Rip Taylor
Encyclopedia
Charles Elmer "Rip" Taylor, Jr. (born January 13, 1934) is an American actor
and comedian
.
, the son of Elizabeth, a waitress, and Charles Elmer Taylor, Sr., a musician. As a young man, Taylor served in the Korean War
while in the U.S. Army Signal Corps.
television series in 1968. He continued to work as a voice performer in the 1970s NBC cartoon series Here Comes the Grump
(as the title character) and in the second Addams Family cartoon series (as Uncle Fester).
Throughout the 1970s Rip Taylor was a frequent celebrity guest panelist on game shows such as Hollywood Squares
, To Tell the Truth
, and The Gong Show
, and substituted for Charles Nelson Reilly
on The Match Game. He became a regular on Sid & Marty Krofft's Sigmund and the Sea Monsters
, playing Sheldon, a sea-genie who lived in a conch shell. In addition, Taylor was also a regular on The Brady Bunch Hour
, playing a role of neighbor / performer Jack Merrill. He also hosted a short-lived send-up of beauty pageants called The $1.98 Beauty Show created by Gong Show producer/host Chuck Barris
, in 1978. Taylor appeared as a celebrity on the slot-machine version of Match Game
. On one episode of Super Password in 1988, gameplay went awry after another celebrity guest, Patty Duke
, inadvertently gave away the password and host Bert Convy
lost control of the show. Taylor reacted to the craziness first by throwing a stool, and then ripping off his toupee, something he claimed to have never done on the air before.
Other appearances include the television show The Kids in the Hall
. He was referred to as Uncle Rip by one of the show's characters, Buddy Cole
.
In 1997, Taylor appeared in a segment on the show "Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction
". He played the role of Elmo Middleton in the segment titled "The Man in the Model T". Also in 1997, he appeared as himself on the sitcom Brotherly Love in the episode "Easy Come Easy Go". He also portrayed Chief Undersecretary Wartle in the graphical adventure game Zork: Grand Inquisitor in 1997.
In 2003, Taylor also appeared as himself on the NBC sitcom Will & Grace
. In 2005, he appeared as himself on an episode of ABC TV
's The George Lopez Show. Taylor guest-starred as chef "Rappin' Rip" in four episodes of an earlier ABC
sitcom featuring Lopez
, Life With Bonnie
.
Taylor had a short appearance in the movie Wayne's World 2
, in which he plays himself.
Taylor is an accomplice of the Jackass
crew. In 1995, he performed the intro for the Bloodhound Gang
's Use Your Fingers
album, and in 2002, he appeared in the final scene of Jackass: The Movie
, wielding a pistol that, when fired, released a sign that read "The End." (Taylor's section of the film was originally considerably longer, and ended with him complaining about the heat, and fanning himself with his toupee
. This footage was included on the DVD of the film.) He did the same thing at the ending of Jackass: Number Two
and Jackass 3D
. In the credits of the 2005 remake of The Dukes of Hazzard
, Rip shows up in the blooper reel.
He guest starred in The Suite Life of Zack and Cody
episode "Loosely Ballroom" as Leo. He is also in some episodes of The Emperor's New School
, as the voice of the Royal Record Keeper. He was also recently in the Jetix
animated series Super Robot Monkey Team Hyper Force Go!
He was also in the 1990 summer movie Walt Disney
DuckTales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp
as the voice of the Genie.
Taylor has made occasional appearances in movies, usually in broad comedies like the R-rated Deep Throat parody Chatterbox. In Amazon Women on the Moon
a funeral service turns into a celebrity roast
when guest Rip Taylor shows up to "honor" the deceased. In Cheech and Chong's Things Are Tough All Over
, he picks them up in the middle of nowhere driving a convertible full of props. Rip then proceeds to drive them to Las Vegas
and telling jokes the whole way and moving Chong to tears from laughter. In 1993, Taylor also appeared in Tom and Jerry: The Movie
as Captain Kiddle, and in Wayne's World 2
. In 1993's Indecent Proposal
as Demi Moore's boss, he appears without his toupee.
He recently made a special guest appearance at the end of the 1,000th episode of G4
's videogame review show X-Play
.
, and was featured on the soundtrack album. He has been a frequent co-star with Debbie Reynolds
in her live shows in Las Vegas, Reno
, and Lake Tahoe
.
.
In 2006, Taylor returned to the nation's capital as the grand marshal of Washington D.C.'s Capital Pride
parade.
, and handlebar moustache
over a perpetually toothy grin. He often enters a venue tossing handfuls of confetti
from a paper bag onto his audience and laughing hysterically, while the band plays his theme song, "Happy Days Are Here Again
."
Taylor's comedic style includes pun
s, often in conjunction with props
(for example, holding up a plastic fish full of holes and exclaiming "Holy Mackerel!") and miming along to novelty records (including the works of Spike Jones
). If he gets little or no reaction following one of his jokes, he stops for a moment and yells at the audience: "I don't dance, folks! This is it!" Or, "Hello? Can you people hear me?"
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
.
Early life
Taylor was born in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, the son of Elizabeth, a waitress, and Charles Elmer Taylor, Sr., a musician. As a young man, Taylor served in the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
while in the U.S. Army Signal Corps.
Television/film career
After serving a stint in the Army, Taylor appeared in two episodes of The MonkeesThe Monkees (TV series)
The Monkees is an American situation comedy that aired on NBC from September 1966 to March 1968. The series follows the adventures of four young men trying to make a name for themselves as rock 'n roll singers. The show introduced a number of innovative new-wave film techniques to series...
television series in 1968. He continued to work as a voice performer in the 1970s NBC cartoon series Here Comes the Grump
Here Comes The Grump
Here Comes the Grump is an animated cartoon series produced by DePatie-Freleng Enterprises and aired on NBC from 1969 to 1971.-History:The main character was a small, grumpy wizard named Susanne who put a spell of melancholy on the kingdom of the Princess Dawn...
(as the title character) and in the second Addams Family cartoon series (as Uncle Fester).
Throughout the 1970s Rip Taylor was a frequent celebrity guest panelist on game shows such as Hollywood Squares
Hollywood Squares
Hollywood Squares is an American panel game show in which two contestants play tic-tac-toe to win cash and prizes. The "board" for the game is a 3 × 3 vertical stack of open-faced cubes, each occupied by a celebrity seated at a desk and facing the contestants...
, To Tell the Truth
To Tell the Truth
To Tell the Truth is an American television panel game show created by Bob Stewart and produced by Goodson-Todman Productions that has aired in various forms since 1956 both on networks and in syndication...
, and The Gong Show
The Gong Show
The Gong Show is an amateur talent contest franchised by Sony Pictures Television to many countries. It was broadcast on NBC's daytime schedule from June 14, 1976 through July 21, 1978, and in first-run syndication from 1976–1980 and 1988–1989. The show was produced by Chuck Barris, who also served...
, and substituted for Charles Nelson Reilly
Charles Nelson Reilly
Charles Nelson Reilly was an American actor, comedian, director and drama teacher known for his comedic roles in theater, movies, children's television, animated cartoons, and as a panelist on the game show Match Game....
on The Match Game. He became a regular on Sid & Marty Krofft's Sigmund and the Sea Monsters
Sigmund and the Sea Monsters
Sigmund and the Sea Monsters was an American children's television series that ran from 1973 to 1975, produced by Sid and Marty Krofft and aired on Saturday mornings...
, playing Sheldon, a sea-genie who lived in a conch shell. In addition, Taylor was also a regular on The Brady Bunch Hour
The Brady Bunch Hour
The Brady Bunch Hour is an American variety television series produced by Sid and Marty Krofft in association with CBS Television Distribution, which aired on ABC between 1976 to 1977....
, playing a role of neighbor / performer Jack Merrill. He also hosted a short-lived send-up of beauty pageants called The $1.98 Beauty Show created by Gong Show producer/host Chuck Barris
Chuck Barris
Charles Hirsch "Chuck" Barris is an American game show producer, film director and presenter best known for hosting The Gong Show and creating The Dating Game. Barris, a survivor of lung cancer, is also an author and claims to have worked for the CIA.-Early career:Barris was born in Oakland, New...
, in 1978. Taylor appeared as a celebrity on the slot-machine version of Match Game
Match Game
Match Game is an American television game show in which contestants attempted to match celebrities' answers to fill-in-the-blank questions...
. On one episode of Super Password in 1988, gameplay went awry after another celebrity guest, Patty Duke
Patty Duke
Anna Marie "Patty" Duke is an American actress of stage, film, and television. First becoming famous as a child star, winning an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress at age 16, and later starring in her eponymous sitcom for three years, she progressed to more mature roles upon playing Neely...
, inadvertently gave away the password and host Bert Convy
Bert Convy
Bernard Whalen "Bert" Convy was an Emmy Award winning American actor, singer, game show host and panelist known for his tenure as the host for Tattletales, Super Password, and Win, Lose or Draw.-Early life:...
lost control of the show. Taylor reacted to the craziness first by throwing a stool, and then ripping off his toupee, something he claimed to have never done on the air before.
Other appearances include the television show The Kids in the Hall
The Kids in the Hall
The Kids in the Hall is a Canadian sketch comedy group formed in 1984, consisting of comedians Dave Foley, Kevin McDonald, Bruce McCulloch, Mark McKinney, and Scott Thompson. Their eponymous television show ran from 1988 to 1994 on CBC in Canada, and 1989 to 1995 on CBS and HBO in the United States...
. He was referred to as Uncle Rip by one of the show's characters, Buddy Cole
Buddy Cole (fiction)
Charles Budderick Cole, popularly known as Buddy Cole, is a fictional character created and portrayed by actor-comedian Scott Thompson. He is an effeminate, gay socialite, made famous on The Kids in the Hall, a popular Canadian sketch comedy series and troupe of the same name.- Personality :Buddy...
.
In 1997, Taylor appeared in a segment on the show "Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction
Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction
Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction is an American television anthology series created by Lynn Lehmann, presented by Dick Clark Productions, and produced and aired by the Fox network from 1997 to 2002. Each episode featured five stories, all of which appeared to defy logic, and some of which were...
". He played the role of Elmo Middleton in the segment titled "The Man in the Model T". Also in 1997, he appeared as himself on the sitcom Brotherly Love in the episode "Easy Come Easy Go". He also portrayed Chief Undersecretary Wartle in the graphical adventure game Zork: Grand Inquisitor in 1997.
In 2003, Taylor also appeared as himself on the NBC sitcom Will & Grace
Will & Grace
Will & Grace was an American television sitcom that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 21, 1998 to May 18, 2006 for a total of eight seasons. Will & Grace remains the most successful television series with gay principal characters...
. In 2005, he appeared as himself on an episode of ABC TV
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's The George Lopez Show. Taylor guest-starred as chef "Rappin' Rip" in four episodes of an earlier ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
sitcom featuring Lopez
George Lopez
George Lopez is an American comedian, actor, and talk show host. He is mostly known for starring in his self-produced ABC sitcom George Lopez. His stand-up comedy examines race and ethnic relations, including the Mexican American culture...
, Life With Bonnie
Life With Bonnie
Life with Bonnie is an ABC television sitcom that originally aired from 2002 to 2004. The show outlined the life of character Bonnie Malloy, who juggled her personal life and a TV talk show position. The series was created by Bonnie Hunt and Don Lake, and produced by Miss Hunt's company, Bob &...
.
Taylor had a short appearance in the movie Wayne's World 2
Wayne's World 2
Wayne's World 2 is a 1993 comedy film starring Mike Myers and Dana Carvey as hosts of a Public-access television cable TV show from Aurora, Illinois. The film was adapted from a sketch on NBC's Saturday Night Live and is the sequel to Wayne's World....
, in which he plays himself.
Taylor is an accomplice of the Jackass
Jackass (TV series)
jackass is an American reality series, originally shown on MTV from 2000 to 2002, featuring people performing various dangerous, crude, ridiculous, self-injuring stunts and pranks...
crew. In 1995, he performed the intro for the Bloodhound Gang
Bloodhound Gang
Bloodhound Gang is a Collegeville, Pennsylvania-based American comedy band, although it began as a rap group and gradually changed its genre throughout the years...
's Use Your Fingers
Use Your Fingers
Use Your Fingers is the Bloodhound Gang's first album. It was released on July 18, 1995 by Cheese Factory Records.-Track listing:All songs written and composed by Jimmy Pop and Daddy Long Legs unless noted....
album, and in 2002, he appeared in the final scene of Jackass: The Movie
Jackass: The Movie
Jackass: The Movie is a 2002 American reality film directed by Jeff Tremaine with the tagline "Do not attempt this at home." It is a riskier and uncensored continuation of the stunts and pranks by the various characters of the MTV television series Jackass, which had completed its unique series...
, wielding a pistol that, when fired, released a sign that read "The End." (Taylor's section of the film was originally considerably longer, and ended with him complaining about the heat, and fanning himself with his toupee
Toupee
A toupée is a hairpiece or partial wig of natural or synthetic hair worn to cover partial baldness or for theatrical purposes. While toupées and hairpieces are typically associated with male wearers, some women also use hairpieces to lengthen existing hair, or cover partially exposed scalp...
. This footage was included on the DVD of the film.) He did the same thing at the ending of Jackass: Number Two
Jackass: Number Two
Jackass Number Two is a 2006 American comedy film. It is the sequel to Jackass: The Movie , both based upon the MTV series Jackass. Like its predecessor and the original TV show, the film is a compilation of stunts, pranks and skits...
and Jackass 3D
Jackass 3D
Jackass 3D is a 2010 American 3D comedy film and the fourth film in the Jackass series. It was released on October 15, 2010 by Paramount Pictures and MTV Films to American theaters and marked the 10th anniversary of the franchise, which started in 2000...
. In the credits of the 2005 remake of The Dukes of Hazzard
The Dukes of Hazzard
The Dukes of Hazzard is an American television series that aired on the CBS television network from 1979 to 1985.The series was inspired by the 1975 film Moonrunners, which was also created by Gy Waldron and had many identical or similar character names and concepts.- Overview :The Dukes of Hazzard...
, Rip shows up in the blooper reel.
He guest starred in The Suite Life of Zack and Cody
The Suite Life of Zack and Cody
The Suite Life of Zack & Cody is an American sitcom created by Danny Kallis and Jim Geoghan. The series premiered on Disney Channel on March 18, 2005 with 4 million viewers, making it the most successful premiere for Disney Channel in 2005. It was one of their first five shows available on the...
episode "Loosely Ballroom" as Leo. He is also in some episodes of The Emperor's New School
The Emperor's New School
The Emperor's New School is an American animated television series that airs on Disney Channel, ABC Kids, and Disney XD and is produced by Walt Disney Television Animation. The show is based on the characters from The Emperor's New Groove and its direct-to-video sequel Kronk's New Groove...
, as the voice of the Royal Record Keeper. He was also recently in the Jetix
Jetix
Jetix was a worldwide children's television programming brand owned by The Walt Disney Company. The Jetix brand was used for blocks and channels featuring action-related and adventure-related live-action and animated programming. It was also what Disney eventually turned Fox Kids into...
animated series Super Robot Monkey Team Hyper Force Go!
He was also in the 1990 summer movie Walt Disney
Walt Disney
Walter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon, and philanthropist, well-known for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. Along with his brother Roy O...
DuckTales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp
DuckTales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp
DuckTales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp is a 1990 American animated feature film based on the animated children's television series DuckTales. It was released by Walt Disney Pictures on August 3, 1990. Although it was a theatrically released animated film, it was the first feature outside...
as the voice of the Genie.
Taylor has made occasional appearances in movies, usually in broad comedies like the R-rated Deep Throat parody Chatterbox. In Amazon Women on the Moon
Amazon Women on the Moon
Amazon Women on the Moon is a 1987 American satirical comedy film that parodies the experience of watching low-budget movies on late-night television...
a funeral service turns into a celebrity roast
Roast (comedy)
A roast is an event in which an individual is subjected to a public presentation of comedic insults, praise, outlandish true and untrue stories, and heartwarming tributes, the implication being that the roastee is able to take the jokes in good humor and not as serious criticism or insult, and...
when guest Rip Taylor shows up to "honor" the deceased. In Cheech and Chong's Things Are Tough All Over
Things Are Tough All Over
Things are Tough All Over is the fourth Cheech and Chong movie. Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong are featured as the two hippies, and additionally as Arab businessmen Mr. Slyman and Prince Habib...
, he picks them up in the middle of nowhere driving a convertible full of props. Rip then proceeds to drive them to Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
and telling jokes the whole way and moving Chong to tears from laughter. In 1993, Taylor also appeared in Tom and Jerry: The Movie
Tom and Jerry: The Movie
Tom and Jerry: The Movie is a 1992 American animated musical film directed by Phil Roman, and produced by Film Roman and Turner Pictures. It is a film adaptation of the Tom and Jerry series of theatrical shorts....
as Captain Kiddle, and in Wayne's World 2
Wayne's World 2
Wayne's World 2 is a 1993 comedy film starring Mike Myers and Dana Carvey as hosts of a Public-access television cable TV show from Aurora, Illinois. The film was adapted from a sketch on NBC's Saturday Night Live and is the sequel to Wayne's World....
. In 1993's Indecent Proposal
Indecent Proposal
Indecent Proposal is a 1993 drama film, based on the novel of the same name by Jack Engelhard. It was directed by Adrian Lyne and stars Robert Redford, Demi Moore, and Woody Harrelson.-Plot:...
as Demi Moore's boss, he appears without his toupee.
He recently made a special guest appearance at the end of the 1,000th episode of G4
G4 (TV channel)
G4, also known as G4 TV, is an American cable- and satellite-television channel originally geared primarily toward young adult viewers, originally based on the world of video games...
's videogame review show X-Play
X-Play
X-Play is a TV program about video games, known for its reviews and comedy skits...
.
Live theater
Taylor appeared for three years in the burlesque-themed musical comedy Sugar BabiesSugar Babies
Sugar Babies is a musical revue conceived by Ralph G. Allen and Harry Rigby, with music by Jimmy McHugh, lyrics by Dorothy Fields and Al Dubin and various others. The show is a tribute to the old burlesque era...
, and was featured on the soundtrack album. He has been a frequent co-star with Debbie Reynolds
Debbie Reynolds
Debbie Reynolds is an American actress, singer, and dancer.She was initially signed at age 16 by Warner Bros., but her career got off to a slow start. When her contract was not renewed, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer gave her a small, but significant part in the film Three Little Words , then signed her to...
in her live shows in Las Vegas, Reno
Reno, Nevada
Reno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...
, and Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe is a large freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada of the United States. At a surface elevation of , it is located along the border between California and Nevada, west of Carson City. Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America. Its depth is , making it the USA's second-deepest...
.
Outside the entertainment industry
Prior to becoming famous, Taylor was a page in the U.S. SenateUnited States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
.
In 2006, Taylor returned to the nation's capital as the grand marshal of Washington D.C.'s Capital Pride
Capital Pride (Washington)
Capital Pride is an annual LGBT pride festival held in early June each year in Washington, D.C. As of 2007, the festival was planned and produced by Whitman-Walker Clinic, and is the fourth-largest gay pride event in the United States.-1970s:...
parade.
Comic trademarks
Taylor is known for his high-voiced yells, wacky toupéeToupee
A toupée is a hairpiece or partial wig of natural or synthetic hair worn to cover partial baldness or for theatrical purposes. While toupées and hairpieces are typically associated with male wearers, some women also use hairpieces to lengthen existing hair, or cover partially exposed scalp...
, and handlebar moustache
Handlebar moustache
A handlebar moustache is a moustache with particularly lengthy, upward curved, extremities. It is named for its resemblance to the handlebars of a bicycle. It is also known as a "spaghetti moustache", because of its stereotypical association with Italian men...
over a perpetually toothy grin. He often enters a venue tossing handfuls of confetti
Confetti
Confetti is a multitude of pieces of paper, mylar or metallic material which is usually thrown at parades and celebrations, especially weddings . Confetti is made in a variety of colors, and commercially available confetti is available in imaginative shapes...
from a paper bag onto his audience and laughing hysterically, while the band plays his theme song, "Happy Days Are Here Again
Happy Days Are Here Again
"Happy Days Are Here Again" is a song copyrighted in 1929 by Milton Ager and Jack Yellen and published by EMI Robbins Catalog, Inc./Advanced Music Corp...
."
Taylor's comedic style includes pun
Pun
The pun, also called paronomasia, is a form of word play which suggests two or more meanings, by exploiting multiple meanings of words, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use and abuse of homophonic,...
s, often in conjunction with props
Prop comedy
Prop comedy is a comedy genre that makes use of humorous objects, or conventional objects used in humorous ways. The stage and film term "prop", an abbreviation of "property", refers to any object handled by an actor in the course of a performance. Although some form of prop comedy has likely...
(for example, holding up a plastic fish full of holes and exclaiming "Holy Mackerel!") and miming along to novelty records (including the works of Spike Jones
Spike Jones
Mel Blanc, the voice of Bugs Bunny and other Warner Brothers cartoon characters, performed a drunken, hiccuping verse for 1942's "Clink! Clink! Another Drink"...
). If he gets little or no reaction following one of his jokes, he stops for a moment and yells at the audience: "I don't dance, folks! This is it!" Or, "Hello? Can you people hear me?"