Ryan Stiles facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ryan Stiles
Stiles in November 2008
Birth name	Ryan Lee Stiles
Born	(1959-04-22) April 22, 1959 (age 66) Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Medium	Stand up, television, film
Nationality	American Canadian
Years active	1985–present
Genres	Improvisational comedy
Spouse	Patricia McDonald ​ (m. 1988)​
Children	3
Notable works and roles	British and American versions of Whose Line Is It Anyway? Lewis Kiniski on The Drew Carey Show Herb Melnick on Two and a Half Men

Ryan Lee Stiles, born on April 22, 1959, is a funny American-Canadian comedian and actor. He is famous for his amazing improvisational comedy skills. This means he makes up jokes and scenes on the spot! Ryan is best known for being on the TV show Whose Line Is It Anyway?. He was on both the original British version and the American version. He also played a character named Lewis Kiniski on The Drew Carey Show. Later, he was Herb Melnick on the TV comedy Two and a Half Men.

Early Life and Comedy Start

Ryan Stiles was the youngest of five children. He was born in Seattle, USA. His parents, Irene and Sonny Stiles, were from Canada. When Ryan was ten, his family moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

He went to R.C. Palmer Junior Secondary School and Richmond Senior Secondary. Even though he was a good student, Ryan left school at age 17. He wanted to focus on his dream of becoming a comedian.

Ryan started doing stand-up shows in clubs around Vancouver. He even helped start a comedy club called Punchlines. He also wrote for a TV show and hosted another called Comedy College. Ryan was a regular performer with the Vancouver Theatresports League. He later joined the famous The Second City comedy group.

Comedy Career Highlights

Whose Line Is It Anyway? and The Drew Carey Show

In 1989, Ryan Stiles caught the eye of producers for the British comedy show Whose Line Is It Anyway?. This show was all about improv comedy. Ryan became a regular on the show and was very popular. He stayed with the show until it ended in 1998.

In 1995, American comedian Drew Carey asked Ryan to join his new TV show. It was a sitcom called The Drew Carey Show. Ryan played Lewis Kiniski, Drew's smart but sometimes lazy best friend.

In 1998, Drew Carey helped bring Whose Line Is It Anyway? to America. Ryan Stiles was a performer and also an executive producer for the American version. He was even nominated for an Emmy Award in 2002 for his work on the show. On Whose Line Is It Anyway?, people often joked about Ryan's fancy shoes. He was also known for his funny impressions of actress Carol Channing.

Ryan returned to Whose Line Is It Anyway? when it came back on The CW channel in 2013. He was a performer and an executive producer again.

Other TV Shows and Movies

Ryan Stiles has also appeared in several movies. He was in the 1991 film Hot Shots! and its 1993 sequel, Hot Shots! Part Deux. He played Dr. Herb Melnick on the TV show Two and a Half Men from 2004 until 2015.

He also made guest appearances on shows like Parker Lewis Can't Lose, Murphy Brown, and Dharma & Greg. In 2008, he was a guest star on Reno 911!.

In 1994, during a baseball strike, Ryan appeared in commercials for Nike. He was shown in an empty baseball park, doing funny things. The commercials ended with him saying, "Play ball. Please."

Helping Others

Ryan Stiles cares a lot about helping children who have been burned. Since 2009, he has raised over $500,000 for the Burned Children Recovery Center. His efforts have helped the foundation a lot.

Personal Life

Ryan Stiles met his wife, Patricia McDonald, in 1981. She was a waitress at Punchlines, the comedy club he helped start. They got married in 1988 and have three children.

When he's not working, Ryan lives near Bellingham, Washington. He opened a small theater there called the Upfront Theatre. It's a special place just for live improv comedy shows.

Filmography

Movies

Television Shows

Commercials

See also

In Spanish: Ryan Stiles para niños