Rip Taylor facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rip Taylor
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Taylor in 2010
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Charles Elmer Taylor Jr.
January 13, 1931 Washington, D.C., U.S.
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| Died | October 6, 2019 (aged 88) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
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| Other names | Charles E. Taylor |
| Occupation | Actor, comedian |
| Years active | 1950s–2019 |
| Spouse(s) | Rusty Rowe (div.) |
Charles Elmer "Rip" Taylor Jr. (January 13, 1931 – October 6, 2019) was a famous American actor and comedian. He was known for his energetic and colorful personality. Rip Taylor often wore a wild mustache and a toupee. He loved to shower himself and others with confetti during his shows! He was a popular performer in nightclubs and on television for over sixty years.
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Rip Taylor's Early Life
Charles Elmer Taylor Jr. was born in Washington, D.C., on January 13, 1931. His mother, Elizabeth Sue Evans, was a waitress. His father, Charles Elmer Taylor, was a musician who died when Rip was only two years old.
Rip Taylor had a difficult childhood. As a teenager, he went to Capitol Page School. He worked as a congressional page before joining the military.
Military Service and Entertainment
Taylor served in the Korean War as part of the U.S. Army Signal Corps. Even though he was in the Signal Corps, he was sent to Special Services. This was the entertainment part of the military. He performed for troops in Tokyo and Korea. This is where his career in show business began.
Rip Taylor's Career
After his time in the military, Rip Taylor focused on performing in nightclubs. He started by acting out songs, especially Yiddish folk songs and Spike Jones tunes. One day, his record player broke, and he had to talk instead of pantomime. He joked, "I haven't shut up since!"
Becoming the "Crying Comedian"
In the mid-1950s, he performed in clubs along the East Coast of the U.S. He developed a special act where he would pretend to cry and beg the audience for laughs. This act got a big reaction! His shows became more popular, and he performed in places like Miami Beach, Florida, and the Catskills Mountains.
An agent from The Ed Sullivan Show saw his act. Rip Taylor would spend a lot of money on champagne to make the audience lively. He first appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1961 and was on the show about twenty times. Sullivan would often forget his name and just call him "the crying comedian."
Television and Film Appearances
Rip Taylor was a guest on many TV shows. He appeared on The Jackie Gleason Show in the 1960s. His famous confetti tossing act started on The Merv Griffin Show. He was having a tough time with his jokes, so he tore up his note cards and threw them in the air. This created confetti! People loved it, and his phone started ringing off the hook.
Taylor became a regular performer in Las Vegas. He opened for famous stars like Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., and Judy Garland. In the 1970s, he won the Las Vegas Entertainer of the Year award three times.
He also did voice acting for cartoons. He was the voice of the main character in Here Comes the Grump. He also voiced Uncle Fester in The Addams Family cartoon in 1992.
Throughout the 1970s, Rip Taylor was a frequent guest on TV game shows. These included Hollywood Squares, To Tell the Truth, and The Gong Show. He was also a regular on Sigmund and the Sea Monsters, playing Sheldon, a sea-genie. He hosted a fun show called The $1.98 Beauty Show.
Taylor appeared in many other TV shows, like The Kids in the Hall and Will & Grace. He also made guest appearances on The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and The Emperor's New School. He was even in the movie Wayne's World 2 as himself.
In 1990, he voiced the genie in DuckTales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp. He also appeared in the Jackass: The Movie (2002) and its sequels. In these films, he would end the movie by firing a pistol that released a sign saying "The End."
Live Theatre Performances
Rip Taylor's first big live show tour was in 1966 with Judy Garland. In 1981, he performed on Broadway in the musical comedy Sugar Babies. He often performed with Debbie Reynolds in her live shows in Las Vegas. In 2010, he had a one-man show called It Ain't All Confetti. In this show, he shared personal stories about his life and career.
Personal Life and Passing
Rip Taylor was married to Las Vegas showgirl Rusty Rowe for several years. They divorced in the early 1960s.
Taylor passed away on October 6, 2019, in Los Angeles. He had been in the hospital due to an epileptic seizure. His death certificate listed heart failure as a contributing cause.
Images for kids
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Taylor with actress Doris Roberts in 2010
See also
In Spanish: Rip Taylor para niños
