Father worked as a graphic artist, designing billboards for Paramount in New York, and was once offered a job by Walt Disney to work for Disney in California
Survivor of the 1944 Hartford Circus Fire, when a fire broke out under the big tent during a performance of Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, claiming the lives of 168 people and injuring more than 1,000
Studied under Uta Hagen for nine years, following her to the HB Studio, where his classmates included Jack Lemmon, Jon Voight, Steve McQueen and Jerry Stiller; later returned to the school to teach
Made his Broadway debut in the original 1960 cast of Bye Bye Birdie in a bit part and as a standby for lead Dick Van Dyke
Regularly occupied the top right seat on the classic game show Match Game
Taught acting at the Burt Reynolds Dinner Theatre for several years, and counted the actor as one of his best friends
His one-man show, Save It for the Stage: The Life of Reilly, premiered in 1999
Awards
1970Emmy-Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in Comedy:nominated