John Reilly (soap opera actor)
Encyclopedia
For the notable actor of the same name, see John C. Reilly
John Reilly (born November 11, 1936) is an American
television and film actor
. Reilly has appeared on several soap opera
s including General Hospital
, Sunset Beach
, and Passions
.
, Illinois
, Reilly began acting in the mid 1960s with guest starring roles on Death Valley Days
, Apple's Way
, and Gunsmoke
. In 1974, he replaced John Colenback as Dr. Dan Stewart
on As the World Turns
. After a two-year run, he left As the World Turns in January 1976. He then made two guest appearances on The Bionic Woman
in 1977 and 1978, and had roles in the 1978 television movies Lassie: A New Beginning and Secrets of Three Hungry Wives. In addition to television, Reilly has also appeared in feature films including The Main Event
(1979) and Gorp
(1980).
In 1983, Reilly had a recurring role on nighttime drama Dallas
. The following year, he was cast as police officer Sean Donely on General Hospital. He stayed with the series until November 1994 when he opted not to renew his contract because of a pay-out from then-executive producer Wendy Riche
. He returned to daytime television as Del Douglas on Sunset Beach
for a short-term guest role during the show's first six episodes, and then later returned on various occasions during 1997-1999.
On January 21, 2005, Reilly took over the role of Alistair Crane
on the NBC
soap Passions
. He took over the role from David Bailey
after Bailey died in a pool accident in November 2004. In July 2006, Reilly was dropped from the show as a result of budget cuts. He returned to the role in August 2007 as a recurring character and remained with the show until his character was killed off in May 2008.
On October 21, 2008, Reilly reprised the role of Sean Donely on General Hospital: Night Shift
for the second season finale.
John C. Reilly
John Christopher Reilly, Jr. is an American film and theater actor, singer, and comedian. Debuting in Casualties of War in 1989, he is one of several actors whose careers were launched by Brian De Palma. To date, he has appeared in more than fifty films, including three separate films in 2002...
John Reilly (born November 11, 1936) is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television and film actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
. Reilly has appeared on several soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
s including General Hospital
General Hospital
General Hospital is an American daytime television drama that is credited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest-running American soap opera currently in production and the third longest running drama in television in American history after Guiding Light and As the World Turns....
, Sunset Beach
Sunset Beach (TV series)
Sunset Beach was an American television soap opera, first broadcast in the United States on NBC on January 6, 1997, and last airing on December 31, 1999. The show followed the loves and lives of the people living in a fictional coastal city named Sunset Beach, on the coast of California...
, and Passions
Passions
Passions is an American television soap opera which aired on NBC from July 5, 1999 to September 7, 2007 and on The 101 Network from September 17, 2007 to August 7, 2008....
.
Career
Born in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, Reilly began acting in the mid 1960s with guest starring roles on Death Valley Days
Death Valley Days
Death Valley Days is an American radio and television anthology series featuring true stories of the old American West, particularly the Death Valley area. Created in 1930 by Ruth Woodman, the program was broadcast on radio until 1945. It continued from 1952 to 1975 as a syndicated television series...
, Apple's Way
Apple's Way
Apple's Way is a television dramedy which aired on CBS from 1974-1975. It was created by Earl Hamner, Jr..-Premise:The Apples, a family from Los Angeles, seek refuge from the hectic pace of city living and relocate to the father's hometown of Appleton, Iowa, which was founded by the father's...
, and Gunsmoke
Gunsmoke
Gunsmoke is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman MacDonnell and writer John Meston. The stories take place in and around Dodge City, Kansas, during the settlement of the American West....
. In 1974, he replaced John Colenback as Dr. Dan Stewart
Dan Stewart (ATWT)
Daniel "Dan" Stewart was a fictional character on the daytime soap opera As the World Turns.-Actor History:* Paul O'Keefe * Doug Chapin * Jeffrey Rowland...
on As the World Turns
As the World Turns
As the World Turns is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS from April 2, 1956 to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created As the World Turns as a sister show to her other soap opera Guiding Light...
. After a two-year run, he left As the World Turns in January 1976. He then made two guest appearances on The Bionic Woman
The Bionic Woman
The Bionic Woman is an American television series starring Lindsay Wagner that aired for three seasons between 1976 and 1978 as a spin off from The Six Million Dollar Man. Wagner stars as tennis pro Jaime Sommers who is nearly killed in a skydiving accident. Sommers' life is saved by Oscar Goldman ...
in 1977 and 1978, and had roles in the 1978 television movies Lassie: A New Beginning and Secrets of Three Hungry Wives. In addition to television, Reilly has also appeared in feature films including The Main Event
The Main Event (1979 film)
The Main Event is a 1979 comedy starring Barbra Streisand and Ryan O'Neal, written by Gail Parent and directed by Howard Zieff.The film received negative reviews from critics, but was among the Top 10 highest grossing films of the year at the box office...
(1979) and Gorp
Gorp (film)
Gorp is a 1980 independent comedy film starring Michael Lembeck and Dennis Quaid, and featuring early acting work of Rosanna Arquette and Fran Drescher in supporting roles. Directed by Joseph Ruben, with both story and screenplay by Jeffrey Konvitz & A...
(1980).
In 1983, Reilly had a recurring role on nighttime drama Dallas
Dallas (TV series)
Dallas is an American serial drama/prime time soap opera that revolves around the Ewings, a wealthy Texas family in the oil and cattle-ranching industries. Throughout the series, Larry Hagman stars as greedy, scheming oil baron J. R. Ewing...
. The following year, he was cast as police officer Sean Donely on General Hospital. He stayed with the series until November 1994 when he opted not to renew his contract because of a pay-out from then-executive producer Wendy Riche
Wendy Riche
Wendy Riche is an American television producer. She has been executive producer of ABC Daytime's General Hospital and the co-creator and executive producer of its spinoff show Port Charles....
. He returned to daytime television as Del Douglas on Sunset Beach
Sunset Beach (TV series)
Sunset Beach was an American television soap opera, first broadcast in the United States on NBC on January 6, 1997, and last airing on December 31, 1999. The show followed the loves and lives of the people living in a fictional coastal city named Sunset Beach, on the coast of California...
for a short-term guest role during the show's first six episodes, and then later returned on various occasions during 1997-1999.
On January 21, 2005, Reilly took over the role of Alistair Crane
Alistair Crane
Alistair Ephraim Crane is a fictional character on the NBC/DirecTV soap opera Passions. Alistair is portrayed by John Reilly on a recurring basis from August 20, 2007 to May 20, 2008; before Reilly's contract run from January 21, 2005 to July 17, 2006, Alistair was also portrayed by David Bailey...
on the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
soap Passions
Passions
Passions is an American television soap opera which aired on NBC from July 5, 1999 to September 7, 2007 and on The 101 Network from September 17, 2007 to August 7, 2008....
. He took over the role from David Bailey
David Bailey (actor)
David Bailey was an American actor. Born in Newark, New Jersey, he went on to have a lengthy career in theater and television, perhaps his best known role being Dr...
after Bailey died in a pool accident in November 2004. In July 2006, Reilly was dropped from the show as a result of budget cuts. He returned to the role in August 2007 as a recurring character and remained with the show until his character was killed off in May 2008.
On October 21, 2008, Reilly reprised the role of Sean Donely on General Hospital: Night Shift
General Hospital: Night Shift
General Hospital: Night Shift is an American prime time serial that first aired on SOAPnet for a 13-episode run from July 12, 2007 to October 4, 2007. A spin-off of the ABC Daytime soap opera General Hospital, the show is SOAPnet's first original scripted drama series and follows the nighttime...
for the second season finale.
Selected filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1975 | The Great Waldo Pepper The Great Waldo Pepper The Great Waldo Pepper is a 1975 drama film directed, produced, and co-written by George Roy Hill. It stars Robert Redford as a discontented airplane pilot in the years 1926-1931.... |
Western Star | |
| 1983 | Deal of the Century Deal of the Century Deal of the Century is a 1983 American comedy film directed by William Friedkin and starring Chevy Chase, Gregory Hines, and Sigourney Weaver.The film follows the adventures of several arms dealers that compete to sell weapons to a South American dictator.... |
Swain | |
| 1986 | Touch and Go | Jerry Pepper | |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1966 | A Man Called Shenandoah A Man Called Shenandoah A Man Called Shenandoah is a Western series that aired on ABC-TV from 1965 to 1966 by MGM Television.-Synopsis:The series starred Robert Horton as a man who was found shot and left for dead on the trail and is revived... |
Jamie Brewster, Jr. | 1 episode |
| 1976 | Kojak | Special Prosecutor Whelan | 1 episode |
| 1977 | The Mary Tyler Moore Show The Mary Tyler Moore Show The Mary Tyler Moore Show is an American television sitcom created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns that aired on CBS from 1970 to 1977... |
Jake | 1 episode |
| Barnaby Jones Barnaby Jones Barnaby Jones is a television detective series starring Buddy Ebsen and Lee Meriwether as father- and daughter-in-law who run a private detective firm in Los Angeles. A spin-off from Cannon, the show ran on CBS from January 28, 1973 to April 3, 1980, beginning as a midseason replacement... |
Steve Crandall | 1 episode | |
| 1978 | Hawaii Five-O Hawaii Five-O Hawaii Five-O is an American police procedural drama series produced by CBS Productions and Leonard Freeman. Set in Hawaii, the show originally aired for twelve seasons from 1968 to 1980, and continues in reruns. The show featured a fictional state police unit run by Detective Steve McGarrett,... |
Kelly Trahune | 1 episode |
| Wonder Woman Wonder Woman (TV series) Wonder Woman is an American television series based on the DC Comics comic book superhero of the same name. Starring Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman/Diana Prince and Lyle Waggoner as Steve Trevor, the show originally aired from 1975 to 1979.... |
Skye | 1 episode | |
| 1979 | A Man Called Sloane A Man Called Sloane A Man Called Sloane was an American secret agent adventure television series that aired on NBC during the 1979-1980 television season. It was a Woodruff Production in association with QM Productions, and became the final series produced by Quinn Martin's company to debut .The series starred Robert... |
David Clarke | 1 episode |
| 1980 | The Incredible Hulk | Steve | 1 episode |
| The Love Boat The Love Boat The Love Boat is an American television series set on a cruise ship, which aired on the ABC Television Network from September 24,1977, until May 24,1986.The show starred Gavin MacLeod as the ship's captain... |
Bill Simmons | 1 episode | |
| 1981 | Quincy, M.E. Quincy, M.E. Quincy, M.E., also called Quincy, is a United States television series from Universal Studios that aired from October 3, 1976, to September 5, 1983, on NBC... |
Ship's Security Chief Flannery | 2 episodes |
| 1982 | Madame's Place Madame's Place Madame's Place is an American sitcom that featured the misadventures of Madame, a puppet in the form of a bawdy old movie star with a naughty sense of humor.... |
Max St. James | 1 episode |
| The Powers of Matthew Star The Powers of Matthew Star The Powers of Matthew Star is an American sci-fi television series that aired from September 17, 1982 through April 8, 1983, on NBC. It starred Peter Barton The Powers of Matthew Star is an American sci-fi television series that aired from September 17, 1982 through April 8, 1983, on NBC. It... |
Dr. Simon Bernard | 1 episode | |
| 1982–1983 | Silver Spoons Silver Spoons Silver Spoons is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from September 25, 1982 to May 11, 1986 and in first-run syndication from September 15, 1986 to March 4, 1987... |
Bob Danish | 2 episodes |
| 1983 | Remington Steele Remington Steele Remington Steele is an American television series, co-created by Robert Butler and Michael Gleason. The series, starring Stephanie Zimbalist and Pierce Brosnan, was produced by MTM Enterprises and first broadcast on the NBC network from 1982 to 1987. The series blended the genres of romantic... |
Russell Stewart | 1 episode |
| Tales of the Gold Monkey Tales of the Gold Monkey Tales of the Gold Monkey is a 1982 television show broadcast by ABC. Most critics saw it as the network's attempt to capitalize on the fame of the movie Raiders of the Lost Ark the previous year, in the same vein as Bring 'Em Back Alive on CBS... |
Truman Hastings | 1 episode | |
| Three's Company Three's Company Three's Company is an American sitcom that aired from March 15, 1977, to September 18, 1984, on ABC. It is based on the British sitcom, Man About the House.... |
Dr. Malcolm Kenderson | 1 episode | |
| 1984 | Simon & Simon Simon & Simon Simon & Simon is an American detective television series starring Gerald McRaney and Jameson Parker.-History:The original 1978 pilot called Pirate's Key was set in Florida... |
Brian Harms | 1 episode |
| Cover Up | Alex Kendall | 1 episode | |
| Cagney & Lacey Cagney & Lacey Cagney & Lacey is an American television series that originally aired on the CBS television network for seven seasons from October 8, 1981 to May 16, 1988... |
Jeremy Mitchell | 1 episode | |
| Paper Dolls Paper Dolls Paper Dolls is an American prime time soap opera which aired for 14 episodes on ABC from September 23, 1984 to December 25, 1984. Set in New York's fashion industry, the show centered around top modeling agency owner Racine , her conflicts with the family of cosmetics tycoon Grant Harper , and the... |
Jake Larner | 3 episodes | |
| 1993 | Fallen Angels Fallen Angels (TV series) Fallen Angels was an American neo-noir anthology television series that ran from 1993 to 1995 on the Showtime pay cable station and was produced by Propaganda Films. No first-run episodes were shown in 1994.... |
Martin Lonsdale | 1 episode |
| 1994–1995 | Empty Nest | Adam Blakely | 2 episodes |
| 1995 | Maybe This Time Maybe This Time Maybe This Time is an American sitcom which aired on ABC from September 1995 to February 1996. Created by veteran TV creator Michael Jacobs and his longtime colleague, Bob Young.... |
Flint | 1 episode |
| 1996 | Mr. & Mrs. Smith | Elway Johnson | 1 episode |
| Diagnosis: Murder Diagnosis: Murder Diagnosis: Murder is a mystery/medical/crime drama television series starring Dick Van Dyke as Dr. Mark Sloan, a medical doctor who solves crimes with the help of his son, a homicide detective played by his real-life son Barry Van Dyke. The series began as a spin-off of Jake and the Fatman... |
Preston Michaels | 1 episode | |
| 1997 | Pacific Palisades Pacific Palisades (TV series) Pacific Palisades is an American soap opera that aired on Fox during prime time from April to July 1997. Produced by Aaron Spelling, the show was cancelled after just thirteen episodes despite a last-minute attempt to increase ratings by casting Joan Collins.-Plot summary:Set in the Los Angeles... |
Preston Bentley | 1 episode |
| The Naked Truth The Naked Truth (TV series) The Naked Truth is an American television sitcom that aired on ABC from 1995 to 1996, and on NBC from 1996 to 1998. The series stars Téa Leoni and co-starred Holland Taylor... |
King | 1 episode | |
| 1998 | Mortal Kombat: Conquest Mortal Kombat: Conquest Mortal Kombat: Konquest is an American martial arts television series that aired for one season from 1998 to 1999, and was based on the popular Mortal Kombat fighting game series. The program was filmed at Disney's Hollywood Studios in Orlando, Florida.-Storyline:"In each of us there burns a soul... |
Baron Reyland | 3 episodes |
| 1999 | Melrose Place | Mack McBride | 1 episode |
| 2000 | Son of the Beach Son of the Beach Son of the Beach is an American sitcom that aired from 2000 to 2002 on the FX network. The series was a spoof of Baywatch, with much of the comedy based on sexual jokes, innuendo and the like. The studly David Hasselhoff character is instead an average, pot-bellied, out-of-shape bald man but... |
J.P Wynne | 1 episode |
| 2001 | Days of Our Lives Days of our Lives Days of our Lives is a long running daytime soap opera broadcast on the NBC television network. It is one of the longest-running scripted television programs in the world, airing nearly every weekday in the United States since November 8, 1965. It has since been syndicated to many countries around... |
Marquis of La Cienega | 1 episode |
| 2002 | Judging Amy Judging Amy Judging Amy is an American television drama that was telecast from September 19, 1999, through May 3, 2005, on CBS-TV. This TV series starred Amy Brenneman and Tyne Daly... |
Bill Hackett | 1 episode |
| 2003 | She Spies She Spies She Spies is an action-adventure television show that ran from September 9, 2002 until May 17, 2004, in two seasons. The show was sold into syndication but the first four episodes premiered on the NBC network, whose syndication arm was one of the producers. Disappointing ratings during the show's... |
Karl Richmond | 1 episode |
| 2005–2006 | Passions Passions Passions is an American television soap opera which aired on NBC from July 5, 1999 to September 7, 2007 and on The 101 Network from September 17, 2007 to August 7, 2008.... |
Alistair Crane Alistair Crane Alistair Ephraim Crane is a fictional character on the NBC/DirecTV soap opera Passions. Alistair is portrayed by John Reilly on a recurring basis from August 20, 2007 to May 20, 2008; before Reilly's contract run from January 21, 2005 to July 17, 2006, Alistair was also portrayed by David Bailey... (#3) |
Contract Cast Member |
| 2007–2008 | Passions Passions Passions is an American television soap opera which aired on NBC from July 5, 1999 to September 7, 2007 and on The 101 Network from September 17, 2007 to August 7, 2008.... |
Alistair Crane Alistair Crane Alistair Ephraim Crane is a fictional character on the NBC/DirecTV soap opera Passions. Alistair is portrayed by John Reilly on a recurring basis from August 20, 2007 to May 20, 2008; before Reilly's contract run from January 21, 2005 to July 17, 2006, Alistair was also portrayed by David Bailey... (#3) |
Recurring Cast Member |
Awards nominations
| Year | Award | Result | Category | Series |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Soap Opera Digest Awards Soap Opera Digest Awards The Soap Opera Digest Awards were an awards show held by the daytime television magazine Soap Opera Digest. The awards were founded in 1984 to replace the less-lavish Soapy Award; those awards shows had run since 1977. The Soap Opera Digest Awards are meant to promote excellence in the soap opera... |
Nominated | Outstanding Actor in a Leading Role on a Daytime Serial | General Hospital |