John C. Reilly

**John Christopher Reilly** (born May 24, 1965) is an American actor, comedian, singer and writer. He is one of several actors whose career was launched by Brian De Palma.

He has appeared in over fifty films, including *Boogie Nights* (1997), *Chicago* (2002), *Talladega Nights* (2006), *Step Brothers* (2008), *Wreck-It Ralph* (2012) and *Guardians of the Galaxy* (2014). Reilly was 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 the television series *Check It Out! with Dr. Steve Brule* since 2010.

Reilly currently performs with his band John C. Reilly and Friends and worked as a stage actor in *True West* (2000), for which he was nominated a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play.

## 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 has described himself as being mischievous during his childhood, highlighting an event when he was 12 in which he and his friends stole 500 boxes of Sugar Corn Pops from a freight train.

Reilly, though he no longer claims Catholicism, 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 war film *Casualties of War* as PFC Herbert Hatcher in 1989. Although his role was written as a small one, De Palma liked Reilly's performance so much that the role was significantly expanded. He played Buck, Tom Cruise's character's NASCAR car chief in Tony Scott's *Days of Thunder* in 1990. He continued to appear in several significant supporting roles, including 1992's *Hoffa* and 1993's *What's Eating Gilbert Grape*. He collaborated with filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson in his directorial debut *Hard Eight* (1996) as a man in need of $6,000 to pay for the burial of his mother who is taken under the wing of experienced gambler Sydney (Philip Baker Hall); one of the pornographic actors in *Boogie Nights* (1997), a police officer who falls in love with a drug addict in *Magnolia* (1999), and a cameo in the music video for Fiona Apple's single "Across the Universe". Terrence Malick's 1998 ensemble war film, *The Thin Red Line*, featured Reilly in a supporting role that was written as a larger one, but much of his scenes were deleted. In 2002, he appeared in three of the year's Academy Award for Best Picture nominees: *Chicago*, *Gangs of New York* and *The Hours*. For *Chicago*, he played Amos Hart, Roxanne's (Renée Zellweger) trusting husband and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Reilly appeared in Martin Scorsese's 2004 Howard Hughes biopic, *The Aviator*, as Noah Dietrich, Howard Hughes' (Leonardo DiCaprio) trusted business partner. 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 co-starred in Adam McKay's comedy about NASCAR drivers entitled *Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby* in 2006, as Cal Naughton, Jr. the title character's best friend, played by 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 the same year, in addition to making an uncredited cameo appearance in the musical comedy *Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny* as a Sasquatch. 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*, playing middle-aged step brothers forced to live together.

In 2008, he was among the many notable actors to perform in the online political musical, *Proposition 8 - The Musical*. Reilly voiced himself in the *The Simpsons* episode "Any Given Sundance" and co-starred alongside Sean William Scott in *The Promotion* in 2008. 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* as a divorcé beginning a new relationship. Reilly received a Satellite Award nomination for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy and a Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead nomination for his performance. He 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*, which has aired since 2010.

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. He co-starred in the comedy-drama *Terri* alongside Jacob Wysocki, playing a school principal who takes an interest in a teenage misfit. His last release of 2011 was Roman Polanski's black comedy-drama *Carnage*, also starring Jodie Foster. Reilly 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, *8*—a staged reenactment of the federal trial that overturned California's Prop 8 ban on same-sex marriage—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 Disney animated film *Wreck-It Ralph*. The film grossed over $471 million and a sequel is in development for a 2018 release. He had a cameo in the 2013 comedy sequel *Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues*, playing the ghost of Conferdate General Stonewall Jackson in the film's fight scene. Reilly played Rhomann Dey in the 2014 Marvel Studios film *Guardians of the Galaxy*. 2015 saw him appear in the drama *Entertainment*, the comedy-drama *The Lobster* as "Lisping Man", the fantasy horror *Tale of Tales*, and the English dub of the Studio Ghibli animated film *When Marnie Was There*. Reilly also starred in and co-wrote the television special *Bagboy*, reprising his role as Dr. Steve Brule in a fictional television pilot for a sitcom created by Brule. It aired on February 21, 2015, with *Vanity Fair* saying "If you get it, the show is knockout hilarious, but truthfully, it is not for everyone and Reilly is O.K. with that."

He will be among the ensemble cast of the upcoming computer-animated musical comedy *Sing* in December 2016, playing a Suffolk sheep. Reilly will also appear in an undisclosed role in the 2017 monster film reboot *Kong: Skull Island* and is expected to co-star with Steve Coogan in a biopic about the comic double act Laurel and Hardy, with Reilly portraying Oliver Hardy and Coogan portraying Stan Laurel. He optioned the film rights for the Patrick deWitt novel *The Sisters Brothers* in 2011, with the intention of starring. By April 2016, Joaquin Phoenix was in talks to co-star in the film with Reilly, with Jacques Audiard onboard as director.

### 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 the musical film *Chicago*. In 2006, he performed two songs on *Rogue's Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs, and Chanteys*: “Fathom the Bowl” and “My Son John”. 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 songs produced by Jack White and released as two singles by White's Third Man Records. The first single features two The Delmore Brothers songs: "Gonna Lay Down My Old Guitar" and "Lonesome Yodel Blues #2", both performed with Tom Brosseau. The second single features Ray Price's "I'll Be There If You Ever Want" as well as the country classic "I'm Making Plans", 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 song "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. In February 2015, John Reilly & Friends performed on NPR Music's Tiny Desk Concert series.

### 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 (after starring in *Hard Eight* and *Boogie Nights*) were both nominated, alternating between the two lead characters during separate performances.

## Personal life

Reilly married Alison Dickey, an independent film producer, in 1992 after meeting on the set of *Casualties of War* in Thailand. They have two sons, one born in late 1998, the other born in September 2001.

## Filmography

### Stage

Video games
 2009
 2009
 2009

Web
 2010
 2016