The most well-known of Charles Nelson Reilly’s accomplishments as a comedian, theater instructor, stage director, and TV host was his participation in TV game shows. Reilly was reared in Connecticut after being born in the Bronx, New York. He was interested in opera as a child but was not successful in becoming an opera singer. He relocated to New York to pursue a career in theater, playing a number of parts in Off-Broadway and Broadway companies, some of which garnered him nominations and honors. Later, he entered the California TV industry and established himself as a witty, entertaining talk-show guest and game-show panelist. Additionally, he appeared in other TV series and kid’s programs. Reilly has also directed several popular plays and TV shows. For his appearance on the game program “Match Game,” Reilly is most known. He taught drama at the “Burt Reynolds Institute” and the “HB Studio.” In his senior years, he performed his acclaimed one-man autobiographical act across the nation. He never really tried to hide his sexual preferences, and much later in his career, he came out as gay. He passed away from pneumonia at the age of 76, and his partner Patrick Hughes III is left to mourn his loss.
Early Childhood & Life
On January 13, 1931, Charles Nelson Reilly was born in the South Bronx of New York. His father, the commercial artist Charles Joseph Reilly, was a Catholic of Irish descent. Signe Elvera Nelson, his mother, was a Swedish Lutheran. His parents only had one child, so he frequently made his own puppet shows to amuse himself.
The Bronx was where he grew up. Reilly and his mother relocated to Hartford, Connecticut, after his father had a nervous breakdown and had to be placed in an institution. At the “Hartford Circus,” a fire started in 1944. More than 700 individuals were hurt, and 169 people died. Reilly, who was 13 at the time and in the crowd, managed to escape the fire. He was unable to sit in the middle of a sizable crowd though following that occurrence.
He had a passion for opera since he was a little child and had aspirations of becoming an opera singer. He went to the University of Hartford’s “Hartt School of Music.” He rapidly came to the conclusion that he lacked the talent necessary to succeed as a professional opera singer. Nevertheless, he maintained a lifelong interest in opera. When she was 18, Reilly moved to New York City to enroll at Herbert Berghof and Uta Hagen’s acting school, “HB Studio.”
His first break came in an uncredited appearance in Elia Kazan’s 1957 film “A Face in the Crowd,” even though he first mostly worked on the stage. He frequently played comedic roles in Kansas City, Missouri’s “Starlight Theatre” throughout the 1950s. Additionally, he participated in other “Off-Broadway” shows.
Reilly debuted on Broadway in the 1960’s “Bye Bye Birdie” musical. He played a minor part in it and filled in for Dick Van Dyke, who played the lead role. His second Broadway performance was in the 1961 Tony Award-winning musical “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying,” which won the Pulitzer Prize.
He received a “Tony Award” for his performance in the musical as “Bud Frump,” the laid-back nephew of the business president. Reilly was then nominated for a “Tony Award” for the popular 1964 Broadway production of “Hello, Dolly!”
Later, Reilly relocated to California, where he quickly started appearing regularly on TV programs including “What’s My Line?” and “The Steve Lawrence Show” (1965). Additionally, he appeared in television advertisements for Excedrin and Bic banana ink crayons (in a banana costume, for the latter). In the eerie comedy TV series “The Ghost & Mrs. Muir,” he played “Claymore Gregg” (1968–1970).
In several TV shows, including “Here’s Lucy,” “The Patty Duke Show,” “Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In,” “McMillan & Wife,” and “The Love Boat,” he appeared as a guest star. Additionally, he had a few appearances in kids’ shows. He performed the titular part in “Uncle Croc’s Block” and an “evil magician” in the 1971 film “Lidsville.” Additionally, he participated in Walt Disney’s “The Mouse Factory” episode.
Reilly appeared on “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” more than 95 times. He made for a fun talk-show guest because of his quick and clever retorts. His smart, comedic TV image frequently overshadowed his abilities as an actor and director.
He made an appearance on “Match Game,” also known as “Match Game PM” and “The Match Game,” in 1973. Later, he joined panels frequently and earned a reputation for making witty remarks with hidden double meanings. He appeared in the 1974 television film “Hamburgers” starring Sid Caesar and Charlie Callas. He frequently made guest appearances on the program “Body Language” (1984).
Julie Harris, who received a Tony Award for playing Emily Dickinson in the same production, appeared in Reilly’s one-woman play “The Belle of Amherst” in 1976. In 1979, he oversaw the Broadway production of “Break a Leg” by Ira Levin. The play wasn’t a financial hit. Reilly directed Mark Hamill in the comedy “The Nerd” in 1980 while also starring in the play “Charlotte.”
In 1990, he oversaw the direction of several “Evening Shade” episodes. He appeared in a number of well-known TV sitcoms from the 1990s, including “The Drew Carey Show,” “Family Matters,” and “The Larry Sanders Show.” He also had brief appearances in a few episodes of “The X Files” and “Millennium” on television. He was considered for the 1997 Tony Award for “Best Director of a Play” for “The Gin Game,” which starred Julie Harris.
In addition to the animated series “SpongeBob SquarePants” (1999), Reilly also voiced characters in the movies “All Dogs Go To Heaven” (1989), “Rock-a-Doodle” (1991), and “A Troll in Central Park” (1994). He started instructing drama at Herbert Berghof and Uta Hagen’s acting school, “HB Studio,” in 1976. Some of his pupils included Gary Burghoff, Lily Tomlin, and Bette Midler. He traveled to Florida in 1979 to work as an acting instructor at Burt Reynolds’ school.
He performed his one-man autobiographical performance, “Save It for the Stage: The Life of Reilly,” in 2000. The first half of the title was the phrase his mother would frequently repeat anytime he said something brilliant; the program was about his family life during his formative years in the Bronx.
He performed this popular and well-received show on his national tour. The Life of Reilly is a movie based on the play’s last performance (2006). The film received a lot of praise when it made its debut at the “South by Southwest” film festival.
Recognition & Achievements
Reilly received the “Tony Award” in 1962 for “Featured Actor in a Musical” in recognition of his work in the popular Broadway production “How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying.” He was nominated for an “Emmy” for his role on “The Ghost & Mrs. Muir” on television (1968). His other nominations for a “Tony Award” came for the 1964 Broadway play “Hello, Dolly!” and the 1997 play “The Gin Game.”
Charles’s Individual Life
He didn’t say anything about his sexuality in the early years of his career, but he also didn’t hide much either. On his game shows, he did, however, make fun of himself. He later stated in an interview that he never concealed his sexual orientation from anyone. With his partner Patrick Hughes III, a set decorator, and dresser, he shared a home in Beverly Hills.
Reilly experienced respiratory issues in 2006 while performing his one-man act on the road. On May 25, 2007, at his home, he passed away from pneumonia. His remains were cremated.
Estimated Net Worth
An American actor, comedian, director, and theater instructor, Charles Nelson Reilly had a $5 million fortune. Born in the South Bronx of New York in January 1931, Charles Nelson Reilly passed away in May 2007.