John Albert Riley Jr. (December 30, 1935 – August 19, 2016) was an American actor, comedian and writer, best known for his comedic roles. He is known for playing Elliot Carlin, a chronic psychology client of Bob Newhart's character on The Bob Newhart Show, and for voicing Stu Pickles, one of the parents in the animated Rugrats franchise.
Early life Riley was born in Cleveland, Ohio, the son of Agnes C. Riley (née Corrigan) and John Albert Riley. After attending Saint Ignatius High School and John Carroll University, he served in the U.S. Army.
After being discharged, Riley became a popular radio personality in Cleveland, along with his radio partner and straight man Jeff Baxter; The Baxter & Riley Show on WERE (1300 AM) featured not only music but comedy sketches and a slew of offbeat characters that Riley and Baxter voiced. Riley gave up the radio show in the mid-1960s and moved to Los Angeles, where his Cleveland friend Tim Conway helped him obtain work writing comedy sketches, which later led to acting opportunities.
Career First a semi-regular in the cast of the 1960s sitcom Occasional Wife, a short-lived show on NBC in which he played Wally Frick, Riley was perhaps most famous for playing Elliot Carlin, the neurotic, sour, and selfish patient on The Bob Newhart Show 1972–1978. In 1973, he was cast as Gomez Addams in The Addams Family Fun-House, then in 1979, he starred in ABC's holiday telefilm The Halloween That Almost Wasn't (also known as The Night Dracula Saved The World) as Warren the Werewolf of Budapest.
In 1980, Riley appeared in a comedy special for HBO called The Wild Wacky Wonderful World of Winter. He was a regular cast member in The Tim Conway Show, a comedy-variety show that aired on CBS from March 1980 through late summer 1981, acting in sketch comedy in each episode. In 1985, he reprised his Bob Newhart Show role of Elliot Carlin on St. Elsewhere, and did so again in a 1987 episode of ALF.
Among his other TV credits are multiple appearances on such shows as Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (parodying Lyndon Johnson), M*A*S*H, Barney Miller, Hogan's Heroes, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, One Day at a Time, Gomer Pyle, Diff'rent Strokes, and Night Court. He was also a favorite of Mel Brooks, appearing in several of his films: High Anxiety (1977), History of the World: Part I (1981), To Be or Not to Be (1983), and in a role in Spaceballs (1987).
Riley often provided voiceovers for television and radio commercials, most notably in spots for Country Crock margarine. He also voiced the character "P.C. Modem, the computer genius" in radio commercials for CompUSA that aired in the 1990s. In the 1990s and early 2000s, Riley was known for voicing Stu Pickles (father of the main protagonist Tommy) in the animated series Rugrats. The franchise consisted of the TV series, the spin-off All Grown Up! and the film trilogy.
He continued to make guest appearances during the 1990s in popular sitcoms, showing up in episodes of Seinfeld, Son of the Beach, Friends, Coach, The Drew Carey Show, That '70s Show, and, in a gag appearance, as an unnamed but obvious Mr. Carlin in a 1988 episode of Newhart. He made a cameo appearance on the November 23, 2013, episode of Saturday Night Live, as a subway passenger during the sketch "Matchbox 3".
Personal life and death Riley married Ginger Lawrence on January 3, 1970, and they had two children.
Riley died of pneumonia on August 19, 2016, at the age of 80.
Filmography Film YearTitleRoleNotes1962Days of Wine and RosesWaiterUncredited1970Catch-22Doctor1971McCabe & Mrs. MillerRiley QuinnIn Broad DaylightCab Driver #3TV movie (uncredited)The Todd KillingsRecord Company Executive1973The Thief Who Came to DinnerLab TechnicianUncreditedThe Long GoodbyeRiley1974Bank ShotJacksonCalifornia SplitSecond Bartender1976Silent MovieExecutive1977BumpersMurphyTV movieThe World's Greatest LoverProjectionistHigh AnxietyThe Desk Clerk1978Attack of the Killer Tomatoes!SalesmanChristmas Eve on Sesame StreetCitizenTV movie (uncredited)1979Mother and Me, M.D.Evan MurrayTV movieButch and Sundance: The Early DaysMessengerThe Halloween That Almost Wasn'tThe WerewolfTV movie1980Marriage Is Alive and WellOwenTV movieThe Wild Wacky Wonderful World of WinterStore clerkTV movie1981History of the World: Part IStoned Soldier #21982The Rules of MarriageHerb GallupTV movieAll Night RadioMr. WorthingtonTV movieFrancesBob Barnes1983When Your Lover LeavesRalphTV movieTo Be or Not to BeDobish1984Finders KeepersOrmondNight PatrolDoctor Ziegler1985Lots of LuckMarvinTV movieBrothers-in-LawFreemanTV movieThe History of White People in AmericaScientistTV movie1986The Christmas ToyDadTV movie (uncredited)The History of White People in America: Volume IIScientistTV movie1987SpaceballsTV Newsman1988Rented LipsHerb the AuditorPortrait of a White MarriageRoy Bloomer1989Gleaming the CubeHomeownerC.H.U.D. II: Bud the C.H.U.D.Wade Williams1990PaybackCoroner1992The PlayerHimself1993A Dangerous WomanBandleaderSesame Street Stays Up Late!JackTV movie (uncredited)1995Theodore RexAlaric1997Boogie NightsLawyerVenus EnvyMr. Wood1998Chairman of the BoardCondom BossThe Rugrats MovieStu Pickles2000Rugrats in Paris: The MovieRugrats: Acorn Nuts & Diapey ButtsTV movie2001Recess: School's OutGolfer #1The Rugrats: All Growed UpStu PicklesTV movie2003Rugrats Go Wild!2005McBride: The Doctor Is Out... Really OutAlexTV movie2006Room 6James Brewster2007Avenging AngelElderTV movie
Television YearTitleRoleNotes1966–67Occasional WifeWally Frick7 episodes1967Gomer Pyle: U.S.M.C.Larry2 episodesThe Flying NunLeoEpisode: "Ah Love, Could You and I Conspire?"1968I Dream of JeannieFrankEpisode: "Abdullah"1968–69Rowan & Martin's Laugh-InHimself5 episodes1969–70Hogan's HeroesAdditional Characters3 episodes1970Bracken's WorldMr. JeffreyEpisode: "Whatever Happened to Happy Endings?"Pat Paulsen's Half a Comedy HourHimselfUncreditedLove, American StyleDannyThe Partridge FamilyCorporal WrzesinskiEpisode: "See Here, Private Partridge"1970–71The Red Skelton HourAdditional Characters4 episodes1971The Good LifeCosgroveEpisode: "One of Our Rolls Is Missing"1971–72The Mary Tyler Moore ShowBarry Barlow / Eldon Colfax2 episodes1972Getting TogetherMelEpisode: "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do"M*A*S*HCapt. KaplanEpisode: "Chief Surgeon Who?"1972–78The Bob Newhart ShowElliot CarlinMain cast1973CannonProgrammerEpisode: "Catch Me If You Can"ColumboDirectorEpisode: "Candidate for Crime"The Girl with Something ExtraArthurEpisode: "A Meeting of Minds"1974Kung FuRoyalEpisode: "The Gunman"The Snoop SistersOllie RobertsonEpisode: "Fear Is a Free-Throw"Happy DaysOfficer O'ReillyEpisode: "The Deadly Dares"Police WomanJoeEpisode: "Anatomy of Two Rapes"The ABC Afternoon PlaybreakBraddockEpisode: "Can I Save My Children?"1975Barnaby JonesNorm RicksEpisode: "Poisoned Pigeon"Harry OBarney Hamilton / Eddie Stern2 episodes1976Good HeavensEpisode: "Mr. Right"AliceRichard AtkinsEpisode: "A Call to Arms"1976–79Barney MillerRobert Lovell / Frederick Clooney2 episodes1977The Rockford FilesAdrian LymanEpisode: "There's One in Every Port"1978–85Diff'rent StrokesPete / Mr. Crocker / Charles Sutton / Miles Monroe4 episodes1979Joe & ValerieEdEpisode: "The Wedding Guest"1980The Tim Conway ShowHimself Episode: "The Night That Dracula Saved The World"Too Close for ComfortThe Hold-Up ManEpisode: "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolfe?"Hart to HartNorman CulpEpisode: "'Tis the Season to Be Murdered"1981Eight Is EnoughJoe RothEpisode: "Bradfordgate"Ladies' ManDunlapEpisode: "Women Need Not Apply"Fantasy IslandHenleyEpisode: "Night in the Harem/Druids"1982Simon & SimonDr. Robert P. MedlowEpisode: "Ashes to Ashes, and None Too Soon"Love, SidneyTomEpisode: "Patti, the Torch"Family TiesEarl QuigleyEpisode: "Have Gun, Will Unravel"1983Romance TheatreAlex5 episodes9 to 5SeymourEpisode: "The Oldest Profession"CondoHughesEpisode: "Members Only"1983–84One Day at a TimeMr. Gonagin2 episodes1984Domestic LifeDeep ThroatEpisode: "The Candidates"Faerie Tale TheatreSexton / DeaconEpisode: "The Boy Who Left Home to Find Out About the Shivers"The Love BoatMiles Metcalf3 episodesDown to EarthPhilEpisode: "Gone with the Wind"1984–91Night CourtBeepo the Clown / Dr. Flick / Jim Wimberly / Warren Wilson / Emil Dutton7 episodes1985RiptideTiny TommyEpisode: "Curse of the Mary Aberdeen"ABC Afterschool SpecialsMr. WhiteEpisode: "First the Egg"Silver SpoonsMr. SnodgrassEpisode: "All the Principal's Men"WashingtoonEpisode: "Episode #1.1"St. ElsewhereElliot CarlinEpisode: "Close Encounters"1986Gimme a Break!Jack2 episodesBlacke's MagicEpisode: "It's a Jungle Out There"1987What a Country!Agent Warren YatesEpisode: "The Road from Morocco"ALFElliot CarlinEpisode: "Going Out of My Head Over You" (uncredited)ThrobFlashback Johnny / Herb2 episodesRoxieLeon BuchananMain cast1988Punky BrewsterSnipesEpisode: "Brandon's Commercial"Charles in ChargeProfessor KleemanEpisode: "Trading Papers"MathnetMr. Dwight LedbetterEpisode: "The Case of the Deceptive Data"Square One TelevisionEpisode: "Episode #2.14"NewhartPatientEpisode: "I Married Dick"1989DuetFredrickEpisode: "Roll Call"Hard Time on Planet EarthEpisode: "Death Do Us Part"A Fine RomanceRay RagalitoEpisode: "Th-Th-Th-That's All Folks"1990My Two DadsDaveEpisode: "It's My Art, and I'll Die If I Want To"Garfield and FriendsTyrone3 episodes1991BabesJackEpisode: "Not Married with Children"Harry and the HendersonsLeonardEpisode: "Working Stiffs"1991–2004RugratsStu Pickles / Various CharactersMain Cast; 145 episodes1992The Tonight Show with Jay LenoVarious CharactersCivil WarsJack CortEpisode: "Das Boat House"Evening ShadeJesseEpisode: "I'll Be Home for Christmas"1993Family MattersWayneEpisode: "The Way the Ball Bounces"Hangin' with Mr. CooperMr. GravesEpisode: "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying"1994Married... with ChildrenWendellEpisode: "Business Sucks"Dave's WorldGuyEpisode: "You Can't Always Get What You Want"1995The Boys Are BackBobEpisode: "Searching for Sarah Hansen"FriendsAirline PassengerEpisode: "The One Where Rachel Finds Out"Hudson StreetHowieEpisode: "The Hit Parade"Too SomethingEpisode: "The Jacket"1996CoachOliverEpisode: "Just Short of the Goal"The Drew Carey ShowMr. JonesEpisode: "What the Zoning Inspector Saw"1997SeinfeldRiderEpisode: "The Muffin Tops"The Secret World of Alex MackMr. O'ReillyEpisode: "Driving"Touched by an AngelLeoEpisode: "Sandcastles"George and LeoEpisode: "The Cameo Episode"BaywatchEpisode: "Eel Nino"1998Mike Hammer, Private EyePuff Puff the Bunny2 episodesWorkingChaplainEpisode: "Armageddon Outta Here"1999Oh, Grow UpHarry TathamEpisode: "Himbo"2000–02Son of the BeachChappy10 episodes2003LuckyPineyEpisode: "Lie, Cheat & Deal"Burl'sGym InstructorShort2003–08All Grown Up!Stu Pickles / Executive19 episodes2004That '70s ShowOld Man ShinskyEpisode: "Rip This Joint"2005Yes, DearMr. ShipleyEpisode: "High School Reunion"2007Papa's BagPapaShort2009Easy to AssembleJackEpisode: "Bitter is Better"Nora FallsAveryShort2011–12The Garfield Show Anthony Allwork / Ghost Cat 5 episodes
Video games YearTitleRoleNotes1998Rugrats Adventure GameStu PicklesRugrats: Search for ReptarThe Rugrats MovieThe game tie-in for the movie of the same name.1999Rugrats: Scavenger HuntRugrats: Studio TourRugrats: Time Travelers2001Rugrats: Castle Capers2002Rugrats: Royal RansomUncredited2003Rugrats Go Wild!The game tie-in for the movie of the same name.
Work as a writer The Don Rickles Show (1968, 1 episode) – Writer The Many Sides of Don Rickles (1970) – Writer The Addams Family Fun House (1973) – Writer
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