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Richard Kiley

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Richard Kiley
Kiley in 1960
Born
Richard Paul Kiley

(1922-03-31)March 31, 1922
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
DiedMarch 5, 1999(1999-03-05) (aged 76)
Middletown, New York, U.S.
OccupationActor
Years active1950–1999
Spouse(s)
Mary Bell Wood
​
​
(m. 1948; div. 1967)​

Patricia Ferrier
​
​
(m. 1968)​
Children6

Richard Paul Kiley (March 31, 1922 – March 5, 1999) was an American stage, television, and film actor. He is best known for his distinguished theatrical career in which he twice won the Tony Award for Best Actor In A Musical.[1] Kiley created the role of Don Quixote in the original 1965 production of the Broadway musical Man of La Mancha and was the first to sing and record "The Impossible Dream", the hit song from the show. In the 1953 hit musical Kismet, he played the Caliph and was one of the quartet introducing the song "And This Is My Beloved". Additionally, he won three Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards during his 50-year 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]

Early life

Kiley was born in Chicago, Illinois, and raised Roman Catholic. He graduated from Mt. Carmel High School in 1939, and after a year at Loyola University Chicago he left to study acting at Chicago's Barnum Dramatic School.[1] In the late 1940s, he performed in Chicago-area summer stock theaters with actors such as Alan Furlan.[4] Following his service in the United States Navy in World 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 with Ray Smolover.[5]

Career

Kiley's work on stage included Kismet, No Strings (which was Richard Rodgers's first stage musical after the death of Oscar Hammerstein II) in which Rodgers wrote both music and lyrics, the Buddy Hackett vehicle I Had a Ball, and the lead roles in Redhead, Man of La Mancha, and the play The Incomparable Max.

Kiley later starred in the television play Patterns, which aired live on January 12, 1955. It caused a sensation and won an Emmy for its writer, Rod Serling. He played the role of John Malcolm Patterson, future Attorney General of Alabama (and later Governor of Alabama), in the 1955 film The Phenix City Story. Kiley also portrayed math teacher Joshua Edwards, whose phonograph records were smashed by delinquents in Blackboard Jungle in 1955.

Kiley won Tony Awards for Best Actor in a Musical for Redhead in 1959 and Man of La Mancha in 1966. The dual role of middle-aged author Cervantes and his fictional creation Quixote is one of the few musical roles that requires the talents of both leading man and character actor.[6] Kiley said while La 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 in La 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.[7]

Later years

Kiley won three Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards for his work in television. He won both an Emmy and Golden Globe awards for The Thorn Birds (as Paddy, Rachel Ward's father) (1983) and A Year in the Life (1986, 1987–1988). His third Emmy win was for Guest Actor in a Drama Series, for an episode of Picket Fences. Kiley also received an Emmy nomination for portraying Chief Justice Earl Warren in the 1991 miniseries Separate but Equal dramatizing Brown vs. Board of Education.

Kiley with Peter Falk in Columbo, 1974.

Other television work included as the murderous police commissioner on Columbo (1974, the episode "A Friend In Deed"), his appearance as Gideon Seyetik in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Second Sight", as well as guest roles on Ally McBeal, Hawaii Five-O and Gunsmoke. He narrated the award-winning seven-part 1986 PBS documentary Planet Earth.

Kiley's baritone made him a favorite to narrate documentaries for television. Starting with ‘Land of the Tiger’ in 1985, Richard Kiley provided narration for multiple National Geographic Video television specials. In Jurassic Park, Kiley's voice is used to narrate the park's vehicle tour. Kiley was introduced as the narrator for the tour first in the novel by Michael Crichton, and later in the film adaptation by Steven Spielberg where the owner of the park said he "spared no expense" hiring Kiley.[6] Visitors to Universal's Islands of Adventure theme park in Orlando, Florida, and Universal Studios in Hollywood hear Kiley as the narrator of the Jurassic Park River Adventure ride.

In 1993, Christian filmmakers set out to make a film which would be a Word-for-Word of the Gospel. Kiley was chosen to do a narration style film as the Apostle Matthew in his latter days. He is seen doing many flashbacks as Matthew in the days when Jesus walked the Earth.

Kiley also narrated the A&E documentary television series Mysteries of the Bible, from 1994 to 1998. His final acting role was in the 1999 TV movie Blue Moon, which debuted the month after his death.[8][9]

Death

Kiley died of an unspecified bone marrow disease at Horton Hospital in Middletown, New York, on March 5, 1999, less than a month before his 77th birthday. He was survived by his wife, dancer Patricia Ferrier,[10] and six children from his first marriage,[11] sons David and Michael Kiley and daughters Kathleen, Dorothea, Erin and Deirdre. His remains were interred in Warwick. Broadway's lights went dark in his honor.

Filmography

Film

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 Jurassic Park Tour Voice 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

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1953 The United States Steel Hour Sgt. Lucky Dover Episode: "P.O.W."
1954 Justice Unknown 2 episodes
1956 Studio One Mr. Dean Episode: "The Landlady's Daughter"
1958 Alfred Hitchcock Presents Harry Adams Episode: "Crooked Road"
1963 Alfred Hitchcock Hour Jim Derry Episode: "Blood Bargain"
1969 Night Gallery Joseph Strobe Television film ("The Escape Route" segment)
1970–73 Gunsmoke Lewis Stark
Tom Lynott
Bohannon
Will Stambridge 		Episodes: "Stark"
"Lynott"
"Bohannon"
"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 – Series, Miniseries or Television Film
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie
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
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 – Television Series Drama
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
1988 My First Love Sam Morrissey Television film
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 – Series, Miniseries or Television Film
Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie
The Ray Bradbury Theater Douglas Spaulding Episode: "The Utterly Perfect Murder"
1992–1994 Picket Fences Hayden Langston 2 episodes
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series
Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series
1993 Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Dr. Gideon Seyetik Episode: "Second Sight" (Season 2 Episode 9)
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 Show Narrator
1998 Ally McBeal Seymore Little Episode: "Once in a Lifetime"
Blue Moon Jimmy Keating Television film

Stage

Year Title Role Notes
1953 Misalliance Joey Percival
1953–55 Kismet The Caliph
1956 Time Limit Major Harry Cargill
1959–60 Redhead Tom Baxter Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical
1960–61 Advise and Consent Brig Anderson
1962–63 No Strings David Jordan Nominated—Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical
1963–64 Here's Love Fred Gaily
1964–65 I Had a Ball Stan the Shpieler
1965–71 Man of La Mancha Miguel de Cervantes/Don Quixote Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical
1968 Her First Roman Caesar
1971 The Incomparable Max Enoch Soames
1972 Voices Robert
Man of La Mancha Miguel de Cervantes/Don Quixote
1974–76 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
1977 Man of La Mancha Don Quixote Nominated—Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical
1987 All My Sons Joe Keller Nominated—Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play

References

  1. ^ a b Vallance, Tom (March 11, 1999). "Obituary: Richard Kiley". The Independent. Retrieved December 10, 2013.
  2. ^ a b Gussow, Mel (March 6, 1999). "Richard Kiley, the Man of La Mancha, Is Dead at 76". The New York Times. Retrieved December 10, 2013.
  3. ^ "Overview for Richard Kiley". TCM. Retrieved December 10, 2013.
  4. ^ "The Milwaukee Journal". July 30, 1985.[dead link‍]
  5. ^ Wilson, Earl (September 22, 1977). "Off the Grapevine". The Blade. Toledo, Ohio.
  6. ^ a b Thurber, Jon (March 6, 1999). "Richard Kiley; Epitomized 'Man of La Mancha'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 4, 2020. Kiley won over the critics with his deft ability to bounce between the demanding roles of the knight errant and the author.
  7. ^ Geller, Andy (March 6, 1999). "'Man of La Mancha' Star Kiley Dies at 76". New York Post. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
  8. ^ "Blue Moon" TV movie at IMDB
  9. ^ Yahoo TV bio of Richard Kiley
  10. ^ "Washington Post".
  11. ^ "Obituary: Richard Kiley". The Independent. March 11, 1999. Retrieved October 7, 2020.

Sources

  • Man of La Mancha – original theatrical program, for Kiley's personal comments on playing Don Quixote


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