This page uses content from the Richard Kiley biography page on the English version of Wikipedia and is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. This list of authors can be seen in the page history. Rotten Tomatoes disclaims any and all warranties as to the accuracy or reliability of the content.

Richard Paul Kiley (March 31, 1922 – March 5, 1999) was an American stage, television, and film actor, though he is best known for his voice work, as narrator of various documentary series.

In Jurassic Park, the park's impresario boasts about the tour of the park, "The voice you're now hearing is Richard Kiley. We've spared no expense."

Kiley was born in Chicago, Illinois and raised Roman Catholic. His work on stage included Richard Rodgers's first musical for which he wrote both music and lyrics, No Strings, and the lead roles in Redhead and the original production of Man of La Mancha. He won Tony Awards as Best Actor in a musical for both Redhead and La Mancha. The dual role of the middle-aged Miguel de Cervantes and Don Quixote is one of the few musical roles which is both a character actor role and a leading man at the same time, rather than the conventional handsome hero who wins the girl, and Kiley, who had gone on record as saying that he had grown tired of the regular "leading man" role, was always grateful for having been given the chance to play it. Although he did not star in the film version of Man of La Mancha, his performance led to many made-for-TV films and guest shots. He was one of the few actors on Broadway who had both a fine singing voice and exceptional acting ability.

Kiley won several Emmy Awards and Golden Globe Awards for his work in television, including The Thorn Birds (as Paddy, Rachel Ward's father) (1983) and A Year in the Life (1986–87).

He made a memorable appearance as Gideon Seyetik in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Second Sight".

Kiley died of an unspecified bone marrow disease in Warwick, NY, in 1999 at the age of 76.

Partial filmography

• Patch Adams (1998)
• Tigers of the Snow (1997) (TV)
• Phenomenon (1996)
• Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (guest star, ""Second Sight"") (1993)
• Jurassic Park (1993) (voice)
• A Year in the Life (1987) TV
• Howard the Duck (1986) (voice)
• George Washington (1984) TV Miniseries
• The Thorn Birds (1983) TV Miniseries
• Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977)
• The Little Prince (1974)
• Blackboard Jungle (1955)

External links

Source

Man of La Mancha - original theatrical program, for Kiley's personal comments on playing Don Quixote

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