Richard Kiley facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Richard Kiley
Kiley in 1960
Born	Richard Paul Kiley (1922-03-31)March 31, 1922 Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Died	March 5, 1999(1999-03-05) (aged 76) Middletown, New York, U.S.
Occupation	Actor, singer
Years active	1950–1999
Spouse(s)	Mary Bell Wood ​ ​ (m. 1948; div. 1967)​ Patricia Ferrier ​ ​ (m. 1968)​
Children	6

Richard Paul Kiley (born March 31, 1922 – died March 5, 1999) was a talented American actor and singer. He was famous for his amazing work in plays, movies, and TV shows.

Richard Kiley won many awards during his 50-year career. He won two Tony Awards for his work in musicals, four Primetime Emmy Awards for TV, and two Golden Globe Awards for his acting. People often remembered his deep, clear voice, which he used to narrate many documentaries. He was known as a very skilled actor who could play many different kinds of characters.

Early Life and Beginnings

Richard Kiley was born in Chicago, Illinois, on March 31, 1922. He grew up in a Catholic family. After finishing Mt. Carmel High School in 1939, he studied acting at the Barnum Dramatic School in Chicago.

In the late 1940s, he performed in plays during the summer in the Chicago area. After serving in the Navy during World War II, he worked as an actor and announcer on the radio in Chicago. Later, he moved to New York City to continue his acting and singing studies.

A Star on Stage

Richard Kiley became well-known for his roles in Broadway musicals. He was especially famous for playing Don Quixote in the original 1965 Broadway show Man of La Mancha. He was the first person to sing the hit song "The Impossible Dream" from that musical.

He also starred in other popular musicals like Kismet, where he played the Caliph, and Redhead. He won his first Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for Redhead in 1959. His second Tony Award came in 1966 for his role in Man of La Mancha. He loved playing Don Quixote so much that he returned to the show for Broadway revivals in 1972 and 1977.

Television and Film Roles

Kiley also had a successful career in television and movies. In 1955, he starred in the TV play Patterns, which was very popular. He also appeared in films like The Phenix City Story and Blackboard Jungle, both released in 1955.

He won three Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards for his TV work. He won both an Emmy and a Golden Globe for his roles in The Thorn Birds (1983) and A Year in the Life (1986, 1987–1988). He also won an Emmy for his guest role in the TV series Picket Fences. Kiley played Chief Justice Earl Warren in the 1991 TV movie Separate but Equal, which was about the important Brown vs. Board of Education case.

Kiley with Peter Falk in Columbo, 1974.

His other TV appearances included shows like Columbo, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Ally McBeal, Hawaii Five-O, and Gunsmoke.

The Voice of Many Stories

Richard Kiley's deep voice made him a popular choice for narrating documentaries. He narrated many National Geographic Video specials, starting with 'Land of the Tiger' in 1985. He also narrated the A&E documentary series Mysteries of the Bible from 1994 to 1998.

One of his most famous voice roles was in the movie Jurassic Park. His voice guides visitors through the park's vehicle tour. The park owner in the movie even says he "spared no expense" to hire Kiley for the narration! If you visit Universal's Islands of Adventure theme park in Orlando, Florida, you can still hear Kiley's voice on the Jurassic Park River Adventure ride. This makes him the only person to be in the Jurassic Park book, movie, and theme park ride.

His last acting role was in the 1999 TV movie Blue Moon, which came out a month after he passed away.

Death

Richard Kiley passed away on March 5, 1999, in Middletown, New York. He was almost 77 years old. He died from a bone marrow disease. He was survived by his wife, Patricia Ferrier, and his six children. To honor him, the lights on Broadway were dimmed.

Filmography

Film

Television

Stage

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Richard Kiley para niños