Charles Nelson Reilly

At 76 years old, Charles Nelson Reilly has this physical status:

Charles Nelson Reilly II (January 13, 1931 – May 25, 2007) was an American actor, comedian, producer, and drama coach best known for his comedic appearances on stage and in films, television shows, and cartoons.

Early life

Reilly was born in New York City, Bronx, on January 13, 1931, to an Irish-Catholic father and a Swedish Lutheran mother. When he was young, he would amuse himself by establishing puppetry, and his mother would often tell him to "save it for the stage."

He survived the 1944 Hartford circus fire, killing 167 people in Connecticut, but he was never to stand in an audience again after that. He rarely attended theater due to the event's grief, and the massive crowds reminded him of what happened that day. On The Tonight Show and other such venues, he often showed that even as the producer of a play or stage production, he preferred to sit or the back of a balcony near the exits to see his work, including one time where his leading lady's costume caught fire (but he'll tell Johnny that these things always work out fine).

Reilly discovered a passion for opera and aspired to be an opera performer. He began studying voice at the Hartt School of Music as a voice major, but he gave up on the attempt after finding that he didn't have the natural vocal abilities to have a major career. However, opera was a lifelong passion, and he was a regular attendee on opera-themed radio stations, including the Metropolitan Opera radio broadcasts. He supervised opera performances for the Chicago Opera House, Dallas Opera, Portland Opera, San Diego Opera, and Santa Fe Opera. Renée Fleming, Rod Gilfry, Roberta Peters, and Eileen Farrell were all good friends.

Personal life

Reilly's personal life and sexuality were never discussed in magazine and newspaper articles from the 1970s and 1980s. In his one-man show Save It for the Stage: The Life of Reilly, years after the cancellation of Match Game, he revealed his homosexuality.

Despite Reilly's off-camera silence, he gave clues of a campy character. He lampooned himself by briefly affecting "YO!" in several Match Game episodes. In a deep voice and nickname "Chuck" and self-consciously describing how "butch" he was, he was, he was. In a 2002 interview with Entertainment Tonight, he said he didn't have to worry about Chuck's jokes and that he never knowingly denied being gay from anyone. Patrick Hughes, a set decorator and dresser, was Reilly's domestic partner; the two met backstage when Reilly appeared on the game show Battlestars; although they were not revealed publicly. They lived together in Beverly Hills.

Reilly appeared on several episodes of the game show Tattletales with actress Elizabeth Allen as a couple, but their "relationship" was never addressed on television.

Reilly, a Coast Guard veteran, made at least two films in conjunction with the Coast Guard. He has been a panelist on Match Game at National Safe Boating Week. Reilly died on May 25, 2007, the last day of 2007's National Safe Boating Week.

Despite sporting what seemed to be a full head of hair for the majority of his television career, Reilly was actually bald, wearing a toupée for the majority of his appearances in the 1970s and 1980s. His toupée became a joke during Match Game '74's taping, when Reilly had to go to New York City to have his toupée adjusted. Reilly was seen wearing different hats during several episodes on tape because his toupée was back in New York waiting for him to be fitted. This was the start of Match Game's long-running rumors about his hair. In all of his subsequent public appearances, he abandoned the toupée in the late 1990s and appeared bald. In his stage play The Life of Reilly, he dramatized the experience. In one episode of Match Game '78, he took off his toupée and gave it to a bald contestant by placing it on his head. One can see Reilly's bald head for a brief period of time before he covers it up with a hat.

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Career

Reilly made his film debut in A Face in the Crowd (1957), directed by Elia Kazan, although the bulk of his childhood was spent on stage. He appeared in comedies for many summer seasons at the Starlight Theatre in Kansas City, Missouri, as a regular performer in comedy roles. Reilly appeared in many Off Broadway productions. His first break came in 1960 with Bye Bye Birdie's hugely popular original Broadway revival. Reilly appeared onstage for a small part in the groundbreaking production, and Dick Van Dyke's understudy/replacement for the leading role was significant.

Reilly appeared in 1961-1960 in the original cast of another Broadway show, the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical How to Succeed Without Really Trying. Reilly received a 1962 Tony Award for best actor in a musical for his memorable introduction to Bud Frump's role.

Reilly appeared in Hello, Dolly!, another hit Broadway show in 1964. Reilly received his second Tony Award for his work as an actor in a supporting role in a musical.

Reilly continued to appear on Broadway shows but he became best known for his television work, appearing on television in the 1960s. He appeared on the What's My Line as a Mysterious Guest and was a panelist. The quiz was revealed. He appeared on The Steve Lawrence Show in 1965, which aired for a single season. Excedrin, Bic Banana Ink Crayons, and Purina Mills Dog Food were among the television advertisements he made during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s.

He appeared on The Ghost & Mrs. Muir from 1968 to 1970, winning an Emmy Award. He appeared on The Dean Martin Show as a regular on The Dean Martin Show and appeared on various television shows, including McMillan & Wife, The Patty Duke Show, Here's Lucy, Rowan & Martin's Love, American Style. In 1971, he appeared as the evil magician Hoodoo in Lidsville, Australia's children's program.

Reilly appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson for more than 100 times. He was a lively and reliable talk-show guest and lived within blocks of the Burbank studios where the Tonight Show was shot, so he was often asked to be a last-minute substitute for scheduled guests who couldn't make it to the studio in time.

Reilly was a fixture on game shows, mainly because he appeared on Match Game as a regular panelist. He was one of the show's longest-running guests, and he joked with fellow regular Brett Somers (the two often sat next to each other on the program, with Somers in the upper middle seat and Reilly in the upper right seat). He delivered sardonic commentary and peppered his responses with anti-gay double entendres that pushed the boundaries of 1970s television territory.

Reilly left for a short time to film Hamburgers (1974) and to act in the Neil Simon play God's Favorite during Match Game '74. He appeared in another live-action children's program called Uncle Croc's Block, with Jonathan Harris from 1975 to 1976. He appeared on the 1984 game show Body Language, including one week with Lucille Ball and another with Audrey Landers.

Reilly, who appeared in television and theater from 1976 to 1966, was primarily trained in acting and directing, including Julia Harris (who appeared in Skyscraper in 1965-66) who was portraying Emily Dickinson in her one-woman Broadway play The Belle of Amherst by William Luce. He supervised Ira Levin's Broadway debut, Breaking a Leg. Despite Levin's Deathtrap's success last year, Break a Leg came to an end after one appearance. "So [a play] can open and last six years, eight years, or two hours and five minutes," Reilly said on The Tonight Show, joking and discussing the show's demise. Reilly received a Tony Award nomination for his 1997 play for The Gin Game's revival, starring Julie Harris.

He produced Evening Shade episodes in 1990. Reilly appeared on The Drew Carey Show, The Larry Sanders Exhibition, Family Matters, Second Noah, and occasionally as the voice of the Dirty Bubble in the animated film SpongeBob SquarePants before being replaced by Tom Kenny. In 1998 and 1999, Reilly was nominated for Emmy Awards for his appearances in The Drew Carey Show and Millennium, respectively.

Reilly, a long-serving actor of acting at HB Studio, Herbert Berghof's film studio that was made well known by Berghof and his partner, Uta Hagen. Lily Tomlin, Bette Midler, and Gary Burghoff were among his acting students.

Reilly appeared in three films by Don Bluth: All Dogs Go to Heaven as Killer in 1989, Rock-a-Doodle in 1991, and A Troll in Central Park as King Llort in 1994. In each one, he played the villain's dim-witted sidekick who reformed at the end.

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