Rich Little
| Rich Little | |
|---|---|
Little performing as George Burns in 2004
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| Birth name | Richard Caruthers Little |
| Born |
November 26, 1938 Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |
| Medium | Stand-up comedy, television |
| Years active | 1963–present |
| Genres | Impersonations, celebrities |
| Spouse |
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| Children | 2 |
| Website | www |
Richard Caruthers "Rich" Little (born November 26, 1938) is a Canadian-American impressionist and voice actor, nicknamed "The Man of a Thousand Voices" by voice actor Mel Blanc.
Little was born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, the middle of three sons of Lawrence Peniston Little, a doctor, and Elizabeth Maud (née Wilson). In his early teens, he formed a partnership with Geoff Scott, another budding impressionist, concentrating on reproducing the voices of Canadian politicians such as Prime Minister John Diefenbaker and Ottawa mayor Charlotte Whitton. (Geoff went on to become a politician.) They were performing professionally in night clubs by age 17.
Little was an usher at the Elgin Movie Theatre in Ottawa, where he would perfect his voices while standing at the back of the theatre. He started his amateur acting career at Ottawa's Little Theatre, winning his first acting award at the Eastern Ontario Drama Festival in Deep River, Ontario. He went on to become a successful disc jockey, frequently incorporating impersonations into his show. In 1963, Little issued two LPs in Canada; the first, My Fellow Canadians, concentrated on Canadian political satire and featured Little and two other actors impersonating figures well-known to a Canadian audience. The second album, Scrooge and the Stars, featured Little acting out Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol entirely on his own, playing all the roles as 22 different Hollywood stars, ranging from Jack Benny to Jack Webb.
On the strength of his club work and recordings, Little was asked to audition by Mel Tormé, who was working behind the scenes on a new variety show for Judy Garland. The audition won him the job, and in 1964 Little made his American television debut on CBS's The Judy Garland Show, where he imitated various male celebrities, including James Mason in A Star Is Born.
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