Louis Nye facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Louis Nye
Nye in 1966
Born	Louis Neistat (1913-05-01)May 1, 1913 Hartford, Connecticut, US
Died	October 9, 2005(2005-10-09) (aged 92) Los Angeles, California, US
Resting place	Hillside Memorial Park, Culver City, California
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1950–2005
Spouse(s)	Anita Leonard
Children	1
Relatives	Casey Neistat (great-nephew), Van Neistat (great-nephew)

Louis Nye (born May 1, 1913 – died October 9, 2005) was a funny American actor. He was known for his comedy. Louis Nye entertained soldiers during World War II. He also appeared in many TV shows, movies, and radio programs.

Early Life and Acting Dreams

Louis Nye was born Louis Neistat in Hartford, Connecticut. His parents, Joseph Neistat and Jennie Sherman, were Jewish. They spoke Yiddish, a language common among Jewish people from Eastern Europe. His parents came to the United States in 1906. They became official U.S. citizens in 1911.

Louis's father owned a small grocery store. His mother helped him run it. Louis went to Weaver High School. He wasn't a great student. He once said his grades were so low that he couldn't join the drama club. So, he went to WTIC Radio. He tried out and got a spot on a show there.

Starting in Radio and TV

After high school, Louis Nye moved to New York City. He started working in radio. He played many different characters on radio soap operas. He saw himself as a serious actor. He played various roles, like bad guys or rich relatives. He said he only tried to be funny at parties.

Entertaining During World War II

During World War II, Nye joined the United States Army. He was good at making people laugh by copying other soldiers. Because of this, he was sent to Special Services. This was a group that entertained soldiers. There, he met another famous comedian, Carl Reiner.

From Radio to Live Television

After the war, Nye returned to New York. He began working in live television. He also acted in several plays on Broadway. He appeared on many TV variety shows. These included The Jack Benny Program and The Jimmy Durante Show.

Becoming a TV Star

Nye became very famous as a regular on The Steve Allen Show. He performed with other comedians like Don Knotts and Tom Poston. He often played fancy, rich, and sometimes silly characters. In one popular sketch, he played Gordon Hathaway. This character was a boastful person from a fancy country club. His catchphrase was "Hi-ho, Steverino." Steve Allen often couldn't stop laughing at Nye's jokes. This made Nye a favorite on the show. When the show moved to Los Angeles, Nye went too. He became a character actor in Hollywood.

Guest Roles and Famous Characters

Louis Nye was a guest star on many TV series. These included The Munsters, Love, American Style, and The Cosby Show.

He played a dentist named Delbert Gray on The Ann Sothern Show. He also played Sonny Drysdale on The Beverly Hillbillies. Sonny was the spoiled stepson of Milburn Drysdale. Nye appeared in six episodes. He got a lot of fan mail for this role. Some people thought the character was a bit too gentle, so he was removed. However, Nye played Sonny again briefly in 1966. During this time, Nye also appeared in many TV commercials.

The cast of Needles and Pins in 1973. From left, bottom row: Deirdre Lenihan, Norman Fell. From left, top row: Bernie Kopell, Sandra Deel and Louis Nye.

Nye was also part of the show Needles and Pins. He played Harry Karp. This comedy show ran for 14 episodes in 1973.

He was a celebrity judge on The Gong Show in the late 1970s. He also made some comedy albums. He didn't get many big movie roles. But he still worked with many famous actors. These included Lucille Ball, Bob Hope, and Jack Lemmon. Nye also did voice work for cartoons, like Inspector Gadget.

Later Years and Legacy

Louis Nye never stopped working. He completed a tour across 24 cities. He ended the tour with two weeks in Las Vegas. Even at 92 years old, he kept acting. He had a recurring role as Jeff Greene's father on the HBO show Curb Your Enthusiasm from 2000 to 2005.

Nye lived in Pacific Palisades, California. His wife was Anita Leonard, a pianist and songwriter. She wrote the famous song "A Sunday Kind of Love." They were married since the late 1940s. They had one son, Peter Nye, who is an artist. Louis Nye was also the great-uncle of filmmakers Casey Neistat and Van Neistat.

Louis Nye passed away from lung cancer on October 9, 2005. He was cremated. His ashes are buried at Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery in Culver City, California.

Selected Film and TV Roles