Rich Little facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rich Little |
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Little performing as Jack Benny in 2015
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| Birth name | Richard Caruthers Little |
| Born | November 26, 1938 Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |
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| Years active | 1956–present |
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| Spouse |
Jeanne Worden
(m. 1971; div. 1989)Jeannette Markey
(m. 1994; div. 1997)Marie Marotta
(m. 2003; died 2010)Catherine Brown
(m. 2012; div. 2012) |
| Children | 2 |
Richard Caruthers Little OC (born November 26, 1938) is a Canadian-American comedian, impressionist, and voice actor. He is often called the "Man of a Thousand Voices" because he can imitate so many different people. Rich Little has released nine comedy albums and appeared on many television shows, including three specials for HBO.
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Early Life and First Impressions
Rich Little was born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, in 1938. He was the middle of three sons. His father, Lawrence Peniston Little, was a surgeon who served in the navy during World War II. His mother, Elizabeth Maud, was a homemaker.
When he was a teenager, Rich Little attended Lisgar Collegiate Institute. He teamed up with a friend, Geoff Scott, who was also good at impressions. They practiced imitating Canadian politicians, like Prime Minister John Diefenbaker.
Starting a Career in Canada
Rich Little began acting in documentary movies when he was just 11 years old. He also worked as an usher at the Elgin Theatre in Ottawa. There, he practiced his voices while watching movies.
At 17, he and Geoff Scott won a talent contest in Ottawa. This was the first time he was paid for his impression skills. This win led to an appearance on a national talent show called Pick the Stars in 1956. The duo tied for first place! After that, they appeared on The Jackie Rae Show, where Rich Little showed off his impression of Ottawa mayor Charlotte Whitton to a national audience.
Little also worked as a disc jockey at a radio station in Smiths Falls, Ontario, in the early 1960s. This job gave him more chances to use his impressions on the air. By the 1960s, he was performing his act in Toronto at coffee houses and nightclubs.
In 1963, Rich Little released two comedy albums. One album, My Fellow Canadians, featured Canadian political jokes. His second album, Scrooge and the Stars, was special. In it, he acted out Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol by himself, playing all the characters using the voices of 22 different Hollywood stars.
Breaking into American Television
Rich Little's career in the United States began in December 1963. He got a big break thanks to a Canadian writing team, Peppiatt and Aylesworth. They played a recording of Rich Little for Judy Garland, a famous singer and actress.
This led to his American television debut in January 1964 on CBS's The Judy Garland Show. He impressed Judy Garland by imitating many male celebrities, including James Mason. After this, he appeared on many other popular variety shows hosted by stars like Ed Sullivan, Jackie Gleason, and Mike Douglas.
In 1965, Rich Little provided the voice for the Pink Panther in two cartoons. The creators wanted to try giving the Panther a voice. Later, in 1993, he was asked to voice the character again but turned it down. He felt the Pink Panther should remain silent.
He also appeared in several TV shows as an actor, not just an impressionist. These included Love on a Rooftop (1966-1967), That Girl (1967), and The Flying Nun (1968).
Famous Impressions and TV Specials
Rich Little became very well-known for his impression of U.S. President Richard Nixon. He often performed as Nixon on television in the 1970s. He even performed his impression for President Nixon himself!
In 1972, Rich Little was a regular on The ABC Comedy Hour in a segment called The Kopykats. These shows were filmed in England and featured comedians dressed up as celebrities for their impressions.
He was also a frequent guest on The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts in the 1970s. He appeared in 24 of these specials, where he would playfully make fun of celebrities like Johnny Carson and Frank Sinatra using his impressions.
His first HBO special was Rich Little's Christmas Carol, which aired in 1979. In this special, he played all the characters from A Christmas Carol using the voices of famous comedians like W. C. Fields as Ebenezer Scrooge. This special won an International Emmy Award.
In the 1980s, another HBO special followed, called Rich Little's Robin Hood. In this show, he played characters like Groucho Marx as Robin Hood and Humphrey Bogart as Prince John.
Rich Little's talent for impressions was also used in movies when actors were too ill to use their own voices. He provided the voice for David Niven in two Pink Panther movies in the early 1980s. He also helped dub the voice of James Cagney in a 1984 TV movie.
He also narrated three animated specials that led to the cartoon series The Raccoons: The Christmas Raccoons (1980), The Raccoons on Ice (1981), and The Raccoons and the Lost Star (1983). His older brother, Fred Little, voiced the character Cedric Sneer in these shows.
Appearances on The Tonight Show
Rich Little was a frequent guest on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson for many years. He even guest-hosted the show about a dozen times. He developed a very good impression of Johnny Carson, the show's host. He later played Carson in the HBO TV movie The Late Shift.
Las Vegas and Later Career
Rich Little has been performing in Las Vegas since the mid-1960s. He has performed at many famous Vegas hotels and casinos, including The Sands, Caesars Palace, and the Desert Inn.
As opportunities in television and film became less frequent, Rich Little focused more on his live shows in Las Vegas. He moved to Las Vegas permanently in 1990. He performed a show called The Presidents at Paris Las Vegas, where he imitated nine U.S. Presidents.
In the early 2010s, he performed a one-man show called Jimmy Stewart and Friends. This show was based on the life of his friend, actor Jimmy Stewart. After Jimmy Stewart passed away, Rich Little even recorded the crosswalk messages in Stewart's hometown, using his impression of the star's voice.
From 2015 until April 2024, Rich Little was a regular performer at the Laugh Factory in the Tropicana hotel. His show, Rich Little Live!, looked back at his long career. He also displayed many of the charcoal sketches he has drawn of the celebrities he imitates. The Tropicana hotel closed in April 2024. Rich Little plans to move to a new Laugh Factory location when it opens.
In 2017, Rich Little released his memoir, Little by Little: People I Have Known and Been. In 2021, he was featured on CBS News Sunday Morning.
Honors and Awards
Rich Little has received many awards and honors for his comedy:
- In 1974, he was named "Comedy Star of the Year" by the American Guild of Variety Artists.
- He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1983.
- In 1998, he was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame.
- He was inducted into the Casino Legends Hall of Fame in 1999.
- In 2005, he received a star on the Las Vegas Walk of Stars.
- He was inducted into the Canadian Comedy Hall of Fame in 2001.
- In 2022, he was appointed to the Order of Canada, which is one of Canada's highest honors.
Other Interests and Personal Life
Rich Little has been involved in several charities. He supports groups like the Juvenile Diabetes Fund and the Children's Miracle Network. He has also been a big supporter of helping veterans through the Gary Sinise Foundation.
Rich Little has been married four times and has two children. In 2010, he became a naturalized citizen of the United States.
His older brother, Fred Little, was also an impressionist and voice actor. He voiced Cedric Sneer in The Raccoons. His younger brother, Chris, was an artist who designed Rich Little's album covers.
Images for kids
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Little performing as Jack Benny in 2015
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Little in a publicity photo for Hawaii Five-O, 1976
