Charles Nelson Reilly

[Deleted]

Oh, no!
I knew he was very much alive...he had his own theatre company for a time, or taught, and must have lived near Studio City because I saw him at Ralph's market a couple of times--he was hilarious just buying a steak, I'm not kidding. Everyone recognized him and clearly loved him. Just a couple of years ago he did a one man show about his life--I wanted so much to see it. Damn!
He was way too young to go...for me, the intro was "Ghost & Mrs. Muir" reruns. Divasahm well said--I guess he was the first plainly gay man I saw too, though I didn't know it. And yes, "Match Game" was a must-see due to him.
Charles, we'll miss you! Thanks for the laughs.

[margojata]

oxynia said:

I never knew who he was until I started watching the repeats of Match Game on the Game Show Network...he was hilarious and very, very snarky. He would have made a great Greecie. RIP, funny man.

I unfortunately am old enough that I watched Match Game as a kid. I didn't "get him" at the time, but looking back at the reruns much later - damn he was funny. Snarky, so openly gay.. proudly always wearing some horrible ascot.

He and Brett Somers were interviewed a few years ago - they made such a great pair. Ahh well, another one gone. Sigh

[MrsCatHead]

RIP!

My mom never guessed he was gay, if you can believe it. I would sit there beside her on the couch and just giggle to myself.

Also, I loathe Alec Baldwin but he did very great send-up of CNR on SNL.

[buckdutter]

Awwww, hell. I remember watching and adoring him on HS when I was 5 or 6. Since I fell in love with Jonathan Winters at about the same time, they've always been kind of linked in my head. Alec Baldwin's impersonation was a scream.

[Deleted]

*sigh!* I absolutely adore him: would've loved to see him buying that steak. One-of-a-kind and unforgettable.

[Deleted]

Ah, crap. :-(

I loved CNR. I remember him on Matchgame, a gameshow my mom would watch. That laugh...

Godspeed Charles, a true individual.

[snarkblossom]

I remember watching him telling stories as a guest on Johnny Carson and he'd always have Johnny in tears from laughing so hard.

He was wicked funny and I can definitely believe he would have been a riot just buying a steak.

[Deleted]

I remember that too! Charles was one of the few to really send Johnny into laughter that brought tears.

[Deleted]

margojata said:

oxynia said:

I never knew who he was until I started watching the repeats of Match Game on the Game Show Network...he was hilarious and very, very snarky. He would have made a great Greecie. RIP, funny man.

I unfortunately am old enough that I watched Match Game as a kid. I didn't "get him" at the time, but looking back at the reruns much later - damn he was funny. Snarky, so openly gay.. proudly always wearing some horrible ascot.

I felt the same way. When I was a kid watching Match Game, I never understood why any adult on the show would pick him. But having watched the reruns over the years, I never understood why they picked Richard -- Charles was so clearly superior.

But I loved Charles on "Lidsville" when I was a kid, so go figure.

I knew he'd been sick with pneumonia for a long time; the tabs reported on it months ago with the standard "Brave Last Days..." headline but I always thought he'd pull through.

RIP, Charles. You were a brilliant man. Thanks for all the laughs.

[softtissue]

Match Game is my favorite game show EVER! I stayed up til 3am watching clips on You Tube last Thursday and still had to get up for work. I adored CNR when I was a little kid and love him even more as an adult. He would put his answers on 3 or 4 different cards that would have no way in the world of matching the contestant. People always chose Dicky Dawson for the Super Match but I swore I would have chosen Charles.

I miss him already.