RICH LITTLE
Name: Rich Little
Born: 26 November 1938
Richard Caruthers "Rich" Little (born November 26, 1938) is a Canadian comedian
best known for his celebrity impersonations.
Born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, Little was the middle of three sons of a
physician. He 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 show business.
From 1966-1967, Little appeared in ABC-TV's sitcom Love on a Rooftop as the
Willises' eccentric neighbor, Stan Parker.
Little was a frequent guest on variety and talk shows. 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 U.S. 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. Little has had various HBO specials including the 1978 one man show, Rich
Little's Christmas Carol. He has also appeared in several movies and released
nine albums. When David Niven proved too ill for his voice to be used in his
appearance in Trail of the Pink Panther, Little provided the overdub; he
rendered similar assistance for the 1991 TV special Christmas at the Movies by
providing an uncredited dub for the aging actor/dancer Gene Kelly. As a native
Canadian, he also lent his voice to the narration of two specials which were the
forerunners for the animated series The Raccoons, The Christmas Raccoons, and
The Raccoons on Ice.
Little was the host for the 2007 White House Correspondents' Association dinner.
His performance was largely panned "with his ancient jokes and impressions of
dead people (Johnny Carson, Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan)."
Name: Rich Little
Born: 26 November 1938
Richard Caruthers "Rich" Little (born November 26, 1938) is a Canadian comedian
best known for his celebrity impersonations.
Born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, Little was the middle of three sons of a
physician. He 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 show business.
From 1966-1967, Little appeared in ABC-TV's sitcom Love on a Rooftop as the
Willises' eccentric neighbor, Stan Parker.
Little was a frequent guest on variety and talk shows. 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 U.S. 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. Little has had various HBO specials including the 1978 one man show, Rich
Little's Christmas Carol. He has also appeared in several movies and released
nine albums. When David Niven proved too ill for his voice to be used in his
appearance in Trail of the Pink Panther, Little provided the overdub; he
rendered similar assistance for the 1991 TV special Christmas at the Movies by
providing an uncredited dub for the aging actor/dancer Gene Kelly. As a native
Canadian, he also lent his voice to the narration of two specials which were the
forerunners for the animated series The Raccoons, The Christmas Raccoons, and
The Raccoons on Ice.
Little was the host for the 2007 White House Correspondents' Association dinner.
His performance was largely panned "with his ancient jokes and impressions of
dead people (Johnny Carson, Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan)."