Rich Little
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Richard Caruthers "Rich" Little (born November 26, 1938) is a Canadian comedian best known for his celebrity impersonations.
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Born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, Little was one of three sons of a physician, he had a gift for impersonations since his school days and began performing professionally in night clubs at 17. He acted in Ottawa's Little Theatre and became a successful disc jockey who frequently incorporated impersonations into his show. In 1963, he was asked to audition by Mel Torme, who was producing a new variety show for Judy Garland. The audition won him the job and he broke into American show business.
Little was a frequent guest on variety and talk shows. For example, 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 US 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. He hosted The ABC Comedy Hour (also known as KopyKats) in 1972, The Rich Little Show in 1976, and The New You Asked For It in 1981. He has also appeared in several movies and released nine albums.
He is arguably one of the most famous impressionists in show business. While some of his contemporaries, such as David Frye, Frank Gorshin and John Byner arguably did certain specific voices better than Little did them, in terms of sheer volume Little's catalog of impressions is difficult to approach.
[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] In popular culture
Little himself was impersonated on an episode of Saturday Night Live which featured a parody of the Inside the Actors Studio program with guest host Alec Baldwin portraying him. He was also impersonated in a later episode by fellow impressionist Darrell Hammond. Little also appeared in an episode of the animated television show Futurama, doing an impression of Howard Cosell
[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 resides in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he performs regularly.
[edit] External links
Categories: Canadian comedians | Canadian actors | Canadian film actors | Canadian television actors | Canadian stand-up comedians | Impressionists (entertainers) | Inductees of Canada's Walk of Fame | The Nanny actors | Hollywood Squares panelists | Hollywood Walk of Fame | Ontario actors | 1938 births | Living people | CJOH people | People from Ottawa
