In Memoriam: Charles Nelson Reilly

Charles Nelson Reilly, veteran actor of the big screen, television and stage, died at his home in Los Angeles, California on May 25, 2007 as a result of complications of pneumonia. He had been ill for a year.

Reilly was born Jan. 13, 1931 in the Bronx, N.Y. He was the son of Charles Joseph Reilly, an Irish Catholic commercial artist, and Signe Elvera Nelson, a Swedish Lutheran. He was an only child and grew up in New Haven, Conn. His first turn on the stage was in a school play at the age of 9.

His resume listed credits as an actor, comedian, director and drama teacher. He played comedic roles in movies, cartoons and on children's television, and was maybe best known as a regular panelist on the game show "Match Game."

Although it was widely known that Reilly was gay, he did not come out publicly until the 1990s. However, he did have an over-the-top, campy persona, often wearing ascot ties, sweaters and hats and smoking a pipe. On "Match Game," he would often speak in a deep voice and talk about how "butch" he was.

In 2002, he said in an interview with "Entertainment Tonight" that he never hid his homosexuality on purpose; that he simply felt no need to announce it. He met his partner, Patrick Hughes III, backstage while Reilly was appearing on the game show "Battlestars" (Hughes was a set decorator and dresser). The couple had been together since 1980; Hughes survives.

Reilly's first movie appearance was an unaccredited role in the Elia Kazan film "A Face in the Crowd" in 1957. Prior to and just after that movie, he was busy appearing in a number of off-Broadway plays. In 1960, he made his Broadway debut in a minor role in "Bye Bye Birdie." In 1962 he performed in "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying," and that part would win him a Tony Award. Two years later he was nominated for another Tony for his performance in "Hello, Dolly!"

Reilly was a regular face on TV throughout the 1960s. He appeared on "What's My Line? Mystery Guests" and was a panelist on "CBS-TV." In 1965 he appeared regularly on "The Steve Lawrence Show," and from 1968 to 1970 he plated Claymore Gregg on "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir."

Reilly took on the role of Hoodoo, an evil magician, in the Sid and Marty Krofft-produced live-action children's television show "Lidsville" in 1971. The show aired Saturday mornings on ABC. During the 1970s he was also a frequent guest on "The Dean Martin Show," and made appearances on "McMillan and Wife," "Here's Lucy," "Laugh In," "The Love Boat" and "Love, American Style."

He was a guest on "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson over 90 times. He lived just blocks from the studio, and when scheduled guests were unable to make it to a taping, he would fill in.

Reilly was the longest-running guest on "Match Game." He sat next to actress Brett Somers, another regular, and would have spirited verbal sparring matches with her. He had a sarcastic wit and would often slide gay-themed double entendres into his commentary, which pushed the envelope of television in the 1970s.

In the 1980s and beyond, he was an acting teacher and a director for television and theater. In 1990 he directed episodes of the CBS sitcom "Evening Shade," and in 1997 was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Director of a Play for the revival of "The Gin Game."

He taught acting for many years at HB Studio. His students included the likes of Bette Midler and Lily Tomlin.

Reilly made guest appearances on several television shows in the 1990s, including "The Drew Carey Show," "The Larry Sanders Show," "Family Matters," "Second Noah," "The X-Files" and "Millennium." He was nominated for Emmy Awards for her performances in "The Drew Carey Show" and "Millennium."

Beginning in the late 1990s, he toured the U.S. with his one man show, "Save It For the Stage: The Life of Reilly" (the show, which was autobiographical, was made into a feature film in 2006; the name of the show comes from what his mother would say to him as a child when he said something clever). He also directed theater and opera, and sporadically provided the voice of The Dirty Bubble on the Nickelodeon cartoon "SpongeBob SquarePants."

In Reilly's memory, a marathon of "Match Game" episodes aired on June 2, 2007 on GSN (formerly the Game Show Network).

And that was fitting, because Reilly knew how important "Match Game" had been to his career.

"When I die, it's going to read 'Game Show Fixture Passes Away.' Nothing about the theater, or Tony Awards, or Emmys," he was once quoted as saying. "But it doesn't bother me. You can't do anything else once you do game shows. You have no career."