Ryan Stiles

Ryan Stiles
File:RyanCouch.jpg Ryan Stiles in July 2008
Born	Ryan Lee Stiles
Spouse	Patricia McDonald

Ryan Lee Stiles (born April 22, 1959) is an American-Canadian actor, comedian, director, and voice actor whose work is often associated with improvisational comedy. He is best known for his improv and co-production work on Whose Line Is It Anyway? and the role of Lewis Kiniski on The Drew Carey Show. He currently plays Herb Melnick on the CBS comedy Two and a Half Men. In 2002, Stiles and Sean Masterson finished work on a screenplay entitled Live Bait, which is reportedly in production.

Biography

Early life and career

Stiles was born in Seattle, Washington, the youngest of five children. His father, Sonny, was a fishing plant supervisor. His mother's name is Irene. When he was ten, his Canadian-born parents moved the family to Richmond, British Columbia. At the age of seventeen, he dropped out of high school to pursue a career in comedy. He worked in his father's fish-processing plant to earn a living while doing stand-up at Punchlines Comedy Club in Vancouver, British Columbia and performing improv with Vancouver TheatreSports League. In 1986, Stiles successfully auditioned for a berth at Toronto's renowned Second City comedy ensemble.

Television work

By 1989, he had gained the attention of the producers of the British improvisational comedy show, Whose Line Is It Anyway?. Stiles was a regular on the show until 1998, and the show's short production season allowed him to make numerous television and motion picture appearances in the United States.

In 1995, Stiles was tapped by American comic Drew Carey to be a regular on his sitcom, The Drew Carey Show. He played Drew's smart but underachieving best friend, Lewis Kiniski. Stiles' first line in the pilot episode of the The Drew Carey Show, "And that's why the French don't wash," is a line he'd previously used in an episode of the British version of Whose Line?. In 1998, Carey successfully lobbied ABC to get an American version of Whose Line? produced. Following the final series of the British version in 1998, the American version premiered, with both Stiles and Carey credited as executive producers. Stiles featured in every episode of the American series, which was produced until 2003. New episodes continued to air, however, for several years subsequent.

Work on Whose Line?

Stiles was the most prolific performer on the original UK version of Whose Line?, appearing in 76 of the series 136 episodes (including compilations). He first appeared in the fifth episode of the second series, which aired in late 1989. He appeared in one other episode of that series, before returning for four episodes of the third series. His prominence increased with each series, ultimately appearing in every episode from the seventh series on.

He and Colin Mochrie were the only two performers to appear in every episode of the US version, though Wayne Brady also became a regular near the beginning of the second season.

Stiles was known for several recurring impressions he performed on the shows, performed both at his own decision, and as an assignment in games. These included Carol Channing, Elvis Presley, John Wayne, and that of a deer. He made clear his dislike of the musical segments of the show, particularly the game "Hoedown," often reacting negatively to its being announced. Other than in early UK playings, Stiles was always the last performer to sing in "Hoedown" and other similar musical games, allowing him more time to devise lyrics, and giving him the final punchlines, as well as injecting (usually not-so subtle) jabs at the hoedown itself, or of the host for having him perform in it. Stiles developed a professional rapport with fellow regular Mochrie on the UK version which continued on to the American series. There were a number of games which exclusively paired Mochrie and Stiles at every playing. Though other performers did so, he was the most common performer to make bald jokes at Mochrie's expense. In return, Mochrie often jokes about Stiles's height, nose, attractiveness, and tendency to wear exotic, flamboyant shoes.

Stiles took part in the regular practice of mocking host Clive Anderson on the UK series, though he did so with less frequency than others. On the American version, however, he was among the most frequent mockers of Carey.

Stiles almost always dressed in a button-up shirt; typically a dress shirt, and was one of the few performers to commonly wear a necktie. One of Stiles's notable trademarks on the US series were his dress shoes, many of which were an unusual color, most notably his blue shoes, or had a flashy pattern of several colors. During one Scenes from a Hat he made light of his shoes by saying, "Please Santa, just a pair of brown shoes". Stiles' shoes were sometimes mocked by Carey and the other performers. In addition, a running gag on both versions of the show had the producers trying (and invariably failing) to stump Stiles, by giving him increasingly bizarre mannerisms or characters in the games that require him to act them out. When reading them just prior to the scene, he and Carey would often laugh at what was written on the cards. Ryan always managed to get a laugh from the audience and fellow co-stars at any cost, which inadvertently earned him the nickname: Ryan "Anything for a laugh" Stiles.

Personal life

In 1981, Stiles met Patricia McDonald at Punchlines where she was waitressing. They lived together for seven years before marrying in 1988. They have three children (Sam, Mackenzie and Claire). When not working in Hollywood, he lives at his home on Lake Samish outside Bellingham, WA, where he has opened the Upfront Theatre, a small theatre dedicated to live improv comedy. He was rumored to be a diabetic, as he occasionally played on this idea on WLIIA, although on the April 7, 2007 episode of Outlaw Radio, he laughed at and denied the rumor. He also denied it in several interviews of that year, including one with the Eugene, Oregon Register-Guard and one with the Idaho Statesman.

Stiles reportedly has trouble finding shoes that fit him because of his very large shoe size, 15. He often has shoes custom-made for him by George Esquivel. Jokes pertaining to Stiles' shoes on Whose Line Is It Anyway? were quite common, as well as references to his height, with him currently standing at 6 ft 6 in (198 cm) tall.

Stiles once lived in a house previously owned by Liberace in Sherman Oaks, California, but sold the house several years ago.

Other appearances

Stiles has a new ad campaign for Playskool, talking to playful toddlers in a manner as if they were adults. For example: "Where do you see yourself in eighteen months?"

Ryan appeared in the 1991 film Hot Shots as Mailman Farnham, and also starred in the 1993 sequel Hot Shots! Part Deux, as marine Rabinowitz. In the film, he is heard to say to Charlie Sheen's character, Topper Harley:

Know what I'm gonna do if we make it? I'm gonna go back to Eagle River and marry my gal, Edith Mae. Gonna get us a nice little place with a white picket fence. You know the kind. Two-car garage. Maybe a fishing boat. And in 15 years, when they're all paid for... I'll set my charges and blow the shit out of them.

Since 2004, Stiles has been seen as the recurring character Dr. Herb Melnick in several episodes of the comedy Two and a Half Men which stars his Hot Shots co-stars Charlie Sheen and Jon Cryer. Stiles also made short guest appearances on Murphy Brown, Mad About You, and Dharma & Greg. In July 2008, he was a guest star on Reno 911! as Sergeant Clift, an acting coach.

External links

• Ryan Stiles at IMDb
• Ryan Stiles Net
• Ryan Stiles biography
• The Upfront Theatre, an improv theatre in Bellingham, Washington founded by Ryan Stiles