s included Excedrin
Excedrin
Excedrin is an over-the-counter headache pain reliever, typically in the form of tablets or caplets. It contains acetaminophen , aspirin, and caffeine. Until late 2005 it was manufactured by Bristol-Myers Squibb, but in July 2005 it was purchased by Novartis, along with other products from BMS's...
and Bic Banana Ink Crayons in which he wore a banana costume.
He was also a frequent guest on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson is a talk show hosted by Johnny Carson under the Tonight Show franchise from 1962 to 1992. It originally aired during late-night....
, appearing more than one hundred times. Because Reilly was such a lively and reliable talk-show guest and lived within blocks of the Burbank
Burbank, California
Burbank is a city in Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States, north of downtown Los Angeles. The estimated population in 2010 was 103,340....
studios where The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson is a talk show hosted by Johnny Carson under the Tonight Show franchise from 1962 to 1992. It originally aired during late-night....
was taped, he was often asked to be a last-minute replacement for scheduled guests who did not make it to the studio in time. During this time, Reilly was perhaps best known as a fixture of game shows, primarily due to his appearances as a regular panelist on the television game show
Game show
A game show is a type of radio or television program in which members of the public, television personalities or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, play a game which involves answering questions or solving puzzles usually for money and/or prizes...
Match Game
Match Game
Match Game is an American television game show in which contestants attempted to match celebrities' answers to fill-in-the-blank questions...
. Reilly was one of the longest-running guests, and often engaged in petty, hilarious arguments with fellow regular Brett Somers
Brett Somers
Brett Somers was a American actress, singer, and comedienne who was born in Canada and raised in Maine...
(the two generally sat next to each other on the show, Somers in the upper middle seat and Reilly in the upper right-hand seat). Reilly typically offered sardonic commentary and peppered his answers with homosexually themed double entendre
Double entendre
A double entendre or adianoeta is a figure of speech in which a spoken phrase is devised to be understood in either of two ways. Often the first meaning is straightforward, while the second meaning is less so: often risqué or ironic....
s that pushed the boundaries of 1970s television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
standards.
From 1975 to 1976, Reilly starred in another live-action children's program called Uncle Croc's Block
Uncle Croc's Block
Uncle Croc's Block was a short-lived, hour-long live-action/animated series on ABC, produced by Filmation Associates.-History:A spoof of kid shows, Charles Nelson Reilly played the titular Uncle Croc, who hated his job as the show's host. Also featured were Alfie Wise as his sidekick Mr...
with Jonathan Harris
Jonathan Harris
Jonathan Harris was an American stage and film character actor. Two of his best-known roles were as the timid accountant Bradford Webster in the TV version of The Third Man, and the comic villain Dr. Zachary Smith, in the 1960s sci-fi television series, Lost in Space...
. Reilly was often a guest celebrity in the 1984 game show Body Language
Body Language (game show)
Body Language is an American game show produced by Mark Goodson Productions. The show aired on CBS from June 4, 1984 until January 3, 1986, and was hosted by Tom Kennedy...
, including one week with Lucille Ball
Lucille Ball
Lucille Désirée Ball was an American comedian, film, television, stage and radio actress, model, film and television executive, and star of the sitcoms I Love Lucy, The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour, The Lucy Show, Here's Lucy and Life With Lucy...
and another week with Audrey Landers
Audrey Landers
Audrey Landers is a German American actress and singer, who is probably best known for her role as Afton Cooper in the television drama series Dallas and her role as Val Clarke in the film version of A Chorus Line.- Early years :...
.
From 1976, Reilly was primarily active teaching acting and directing for television and theater.
In 1976 he directed Julie Harris
Julie Harris
Julia Ann "Julie" Harris is an American stage, screen, and television actress. She has won five Tony Awards, three Emmy Awards and a Grammy Award, and was nominated for an Academy Award. In 1994, she was awarded the National Medal of Arts. She is a member of the American Theatre Hall of Fame...
portraying Emily Dickinson
Emily Dickinson
Emily Elizabeth Dickinson was an American poet. Born in Amherst, Massachusetts, to a successful family with strong community ties, she lived a mostly introverted and reclusive life...
in her one-woman Broadway play The Belle of Amherst
The Belle of Amherst
The Belle of Amherst is a one-woman play by William Luce.Based on the life of poet Emily Dickinson from 1830-1886, and set in her Amherst, Massachusetts home, the play makes use of her work, diaries, and letters to recollect her encounters with the significant people in her life - family, close...
by William Luce
William Luce
William Luce is a writer, primarily for the stage and television. He has written several plays which starred Julie Harris, and specializes in writing one-person plays.-Stage:...
. In 1979, he directed Ira Levin
Ira Levin
Ira Levin was an American author, dramatist and songwriter.-Professional life:Levin attended Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa...
's play Break a Leg on Broadway. Despite the previous year's success of Levin's Deathtrap
Deathtrap (play)
Deathtrap is a play by Ira Levin in 1978 which encompasses many plot twists and is essentially a play within a play. It is a play in two acts with one set and five characters. It holds the record for the longest running comedy-thriller on Broadway and was also nominated for the Tony Award for Best...
, Break a Leg closed after one performance.
Reilly directed episodes of Evening Shade
Evening Shade
Evening Shade was an American sitcom television series that aired on CBS from 1990 to 1994. The series starred Burt Reynolds as Wood Newton, an ex-professional football player for the Pittsburgh Steelers, who returns to rural Evening Shade, Arkansas to coach a high school football team with a long...
in 1990 and earned a 1997 Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
nomination as Best Director of a Play for the revival of The Gin Game
The Gin Game
The Gin Game is a two-person, two-act play by D.L. Coburn that premiered at American Theater Arts in Hollywood in September 1976, directed by Kip Niven. It was Coburn's first play, and the theater's first production.-Plot:...
starring Julie Harris
Julie Harris
Julia Ann "Julie" Harris is an American stage, screen, and television actress. She has won five Tony Awards, three Emmy Awards and a Grammy Award, and was nominated for an Academy Award. In 1994, she was awarded the National Medal of Arts. She is a member of the American Theatre Hall of Fame...
, opposite whom he had acted in Skyscraper
Skyscraper (musical)
Skyscraper is a musical with a book by Peter Stone, lyrics by Sammy Cahn, and music by Jimmy Van Heusen.Based on the 1945 Elmer Rice play Dream Girl, it focuses on an antiques dealer who is determined to save her midtown Manhattan brownstone from the bulldozer. The girders of a new skyscraper are...
in 1965-66.
Reilly was a longtime teacher of acting at HB Studio
HB Studio
Founded in 1945 by Herbert Berghof, the HB Studio is a school that offers professional training in the performing arts. Located in Greenwich Village in New York City, its curriculum includes classes in a variety of areas, including acting, directing, playwrighting, screenwriting, musical theatre,...
, the acting studio founded by Herbert Berghof
Herbert Berghof
Herbert Berghof was an Austrian American actor, director and acting coach. He co-founded HB Studio in New York City with his wife Uta Hagen in 1945...
and made famous by Berghof and his wife, the renowned stage actress Uta Hagen
Uta Hagen
Uta Thyra Hagen was a German-born American actress and drama teacher. She originated the role of Martha in the 1963 Broadway premiere of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? by Edward Albee...
. Reilly's acting students included Lily Tomlin
Lily Tomlin
Mary Jean "Lily" Tomlin is an American actress, comedienne, writer, and producer. Tomlin has been a major force in American comedy since the late 1960's when she began a career as a stand up comedian and became a featured performer on television's Laugh-in...
, Bette Midler
Bette Midler
Bette Midler is an American singer, actress, and comedian, also known by her informal stage name, The Divine Miss M. She became famous as a cabaret and concert headliner, and went on to star in successful and acclaimed films such as The Rose, Ruthless People, Beaches, and For The Boys...
, and Gary Burghoff.
In the 1990s, Reilly made guest appearances on The Drew Carey Show
The Drew Carey Show
The Drew Carey Show is an American sitcom that aired on ABC from 1995 to 2004. The show was set in Cleveland, Ohio, and revolved around the retail office and home life of "everyman" Drew Carey, a fictionalized version of the actor....
, The Larry Sanders Show
The Larry Sanders Show
The Larry Sanders Show is a satirical television sitcom that aired from August 1992 to May 1998 on the HBO cable television network in the United States. It starred stand-up comedian Garry Shandling as vain, neurotic talk show host Larry Sanders, and centered on the running of his TV show, and the...
, Family Matters
Family Matters (TV series)
Family Matters is an American sitcom about a middle-class African-American family living in Chicago, Illinois, which ran on national television for nine full seasons. The series was a spin-off of Perfect Strangers, but revolves around the Winslow family...
, Second Noah
Second Noah
Second Noah is a television drama that was broadcast in the United States on ABC television from February 5, 1996 to June 8, 1997-Premise:...
, and as eccentric writer Jose Chung in the television series The X-Files
The X-Files
The X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...
("Jose Chung's From Outer Space
Jose Chung's From Outer Space
"Jose Chung's From Outer Space" is the 20th episode of the third season of the science fiction television series The X-Files. The episode first aired in the United States on April 12, 1996, on FOX. It was written by Darin Morgan and directed by Rob Bowman...
"), Millennium
Millennium (TV series)
Millennium is an American television series created by Chris Carter, creator of The X-Files. Millennium aired on the Fox Network from 1996 to 1999. The series was filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, though most episodes were ostensibly set in or around Seattle, Washington...
("Jose Chung's Doomsday Defense
Jose Chung's Doomsday Defense
"Jose Chung's Doomsday Defense" is the ninth episode of the second season of Fox's Millennium. Controversial writer Jose Chung comes to the aid of criminal profiler Frank Black and the Millennium Group when a bizarre religious group known as Selfosophy "Jose Chung's Doomsday Defense" is the ninth...
") and occasionally as the voice of "The Dirty Bubble" on the animated series SpongeBob SquarePants
SpongeBob SquarePants
SpongeBob SquarePants is an American animated television series, created by marine biologist and animator Stephen Hillenburg. Much of the series centers on the exploits and adventures of the title character and his various friends in the underwater city of "Bikini Bottom"...
before that character was taken over by Tom Kenny
Tom Kenny
Thomas James "Tom" Kenny is an American actor, voice actor and comedian. He is especially known for his long-running-role as SpongeBob SquarePants in the television series of the same name, as well as the live-action character Patchy the Pirate, Gary the Snail and the French narrator based on...
.
Reilly was nominated for Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
s in 1998 and 1999 for his performances in The Drew Carey Show and Millennium, respectively.
Personal life
Reilly did not publicly affirm his sexuality until his one-man show Save It for the Stage. However, much like fellow game-show regular Paul LyndePaul Lynde
Paul Edward Lynde was an American comedian and actor. A noted character actor, Lynde was well known for his roles as Uncle Arthur on Bewitched and Harry MacAfee, the befuddled father in Bye Bye Birdie...
of the same era, Reilly played up a campy
Camp (style)
Camp is an aesthetic sensibility that regards something as appealing because of its taste and ironic value. The concept is closely related to kitsch, and things with camp appeal may also be described as being "cheesy"...
on-screen persona. In many episodes of Match Game
Match Game
Match Game is an American television game show in which contestants attempted to match celebrities' answers to fill-in-the-blank questions...
, he would lampoon himself by briefly affecting a deep voice and the nickname "Chuck," and self-consciously describing how "butch" he was. He mentioned in a 2002 interview with Entertainment Tonight
Entertainment Tonight
Entertainment Tonight is a daily tabloid television entertainment television news show that is syndicated by CBS Television Distribution throughout the United States, Canada and in many countries around the world. Linda Bell Blue is currently the program's executive producer...
that he felt no need to note this and that he never purposely hid being gay from anyone.
Patrick Hughes III, a set decorator and dresser, was Reilly's domestic partner; the two met backstage while Reilly was appearing on the game show Battlestars
Battlestars (game show)
Battlestars is an American game show that aired for two separate runs on NBC during the early 1980s. The show's first run aired from October 26, 1981 to April 23, 1982...
. They lived in Beverly Hills
Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills is an affluent city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. With a population of 34,109 at the 2010 census, up from 33,784 as of the 2000 census, it is home to numerous Hollywood celebrities. Beverly Hills and the neighboring city of West Hollywood are together...
.
Despite sporting what appeared to be a full head of hair for most of the prime of his career, Reilly was in fact bald, wearing a toupée
Toupee
A toupée is a hairpiece or partial wig of natural or synthetic hair worn to cover partial baldness or for theatrical purposes. While toupées and hairpieces are typically associated with male wearers, some women also use hairpieces to lengthen existing hair, or cover partially exposed scalp...
throughout most of his appearances in the 1970s and 1980s. He abandoned the toupée in the late 1990s and appeared bald in public for the rest of his life.
A Hartford native, Reilly was seated in the big top the day of the 1944 fire
Hartford Circus Fire
The Hartford Circus Fire, which occurred on July 6, 1944, in Hartford, Connecticut, was one of the worst fire disasters in the history of the United States...
at a Ringling Brothers event in Hartford that has since become well known, he was only 13 at the time. Because of this, he never was in attendance at the theater, as he had stated that the large crowds reminded him of what happened that day. He would dramatize it in his stage show, "The Life of Reilly," and even talked about his experience on a few occasions.
Final years and death
The final years of Reilly's life were primarily spent touring the country directing theater and opera, and offering audiences a glimpse into his background and personal life with a critically acclaimed one-man play chronicling his life called Save It for the Stage: The Life of Reilly. In 2004, his final performance of the play was filmed as the basis for an autobiographical independent film titled The Life of Reilly.Reilly was ill with respiratory problems during the filming of The Life of Reilly and retired from directing and performing immediately after the final day of shooting.
The Life of Reilly was premiered in March 2006 at the South by Southwest
South by Southwest
South by Southwest is an Austin, Texas based company dedicated to planning conferences, trade shows, festivals and other events. Their current roster of annual events include: SXSW Music, SXSW Film, SXSW Interactive, SXSWedu, and SXSWeco and take place every spring in Austin, Texas, United States...
film festival and Reilly's performance in the film received great acclaim. Reilly canceled his personal appearance at South by Southwest due to illness and by the time the film premiered he had been hospitalized.
On May 25, 2007, Reilly died at his home from pneumonia. His remains were cremated.
After his death, Game Show Network
Game Show Network
The Game Show Network is an American cable television and direct broadcast satellite channel dedicated to game shows and casino game shows. The channel was launched on December 1, 1994. Its current slogan is "The World Needs More Winners"...
dedicated the weekend to Reilly, airing Reilly's funniest episodes of Match Game.
Film
- A Face in the Crowd (1957)
- The Tiger Makes OutThe Tiger Makes OutThe Tiger Makes Out is a 1967 comedy film about a kidnapper and his unintended victim, starring Eli Wallach and Anne Jackson and directed by Arthur Hiller. This is Dustin Hoffman's film debut.-Plot:...
(1967) - Cannonball Run IICannonball Run IISee also Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy DashCannonball Run II comedy film featuring Burt Reynolds and an all-star cast, released by Warner Bros. and Golden Harvest...
(1984) - Wind in the Willows (TV) (1987)
- Body SlamBody Slam (film)Body Slam is a 1987 American comedy film directed by Hal Needham, starring Dirk Benedict, Roddy Piper, Tanya Roberts, Sam Fatu and Captain Lou Albano. The film revolves around a down-and-out music promoter who inadvertently becomes a successful professional wrestling manager...
(1987) - All Dogs Go to HeavenAll Dogs Go to HeavenAll Dogs Go to Heaven is a 1989 Irish-English animated film directed and produced by Don Bluth and released by United Artists. The film tells the story of two dogs, Charlie B. Barkin and his loyal best friend Itchy Itchiford...
(1989) - Rock-a-DoodleRock-A-DoodleRock-a-Doodle is a 1992 American animated re-telling of Edmond Rostand's comedy, Chantecler. This film was directed by Don Bluth, produced by Goldcrest Films for The Samuel Goldwyn Company, and originally released in the United States on April 3, 1992.-Plot:Chanticleer is a proud rooster whose...
(1991) - A Troll in Central ParkA Troll in Central ParkA Troll in Central Park is a 1994 animated feature-length film directed by Don Bluth and Gary Goldman, creators of films such as Thumbelina, The Land Before Time, and All Dogs Go to Heaven. It was released on October 7, 1994 by Warner Bros...
(1994) - Llort - Babes in ToylandBabes in Toyland (1997 film)Babes in Toyland is a 1997 American animated musical film based on the original story. The animated feature stars Joseph Ashton, Lacey Chabert, Raphael Sbarge, Cathy Cavadini, Christopher Plummer, and Charles Nelson Reilly.-Plot:...
(1997) - An All Dogs Christmas CarolAn All Dogs Christmas CarolAn All Dogs Christmas Carol is a 1998 animated TV movie which was originally aired on ABC. It is the third and currently final installment in the All Dogs Go to Heaven film series. Unlike the first two films, Carface is the story's main character...
(1998) - The First of May (1999)
- GaydarGaydar (film)Gaydar is a 2002 short comedy film written and produced by Terry Ray and Larry Lafond.Starring Terry Ray as Randy who has a crush on a fellow office worker, Jack, played by Bryan Dattilo from Days of our Lives. Randy’s friend from the next booth over, Frankalina, played by Jennifer Echols, also has...
(2002) - Tom and Jerry: Shiver Me WhiskersTom and Jerry: Shiver Me WhiskersTom and Jerry: Shiver Me Whiskers is a 2006 animated made-for-video motion picture starring Tom and Jerry.-Plot:The movie starts above a big ocean, which was having a huge storm with very loud thunder. A group of jolly pirates are sailing on their ship, and all of them are scared of the thunderstorm...
(2006) - The Life of ReillyThe Life of ReillyThe Life of Reilly is a 2006 American film adaptation of actor Charles Nelson Reilly's one-man play "Save It For the Stage: The Life of Reilly". Written by Reilly and Paul Linke, and directed by Frank L...
(2007)
Television
- Car 54, Where Are You?Car 54, Where Are You?Car 54, Where Are You? is an American sitcom that ran on NBC from 1961 to 1963. Episodes had various directors, the most recognized being Al De Caprio. Stanley Prager and Nat Hiken also directed several episodes. Most of its filming was on location in The Bronx, and at Biograph...
(1962) – Hilton Hartford Harlow in "Occupancy August 1st" - The Patty Duke Show (1963) – Basketball coach for local high school
- The Steve Lawrence Show (1965)
- The Ghost & Mrs. MuirThe Ghost & Mrs. Muir (TV series)The Ghost & Mrs. Muir is a situation comedy based on the 1947 film The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, which was based on the 1945 novel by R.A. Dick. It starred Hope Lange as Carolyn Muir, a young widow who rents Gull Cottage, near the fictional fishing village of Schooner Bay, Maine along with her two...
(1968–1970) – Claymore Gregg - ArnieArnie (TV series)Arnie was a television sitcom that ran for two seasons on the CBS network. It starred Herschel Bernardi, Sue Ane Langdon, and Roger Bowen....
(1971–1972) - LidsvilleLidsvilleLidsville was Sid and Marty Krofft's third television show following H.R. Pufnstuf and The Bugaloos . As did its predecessors, the series combined two types of characters: conventional actors in makeup filmed alongside performers in full mascot costumes, whose voices were dubbed in post-production...
(1971–1973) – Hoodoo - $10,000 Pyramid (1973)
- Password Plus and Super PasswordPassword Plus and Super PasswordPassword Plus and Super Password are American game shows that are revivals of the game show Password. Both Password Plus and Super Password had the same format other than some subtle changes....
(1973–1982 approx) - Match GameMatch GameMatch Game is an American television game show in which contestants attempted to match celebrities' answers to fill-in-the-blank questions...
(1973–1982, 1990–1991) - The Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour (1983–1984)
- Uncle Croc's BlockUncle Croc's BlockUncle Croc's Block was a short-lived, hour-long live-action/animated series on ABC, produced by Filmation Associates.-History:A spoof of kid shows, Charles Nelson Reilly played the titular Uncle Croc, who hated his job as the show's host. Also featured were Alfie Wise as his sidekick Mr...
(1975–1976) – Uncle Croc - The Flintstone Comedy Show (1980–1982) – Frank Frankenstone
- SweetheartsSweethearts (US game show)Sweethearts was an American television game show based on the British series of the same name which aired from September 12, 1988 to September 8, 1989. The show was syndicated throughout the United States by Multimedia Entertainment....
(1988–1989) – Host - Goof TroopGoof TroopDisney's Goof Troop is an American animated television series from The Walt Disney Company featuring Goofy as a father figure and bonding with his son Max.-Premise:...
(1992) – Dutch Spackle - Space CatsSpace CatsSpace Cats is a cartoon series for television that aired on NBC in 1991. It is a comedy show about alien felines helping mankind. It was from Paul Fusco, the creator of ALF.-Plot:...
(1992–1993) – D.O.R.C. (Disembodied Omnipotent Ruler of Cats) - Designing WomenDesigning WomenDesigning Women is an American television sitcom that centered on the working and personal lives of four Southern women and one man in an interior design firm in Atlanta, Georgia. It aired on the CBS television network from September 29, 1986 until May 24, 1993. The show was created by head writer...
(March 23, 1992) – "L.A. Story" - All Dogs Go to Heaven: The SeriesAll Dogs Go to Heaven: The SeriesAll Dogs Go to Heaven: The Series is an animated television series which aired from 1996 to 1998 in syndication and on the Fox Family Channel from 1998 to 1999, with 41 half-hour episodes produced in total. It was produced by MGM Animation and was distributed by Claster Television...
(1996–1998) – Killer - The Drew Carey ShowThe Drew Carey ShowThe Drew Carey Show is an American sitcom that aired on ABC from 1995 to 2004. The show was set in Cleveland, Ohio, and revolved around the retail office and home life of "everyman" Drew Carey, a fictionalized version of the actor....
(1998–1999) – Mr. Hathaway in 2 episodes, "Drugco" & "The Salon" - SpongeBob SquarePantsSpongeBob SquarePantsSpongeBob SquarePants is an American animated television series, created by marine biologist and animator Stephen Hillenburg. Much of the series centers on the exploits and adventures of the title character and his various friends in the underwater city of "Bikini Bottom"...
(1999–2007) – Dirty Bubble - The X-FilesThe X-FilesThe X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...
– Jose Chung ("Jose Chung's From Outer SpaceJose Chung's From Outer Space"Jose Chung's From Outer Space" is the 20th episode of the third season of the science fiction television series The X-Files. The episode first aired in the United States on April 12, 1996, on FOX. It was written by Darin Morgan and directed by Rob Bowman...
") - MillenniumMillennium (TV series)Millennium is an American television series created by Chris Carter, creator of The X-Files. Millennium aired on the Fox Network from 1996 to 1999. The series was filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, though most episodes were ostensibly set in or around Seattle, Washington...
– Jose Chung ("Jose Chung's Doomsday DefenseJose Chung's Doomsday Defense"Jose Chung's Doomsday Defense" is the ninth episode of the second season of Fox's Millennium. Controversial writer Jose Chung comes to the aid of criminal profiler Frank Black and the Millennium Group when a bizarre religious group known as Selfosophy "Jose Chung's Doomsday Defense" is the ninth...
") - Paw PawsPaw PawsPaw Paws, sometimes known as Paw Paw Bears, debuted as one of the original segments of The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera. A group of small bears that lived in a tribal society, the cubs spent every day defending themselves from their enemies, The Meanos, led by the evil sorcerer, Dark Paw...
Theater
- Bye, Bye Birdie (1960–1961) – Mr. Henkel/Albert Peterson's understudy
- How to Succeed in Business without Really TryingHow to Succeed in Business Without Really TryingHow to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Abe Burrows, Jack Weinstock, and Willie Gilbert, based on Shepherd Mead's 1952 book of the same name....
(1961–1965) – Bud Frump - Hello, Dolly!Hello, Dolly! (musical)Hello, Dolly! is a musical with lyrics and music by Jerry Herman and a book by Michael Stewart, based on Thornton Wilder's 1938 farce The Merchant of Yonkers, which Wilder revised and retitled The Matchmaker in 1955....
(1964–1970) – Cornelius Hackl - SkyscraperSkyscraperA skyscraper is a tall, continuously habitable building of many stories, often designed for office and commercial use. There is no official definition or height above which a building may be classified as a skyscraper...
(1965–1966) – Roger Summerhill - God's FavoriteGod's FavoriteGod's Favorite is a play by Neil Simon, loosely based on the Biblical Book of Job. It was produced on Broadway by Emanuel Azenberg in 1974....
(1974–1975) – Sidney Lipton - The Belle of AmherstThe Belle of AmherstThe Belle of Amherst is a one-woman play by William Luce.Based on the life of poet Emily Dickinson from 1830-1886, and set in her Amherst, Massachusetts home, the play makes use of her work, diaries, and letters to recollect her encounters with the significant people in her life - family, close...
(1976) – Director - Break a LegBreak a leg"Break a leg" is a well-known idiom in theatre which means "good luck." It is typically said to actors and musicians before they go on stage to perform. The origin of the phrase is obscure....
(1979) – Director - CharlotteCHARLOTTE- CHARLOTTE :CHARLOTTE is an American blues-based hard rock band that formed in Los Angeles, California in 1986. Currently, they are signed to indie label, Eonian Records, under which they released their debut cd, Medusa Groove, in 2010. Notable Charlotte songs include 'Siren', 'Little Devils',...
(1980) – Josias von Stein - The NerdThe NerdThe Nerd is a two-act comedy written by American actor/playwright Larry Shue.-Plot:Set in Terre Haute, Indiana in late 1979, The Nerd presents the story of Willum Cubbert, an unassuming young architect, friends Tansy and Axel and unexpected houseguest Rick, who had saved Willum's life in Vietnam...
(1987–1988) – Director - The Gin GameThe Gin GameThe Gin Game is a two-person, two-act play by D.L. Coburn that premiered at American Theater Arts in Hollywood in September 1976, directed by Kip Niven. It was Coburn's first play, and the theater's first production.-Plot:...
(1997) – Director
In popular culture
In 1985, The Dead Milkmen, a Philadelphia punk band, wrote a song about Charles Nelson Reilly called "Serrated Edge."In 2001, Reilly was the subject of a sketch on Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
spoofing Inside the Actor's Studio, and was portrayed by Alec Baldwin
Alec Baldwin
Alexander Rae "Alec" Baldwin III is an American actor who has appeared on film, stage, and television.Baldwin first gained recognition through television for his work in the soap opera Knots Landing in the role of Joshua Rush. He was a cast member for two seasons before his character was killed off...
. A later Baldwin character, the Generalissimo from 30 Rock
30 Rock
30 Rock is an American television comedy series created by Tina Fey that airs on NBC. The series is loosely based on Fey's experiences as head writer for Saturday Night Live...
, mentions both Julie Harris and The Belle of Amherst, directed by Reilly as noted above. A 2008 parody of "Match Game" on "Saturday Night Live" included Fred Armisen
Fred Armisen
Fred Armisen is an American actor, comedian and musician best known for his work as a cast member on Saturday Night Live, and portraying off-color foreigners in various comedy films such as EuroTrip, Anchorman and Cop Out...
playing a Reilly-like character. In the sketch, the host is found murdered moments before the show's taping; the subsequent on-air police investigation reveals that he'd been having a clandestine homosexual affair with the Reilly character.
"Weird Al" Yankovic
"Weird Al" Yankovic
Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, accordionist, actor, comedian, writer, satirist, and parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts...
wrote and recorded a tribute song titled "CNR
Internet Leaks
Internet Leaks is the third EP from "Weird Al" Yankovic. It was released digitally on August 25, 2009, although all of the songs were initially released as separate digital singles between October 2008 and August 2009...
", jokingly caricaturing Reilly with parodies of the internet phenomenon Chuck Norris Facts
Chuck Norris Facts
Chuck Norris facts are satirical factoids about martial artist and actor Chuck Norris that have become an Internet phenomenon and as a result have become widespread in popular culture. The facts are normally absurd hyperbolic claims about Norris's toughness, attitude, virility, sophistication, and...
, with absurdities like winning the Tour de France
Tour de France
The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
"with two flat tires and a missing chain", or how "every day he'd make the host
Gene Rayburn
Gene Rayburn was an American radio and television personality. He is best known as the host of various editions of the popular American television game show Match Game for over two decades....
of Match Game
Match Game
Match Game is an American television game show in which contestants attempted to match celebrities' answers to fill-in-the-blank questions...
give him a piggyback ride". This was part of Yankovic's digital Internet Leaks
Internet Leaks
Internet Leaks is the third EP from "Weird Al" Yankovic. It was released digitally on August 25, 2009, although all of the songs were initially released as separate digital singles between October 2008 and August 2009...
EP and included on 2011 CD release Alpocalypse
Alpocalypse
Alpocalypse is the thirteenth studio album by "Weird Al" Yankovic, released on June 21, 2011. It is his first studio release in almost five years, following the release of Straight Outta Lynwood in 2006. It is also his first studio album since 1989's UHF – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack and...
. The music video was released by JibJab
JibJab
JibJab is a digital entertainment studio based in Venice, California. Founded in 1999 by Evan and Gregg Spiridellis, it was noticed during the 2004 US presidential election when their video of George W. Bush and John Kerry singing "This Land is Your Land" became a hit. The company creates,...
on August 4, 2009.