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Jack Riley, a comedy actor born in Cleveland on December 30, 1935, initially aimed to become a baseball player but shifted to acting after securing a radio job where he wrote and performed skits while attending John Carroll University. Drafted into the United States Army in 1958, he toured military bases worldwide with comedy shows.
After his military service, Riley returned to radio, becoming one of Cleveland's leading personalities before pursuing film and television. With support from old radio colleague Tim Conway, Riley moved west and began writing material specifically for Conway's TV guest appearances, also performing in numerous radio commercials.
Riley soon transitioned to on-camera work, landing a regular role on the sitcom Occasional Wife (1966). He appeared in various 1960s comedies, including Hogan's Heroes (1965), I Dream of Jeannie (1965), and notably Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (1967), where he contributed as both writer and performer. It was on Laugh-In that he met Ginger Lawrence, the producer's assistant and his future wife. In the 1970s, Riley pursued film roles in Catch-22 (1970), McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971), The Long Goodbye (1973), and Attack of the Killer Tomatoes! (1978). He also became a familiar presence in Mel Brooks’s parodies, featuring in Silent Movie (1976), High Anxiety (1977), and History of the World: Part I (1981).
Television offered Riley his most notable role as the dry, perpetually gloomy Elliot Carlin on The Bob Newhart Show (1972), where his humorously morose character consistently stole scenes. He continued to appear in guest roles on shows like Night Court (1984) and Seinfeld (1989), and occasionally performed on stage, notably portraying comedian Fred Allen in Mr. Allen, Mr. Allen.
Entering the 2000s, Riley concentrated primarily on television and voiceover work for cartoons and Rugrats video games. He voiced Stu Pickles in the animated series Rugrats (1991) and All Grown Up! (2003). Additionally, he had a recurring role on the sitcom Son of the Beach (2000) and guest appearances on Lucky, That ’70s Show, Avenging Angel, and Easy to Assemble. His final film appearance was in the horror thriller Room 6 (2006).
Jack Riley passed away in Los Angeles at age 80 due to pneumonia, survived by his wife and two children.
