Jack Riley (actor) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jack Riley
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Jack Riley in 2005
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| Born |
John Albert Riley Jr.
December 30, 1935 Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
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| Died | August 19, 2016 (aged 80) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
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| Nationality | American |
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| Years active | 1953–2013 |
| Spouse(s) |
Ginger Lawrence Riley
(m. 1970) |
| Children | 2 |
John Albert Riley Jr. (born December 30, 1935 – died August 19, 2016) was a talented American actor, comedian, and writer. He was best known for playing Elliot Carlin, a funny and sometimes grumpy patient on The Bob Newhart Show. He also gave his voice to Stu Pickles, the dad in the popular animated Rugrats cartoons and movies.
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Early Life and First Jobs
Jack Riley was born in Cleveland, Ohio. His parents were Agnes C. Riley and John Albert Riley. He went to Saint Ignatius High School and then John Carroll University. After college, he served in the U.S. Army.
After leaving the Army, Jack became a popular radio personality in Cleveland. He had a show called The Baxter & Riley Show with his partner, Jeff Baxter. Their show on WERE (1300 AM) played music but also had funny comedy sketches. Jack and Jeff voiced many different characters on the show. In the mid-1960s, Jack left radio and moved to Los Angeles. His friend from Cleveland, Tim Conway, helped him find work writing comedy sketches. This soon led to him getting acting roles.
Becoming a TV and Movie Star
Jack Riley started his acting career in the 1960s. One of his first regular roles was in the sitcom Occasional Wife, where he played Wally Frick.
Famous TV Roles
Jack became very famous for playing Elliot Carlin on The Bob Newhart Show from 1972 to 1978. Elliot was a nervous, sometimes grumpy, and self-centered patient. He often visited the main character, a psychologist named Bob Newhart. Jack even played Elliot Carlin again in episodes of St. Elsewhere in 1985 and ALF in 1987.
He also appeared in many other popular TV shows. These include Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, M*A*S*H, Barney Miller, Hogan's Heroes, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, One Day at a Time, Diff'rent Strokes, and Night Court. He was also a regular on The Tim Conway Show in the early 1980s. In 1988, he made a funny guest appearance on Newhart, playing a character very similar to Elliot Carlin. His very last acting role was a quick appearance on Saturday Night Live in 2013.
Movies and Voice Acting
Jack Riley was a favorite actor of the famous director Mel Brooks. He appeared in several of Brooks's movies, including High Anxiety (1977), History of the World: Part I (1981), and To Be or Not to Be (1983). He also had a small part in Spaceballs (1987).
One of his most well-known roles was using his voice for characters. In the 1990s and early 2000s, he voiced Stu Pickles. Stu is the dad of Tommy Pickles, the main character in the animated series Rugrats. He voiced Stu in the TV show, the spin-off All Grown Up!, and all three Rugrats movies. He also did voiceovers for many TV and radio commercials, like for Country Crock margarine.
He continued to make guest appearances in popular sitcoms during the 1990s. You might have seen him in episodes of Seinfeld, Friends, Coach, The Drew Carey Show, and That '70s Show.
His Family Life
Jack Riley married Ginger Lawrence on January 3, 1970. They had two children together.
Later Years
Jack Riley passed away on August 19, 2016, in Los Angeles. He was 80 years old and died from pneumonia.
