Rich Little
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Richard Caruthers "Rich" Little (born November 26, 1938) is a Canadian impressionist and voice actor. Little has long been known as a top impersonator of famous people throughout the world which has earned him the nickname "The Man of a Thousand Voices."
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[edit] Early life
Born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, Little was the middle of three sons of a doctor. In his early teens, he formed a partnership with Geoff Scott, another budding impressionist, concentrating on reproducing the voices of Canadian politicians such as then-Prime Minister John Diefenbaker and Ottawa mayor Charlotte Whitton. (Ironically Geoff went on to become a politician.) They were performing professionally in night clubs by age 17. Rich acted in Ottawa's Little Theatre and became a successful disc jockey, frequently incorporating impersonations into his show. In 1963, he was asked to audition by Mel Tormé, who was producing a new variety show for Judy Garland. The audition won him the job and he broke into show business.
[edit] Career
In 1966 and 1967, Little appeared in ABC-TV's Judy Carne sitcom Love on a Rooftop as the Willises' eccentric neighbor, Stan Parker.
Little was a frequent guest on variety and talk shows. He cracked up Johnny Carson by capturing the Tonight Show host's voice and many on-stage mannerisms perfectly (he later played Carson in the HBO TV-movie The Late Shift). One of his best known impressions is of U.S. President Richard Nixon. During the 1970s, Little made many television appearances portraying Nixon. He was a regular guest on Dean Martin's Celebrity Roasts in the 1970s and was also a regular on The Julie Andrews Hour in 1973. He was named "Comedy Star of the Year" by the American Guild of Variety Artists in 1974.
His best-known continuing TV series was The Kopykats, hour-long segments of The ABC Comedy Hour, first broadcast in 1972. Taped in England, these comedy-variety shows consisted entirely of celebrity impersonations, with the actors in full costume and makeup for every sketch. The cast included Rich Little, Frank Gorshin, Marilyn Michaels, George Kirby, Joe Baker, Fred Travalena, Charlie Callas, and Peter Goodwright.
The Rich Little Show (1976) and The New You Asked for It (1981) were attempts to present Little in his own person, away from his gallery of characterizations.
Little has starred in various HBO specials including the 1978 one-man show, Rich Little's Christmas Carol. He has also appeared in several movies and released nine albums. When David Niven proved too ill for his voice to be used in his appearance in Trail of the Pink Panther, Little provided the overdub; he rendered similar assistance for the 1991 TV special Christmas at the Movies by providing an uncredited dub for the aging actor/dancer Gene Kelly. As a native Canadian, he also lent his voice to the narration of two specials which were the forerunners for the animated series The Raccoons, The Christmas Raccoons, and The Raccoons on Ice. He was also briefly featured on Futurama .
Little was the host for the 2007 White House Correspondents' Association dinner. His performance was largely panned for "his ancient jokes and impressions of dead people (Johnny Carson, Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan)."[1][2][3]
[edit] Other interests
Little has been active in several charities including the Juvenile Diabetes Fund and the Children's Miracle Network. He has been named to Miami Children's Hospital International Pediatrics Hall of Fame and been honored by the naming of the Rich Little Special Care Nursery at Ottawa Civic Hospital.
[edit] Personal life
Little was married to Jeanne Worden from 1971 until their divorce in 1989. The couple have a daughter, Bria. He married Jeannette Markey in 1994; they divorced in 1997. He married his current wife, Marie Marotta, in 2003.
Although Little is a Canadian citizen, he lives in Las Vegas, where he often performs.
[edit] References
- ^ Rich Little Bravely Answers Washington's Call, Mary Ann Akers, The Washington Post, April 23, 2007
- ^ Every day is a whining Rove, Richard Adams, The Guardian, April 23, 2007
- ^ Jokes leave Washington a Little cold, Tim Harper, The Toronto Star, Apr 23, 2007.
[edit] External links
- Official website
- Rich Little at the Internet Movie Database
- Christmas at the Movies at the Internet Movie Database
- [1]
- [2]
