Richard Kiley | |
|---|---|
 Kiley in 1960 | |
| Born | Richard Paul Kiley (1922-03-31)March 31, 1922 |
| Died | March 5, 1999(1999-03-05) (aged 76) Middletown, New York, U.S. |
| Resting place | Warwick Cemetery |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, singer |
| Years active | 1940s–1999 |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 6 |
Richard Paul Kiley (March 31, 1922 – March 5, 1999) was an American stage, film, and television actor and singer. He is best-known for his distinguished theatrical career in which he twice won theTony Award for Best Actor in a Musical.[1] Kiley originated the role ofDon Quixote in the original 1965 production of theBroadway musicalMan of La Mancha and was the first to sing and record "The Impossible Dream", the hit song from the show. In the 1953 hit musicalKismet, he played the Caliph in the original Broadway cast and, as such, was one of the quartet who sang "And This Is My Beloved". Additionally, he won fourEmmy Awards and twoGolden Globe Awards during his five-decade career[2] and his "sonorous baritone"[3] was also featured in the narration of a number of documentaries and other films. At the time of his death, Kiley was described as "one of theater's most distinguished and versatile actors" and as "an indispensable actor, the kind of performer who could be called on to play kings and commoners and a diversity of characters in between."[2]
Kiley was born to an Irish-American Catholic family on March 31, 1922, in Chicago.[4] He graduated fromMt. Carmel High School in 1939, and after a year atLoyola University Chicago he left to study acting at Chicago's Barnum Dramatic School. He served as agunner instructor for theU.S. Navy from 1943 to 1946.[1] In the late 1940s, he performed in Chicago-areasummer stock theaters with actors such asAlan Furlan.[5] Following his service in the Navy duringWorld War II, he returned to Chicago working as an actor and announcer on radio before moving to New York City. In New York he studied singing withRay Smolover.[6]
Kiley's work on stage includedKismet,No Strings (which wasRichard Rodgers's first stage musical after the death ofOscar Hammerstein II, in which Rodgers wrote both music and lyrics), theBuddy Hackett vehicleI Had a Ball, and the lead roles inRedhead,Man of La Mancha, and the playThe Incomparable Max.
Kiley later starred in the television playPatterns, which aired live on January 12, 1955. It caused a sensation and won an Emmy for its writer,Rod Serling. He played the role ofJohn Malcolm Patterson, futureAttorney General of Alabama (and laterGovernor of Alabama), in the 1955 filmThe Phenix City Story. Kiley also portrayed math teacher Joshua Edwards, whose phonograph records were smashed by delinquents inBlackboard Jungle in 1955.
Kiley wonTony Awards for Best Actor in a Musical forRedhead in 1959 andMan of La Mancha in 1966. The dual role of middle-aged authorCervantes and his fictional creation Quixote is one of the few musical roles that requires the talents of both leading man andcharacter actor.[7] Kiley said whileLa Mancha was on Broadway that despite the fact he had grown tired of playing leading men, he would always be grateful for having been given the chance to perform inLa Mancha.[citation needed] He performed in the original production for over five years and returned for Broadway revivals in 1972 and 1977 saying he had become "very possessive" of the role.[8]
Kiley won threeEmmy Awards and twoGolden Globe Awards for his work in television. He won both an Emmy and Golden Globe awards forThe Thorn Birds (as Paddy,Rachel Ward's father) (1983) andA Year in the Life (1986, 1987–1988). His third Emmy win was for Guest Actor in a Drama Series, for an episode ofPicket Fences, in which he had a recurring role as the father of main character Jill Brock (Kathy Baker). Kiley also received an Emmy nomination for portraying Chief JusticeEarl Warren in the 1991 miniseriesSeparate but Equal dramatizingBrown vs. Board of Education.
Other television work included the murderous police commissioner onColumbo (1974, the episode "A Friend In Deed"), his appearance as Gideon Seyetik in theStar Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Second Sight", as well as guest roles onAlly McBeal,Hawaii Five-O andGunsmoke. He narrated the award-winning seven-part 1986PBS documentaryPlanet Earth.
Kiley's baritone voice made him a favorite to narrate documentaries for television. Starting with ‘Land of the Tiger’ in 1985, Richard Kiley provided narration for multipleNational Geographic Videotelevision specials. Kiley also voiced two 1975 episodes ofCBS Radio Mystery Theater.
InJurassic Park, Kiley's voice narrates the park's vehicle tour. Kiley was introduced as the narrator for the tour first in the novel byMichael Crichton and later in the film adaptation bySteven Spielberg where the owner of the park said he "spared no expense" hiring Kiley.[7] Visitors to Universal'sIslands of Adventure theme park inOrlando, Florida, and the former attraction at Universal Studios Hollywood hear Kiley as the narrator of theJurassic Park River Adventure ride – making him the only person to appear in the book, the film, and the ride.
Kiley also narrated theA&Edocumentarytelevision seriesMysteries of the Bible, from 1994 to 1998. His final acting role was in the 1999 TV movieBlue Moon, which debuted the month after his death.[9]
Kiley died of an unspecifiedbone marrowdisease at Horton Hospital inMiddletown, New York, on March 5, 1999, less than a month before his 77th birthday. He was scheduled to attend aTheater Hall of Fame event shortly before his death but was too ill.[10][11] He was survived by his wife, dancer Patricia Ferrier,[12] and six children from his first marriage:[13] sons David and Michael Kiley and daughters Kathleen, Dorothea, Erin and Deirdre. His remains were interred inWarwick, New York. Broadway's lights went dark in his honor.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1951 | The Mob | Thomas Clancy | |
| 1952 | The Sniper | Dr. James G. Kent | |
| Eight Iron Men | Private Coke | ||
| 1953 | Pickup on South Street | Joey | |
| 1955 | Blackboard Jungle | Joshua Y. Edwards | |
| The Phenix City Story | John Patterson | ||
| 1957 | Spanish Affair | Merritt Blake | |
| 1958 | The Power of the Resurrection | Peter | |
| 1969 | Pendulum | Woodrow Wilson King | |
| 1970 | A.k.a. Cassius Clay | Narrator | |
| 1974 | The Little Prince | The Pilot | |
| 1977 | Looking for Mr. Goodbar | Mr. Dunn | |
| 1981 | Endless Love | Arthur Axelrod | |
| 1986 | Howard the Duck | The Cosmos | Voice |
| 1989 | To the Limit | Narrator | |
| Miami Cops | |||
| The Final Days | J. Fred Buzhardt | ||
| 1993 | Jurassic Park | Tour Guide Voice (Himself) | Voice |
| The Gospel According to St. Matthew | Old Matthew | ||
| 1996 | Phenomenon | Dr. Wellin | |
| 1997 | Time to Say Goodbye? | Dr. Gerald Klooster | |
| 1998 | Patch Adams | Dr. Titan | |
| 2002 | Jesus the Christ | Matthew | Final role (posthumous release) |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1953 | The United States Steel Hour | Sergeant Lucky Dover | Episode: "P.O.W." |
| 1954 | Justice | Unknown | 2 episodes |
| 1955 | Kraft Television Theatre | Fred Staples | Episode: "Patterns" |
| 1956 | Studio One | Mr. Dean | Episode: "The Landlady's Daughter" |
| 1958 | Decision | Paul Scott | Season 1 Episode 6: "Indemnity" |
| 1958 | Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Harry Adams | Season 4 Episode 4: "The Crooked Road" |
| 1963 | Alfred Hitchcock Hour | Jim Derry | Season 2 Episode 5: "Blood Bargain" |
| 1969 | Night Gallery | Joseph Strobe | Television film ("The Escape Route" segment) |
| 1970–1973 | Gunsmoke | Lewis Stark Tom Lynott Bohannon Will Stambridge | Episode: "Stark" Episode: "Lynott" Episode: "Bohannon" Episode: "Kitty's Love Affair" |
| 1970 | Bonanza | Gideon Yates | Episode: "Gideon the Good" |
| The Ceremony of Innocence | King Ethelred II | Television film | |
| 1971 | Murder Once Removed | Frank Manning | Television film |
| 1974 | Columbo: A Friend in Deed | Mark Halperin | |
| 1975 | Friendly Persuasion | Jess Birdwell | Television film |
| 1976 | How the West Was Won | Timothy Macahan | |
| 1980 | Angel on My Shoulder | Nick | Television film |
| 1981 | Isabel's Choice | Lyman Jones | Television film |
| Golden Gate | Thomas J. Kingsley | Television film | |
| 1983 | The Thorn Birds | Paddy Cleary | 2 episodes Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television(1984) Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or a Special(1983) |
| 1984 | George Washington | George Mason | Television film |
| 1985 | A.D. | Claudius | Television film |
| The Canterville Ghost | Sir Simon de Canterville | Television film | |
| Do You Remember Love | George Hollis | Television film Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or a Special(1985) | |
| 1986 | Planet Earth | Narrator | 7 episodes |
| The Twilight Zone | Lancelot | Episode: "The Last Defender of Camelot (The Twilight Zone)" | |
| If Tomorrow Comes | Gunther Hartog | 3 episodes | |
| 1986–1988 | A Year in the Life | Joe Gardner | 22 episodes Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Television Series – Drama(1987) Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series(1988) |
| 1988 | My First Love | Sam Morrissey | Television film |
| 1990 | Aladdin | The Magician | Television film |
| 1990 | The Genius That Was China | Narrator | Documentary series |
| 1991 | Absolute Strangers | Dr. R.J. Cannon | Television film |
| Separate but Equal | Chief Justice Earl Warren | Television film Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television(1991) Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Special(1991) | |
| The Ray Bradbury Theater | Douglas Spaulding | Episode: "The Utterly Perfect Murder" Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series(1992) | |
| 1992–1994 | Picket Fences | Hayden Langston | 2 episodes Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series(1994) Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series(1993) |
| 1993 | Star Trek: Deep Space Nine | Dr. Gideon Seyetik | Episode: "Second Sight" |
| 1994–1998 | Mysteries of the Bible | Narrator | |
| 1995 | The Great Defender | Joe Dewitt | 8 episodes |
| 1996 | Mary & Tim | Ron Melville | Television film |
| 1997 | Time to Say Goodbye? | Dr. Gerald Klooster | Television film |
| Tigers of the Snow | Narrator | ||
| 1998 | Ally McBeal | Seymore Little | Episode: "Once in a Lifetime" |
| Blue Moon | Jimmy Keating | Television film |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1953 | Misalliance | Joey Percival | Theatre World Award(1953) |
| 1953–1955 | Kismet | The Caliph | |
| 1956 | Time Limit | Major Harry Cargill | |
| 1959–1960 | Redhead | Tom Baxter | Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical(1959) |
| 1960–1961 | Advise and Consent | Brig Anderson | |
| 1962–1963 | No Strings | David Jordan | Nominated—Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical(1962) |
| 1963–1964 | Here's Love | Fred Gaily | |
| 1964–1965 | I Had a Ball | Stan the Shpieler | |
| 1965–1971 | Man of La Mancha | Miguel de Cervantes / Don Quixote | Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical(1966) |
| 1968 | Her First Roman | Caesar | |
| 1971 | The Incomparable Max | Enoch Soames | |
| 1972 | Voices | Robert | |
| Man of La Mancha | Miguel de Cervantes/Don Quixote | ||
| 1974–1976 | Absurd Person Singular | Ronald | |
| 1975 | Ah, Wilderness! | Nat Miller | Academy Festival Theatre, Drake Theatre at Barat College, Lake Forest, Illinois |
| 1976 | The Heiress | Dr. Austin Sloper | Nominated—Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play(1976) |
| 1977 | Man of La Mancha | Don Quixote | Nominated—Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical(1978) |
| 1987 | All My Sons | Joe Keller | Nominated—Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Play(1987) |
Kiley won over the critics with his deft ability to bounce between the demanding roles of the knight errant and the author.
