John Christopher Reilly (born May 24, 1965) is an American actor, singer, producer and screenwriter. Making his film debut in Casualties of War, Reilly is one of several actors whose careers were launched by Brian De Palma. To date, he has appeared in more than 50 films, including three separate films in 2002 that were all nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. He has been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Chicago and a Grammy Award for the song "Walk Hard", which he performed in Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. Reilly has starred in Check It Out! with Dr. Steve Brule, a television show on Adult Swim, since its premiere on May 16, 2010.
Early life and education
Reilly was born in Chicago, Illinois, the fifth of six children. His father was of Irish and Scottish descent, and his mother was of Lithuanian ancestry. His father ran an industrial linen supply company.
Reilly was raised Roman Catholic and attended Brother Rice High School. Reilly is an alumnus of DePaul University in Chicago.
Career
Reilly made his film debut in the Brian De Palma film Casualties of War (1989) as PFC Herbert Hatcher. Although his role was written as a small one, De Palma liked Reilly's performance so much that the role was significantly expanded. In the 1990s, he starred in Paul Thomas Anderson's 1997 film Boogie Nights as the pornographic film star Reed Rothchild. Reilly frequently collaborated with Anderson in the 1990s, including other roles in Hard Eight, Magnolia, and a cameo in the video for the Fiona Apple single "Across the Universe", which Anderson directed.
He appeared in Days of Thunder (1990) as stock car crew member “Buck Bretherton†â€" in 2006 he revisited this film’s subject matter as the character of race car driver “Cal Naughton, Jr.†in Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.
In 2002, he appeared in three of the year's Academy Award for Best Picture nominees â€" Chicago, Gangs of New York and The Hours. The three films were nominated for a total of 32 Oscars, including one for Best Supporting Actor for Reilly's performance as Renée Zellweger's trusting husband in Chicago. Ultimately, Chicago won six, The Hours won one, and Gangs of New York won none.
Reilly appeared in Martin Scorsese's 2004 Howard Hughes biopic, The Aviator, as Hughes' (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) trusted business partner, Noah Dietrich. Of the role Reilly said, “Noah was almost a father figure to Hughes... Howard would have a scheme, and it was Noah who had to say, ‘We don’t have the money.’ He was one of his few friends.†He reportedly quit the 2005 film Manderlay to protest the on-set killing of a donkey. He appeared in Adam McKay's Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby in 2006, as Cal Naughton, Jr., the title character's best friend, alongside Will Ferrell. He also starred alongside Woody Harrelson, Meryl Streep, and Lindsay Lohan among others in the Robert Altman film A Prairie Home Companion. In 2007, Reilly starred as the title character in parody bio-pic Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, singing various songs parodying Johnny Cash, Ray Charles, and others. The next year, Reilly reunited with Ferrell to star in Step Brothers.
In 2008, he was among the many notable actors to perform in the online political musical, Proposition 8 - The Musical.
Then in 2009, he played the role of Larten Crepsley in the film Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant, voiced "5" in 9 and starred in the 2010 film Cyrus.
In 2011, Reilly co-starred alongside Tilda Swinton and Ezra Miller in the British-American drama We Need to Talk About Kevin, based on the novel by Lionel Shriver.
Reilly has stated that he would be very determined to play the lead role of Nathan Detroit if a revival of the musical Guys and Dolls were to occur.
In March 2012, he was featured in a performance of Dustin Lance Black's play, 8â€"a staged reenactment of the federal trial that overturned California's Prop 8 ban on same-sex marriageâ€"as David Blankenhorn. The production was held at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre and broadcast on YouTube to raise money for the American Foundation for Equal Rights, a non-profit organization funding the plaintiffs' legal team and sponsoring the play.
Reilly voiced the title character in the 2012 animated hit Wreck-It Ralph. He played Rhomann Dey in the 2014 Marvel Studios film Guardians of the Galaxy.
Music
In 1998, Reilly appeared, along with Giovanni Ribisi and Winona Ryder, as Jon Spencer Blues Explosion in their video Talk About The Blues. In 2002, he played the role of Amos Hart, Roxie Hart's naïve husband, in Chicago. In 2006, he performed two songs on Rogue's Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs, and Chanteys: “Fathom the Bowl†and “My Son Johnâ€.
In 2007, Reilly starred in the biopic parody Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. In addition to his acting role, he also performed as a vocalist and songwriter on the movie's soundtrack, for which he was nominated for a Grammy. Reilly went on a concert performance tour in the US, performing as his character Dewey Cox in the Cox Across America 2007 Tour.
In 2011, he recorded two songs produced by Jack White and released as singles by White's Third Man Records: The Delmore Brothers' "Gonna Lay Down My Old Guitar," performed with Tom Brosseau, and Ray Price's "I'll Be There If You Want," performed with Becky Stark. He also appeared as "future Mike D" in the Beastie Boys' video "Make Some Noise."
In 2012, his current band, John Reilly & Friends, was slated to perform in the Railroad Revival Tour, alongside Willie Nelson & Family, Band of Horses and Jamey Johnson. However, the event was cancelled.
In 2014, Reilly appeared on the music video for Mr. Oizo's HAM in which he played Father. Directed by Eric Wareheim, HAM is an excerpt from the television comedy Rubberhead, which displays sketches from various comedians.
Television
Reilly voiced himself in The Simpsons episode "Any Given Sundance". He also frequently appeared on Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! as Dr. Steve Brule, a role which led to the spin-off series Check It Out! with Dr. Steve Brule.
Theatre
Reilly is also known to be a versatile stage actor. He has participated in numerous Broadway productions and was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for the 2000 Broadway production of Sam Shepard's True West. He and co-star Philip Seymour Hoffman were both nominated, alternating between the two lead characters during separate performances.
Personal life
Reilly married Alison Dickey, an independent film producer, in 1992. They have two sons. Reilly is a vegetarian.
Filmography
Film
Television
References
External links
- John C. Reilly at the Internet Movie Database
- John C. Reilly at the Internet Broadway Database
- John C. Reilly at the TCM Movie Database
- John C. Reilly at AllMovie
- New York Times profile on John C. Reilly
- In the Driver's Seat (Moving Pictures Magazine interview)
- Interpreting Tennessee Williams â€" Working in the Theatre Seminar video at American Theatre Wing.org, April 2005
- John C. Reilly's Producer Profile on The 1 Second Film
- Alison Dickey at the Internet Movie Database
- John C Reilly on his children in People.com
