--- name: "Richard Kiley" canonical: "https://film.one/person/richard-kiley" fi1m_id: "richard-kiley" imdb_id: "nm0453006" tmdb_id: 26660 wikidata_id: "Q202600" roles: ["Actor"] born: "31 March 1922" died: "5 March 1999" reviewed_on_fi1m: 4 average_fi1m_score: 72 average_as: "actor" average_over: 4 updated: "2026-09-25T07:07:16.473949+00:00" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Richard Kiley ## Identity Richard Kiley - **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/richard-kiley - **Type:** Person - **Fi1m ID:** richard-kiley - **IMDb ID:** nm0453006 - **TMDB ID:** 26660 - **Wikidata ID:** Q202600 - **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Kiley, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q202600, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0453006/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/26660 Actor. Born 31 March 1922 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. Died 5 March 1999. ## Details - **Work:** Actor - **Born:** 31 March 1922, Chicago, Illinois, USA - **Died:** 5 March 1999 - **Active:** 1953–1993 - **Also known as:** Richard David Kiley, Ричард Пол Кайли, Ричард Дэвид Кайли, Richard Paul Kiley - **Primetime Emmy Awards:** 3 Emmys (3 won) - **Average Fi1m score:** 72, as actor, over 4 titles - **Fi1m score by decade:** 1950s 78 (2), 1980s 43 (1), 1990s 91 (1) - **Fi1m against the critics:** 72 to 65 across 4 titles - **Score spread:** 2 at 80+, 1 at 60–79, 1 under 60 - **Lead roles:** 1 of 2 acting credits billed first or second - **Genres:** Adventure 2, Crime 2, Science Fiction 2, Comedy 1, Thriller 1 - **Screen time:** 7 hours of reviewed films - **Box office:** $1,096m across 2 films with figures - **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Kiley, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q202600, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0453006/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/26660 ## Streaming the US now - **Tubi:** [*Pickup on South Street*](https://film.one/film/pickup-on-south-street.md) (84) - **Amazon Prime Video:** [*The Phenix City Story*](https://film.one/film/the-phenix-city-story.md) (71) For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country. ## Fi1m on Richard Kiley > Richard Kiley's resonant voice suited authority figures, but his vulnerable supporting performances give us more to care about. We value him for making people matter in dramas whose writing can be blunt. Richard Kiley's John Patterson has work to do beyond advancing the story in *The Phenix City Story* (1955). Phil Karlson's crime drama can reduce its people to opposing positions, and Kiley helps stop that happening. We cared about the people here because he and Kathryn Crosby gave the human consequences weight when the writing was pushing hard for a reaction. Their performances cannot fix the slack plotting, but they give us a reason to stay with it. His sonorous baritone suited principled authority figures, but Samuel Fuller's *Pickup on South Street* (1953) offers a less comforting use of his presence. Joey is a brutal operative, a useful part to remember when earnestness threatens to become the whole account of Kiley's acting. We recommend this brisk, funny thriller more strongly than *The Phenix City Story*, though Kiley is not our main reason. Richard Widmark, Jean Peters and Thelma Ritter are the performers we would chiefly send anyone to it for. The early screen work also includes Richard Brooks's *Blackboard Jungle* (1955), with Kiley as the idealistic teacher Joshua Y. Edwards. His stage career took him into musicals, working under Bob Fosse's direction on *Redhead* (1959). He then originated the dual role of Cervantes and Don Quixote in *Man of La Mancha* (1965), which became his signature part. Later decades brought extensive television work and narration. In *Jurassic Park* (1993), he needs no visible presence at all: he supplies the park's tour-guide voice. His film career remained largely supporting or sporadic after the 1950s, and the association with Don Quixote narrowed perceptions of what he could do. That makes the early crime films worth returning to, without requiring us to pretend that either belongs to him. Edward Andrews supplies much of the unease in Karlson's film, and Kiley's contribution works alongside that stronger presence. Start with *Pickup on South Street*; follow it with *The Phenix City Story* for the more sympathetic Kiley part. ## Biography Richard Kiley (1922–1999) was an American actor and singer. He appeared as Joey in the 1953 film *Pickup on South Street*. Kiley had a distinguished stage career, winning Tony Awards for Best Actor in a Musical for *Redhead* (1959) and *Man of La Mancha* (1966), in which he originated the role of Don Quixote. He received nine Emmy Award nominations and won four, including for *The Thorn Birds*, *A Year in the Life* and *Picket Fences*. His film roles include *Blackboard Jungle* (1955), *Looking for Mr. Goodbar* (1977), *Endless Love* (1981), *Howard the Duck* (1986), *Phenomenon* (1996) and *Patch Adams* (1998). He provided the voice of the Jurassic Park tour guide in *Jurassic Park* (1993). *Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.* ## On Fi1m (4) - *Jurassic Park* (1993), Fi1m 91, as Jurassic Park Tour Voice (voice) — [page](https://film.one/film/jurassic-park.md) - *Howard the Duck* (1986), Fi1m 43, as The Cosmos (voice) — [page](https://film.one/film/howard-the-duck.md) - *The Phenix City Story* (1955), Fi1m 71, as John Patterson — [page](https://film.one/film/the-phenix-city-story.md) - *Pickup on South Street* (1953), Fi1m 84, as Joey — [page](https://film.one/film/pickup-on-south-street.md) ## Complete filmography (135) Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page. - *Broadway's Lost Treasures II* (2004), as Don Quixote (segment "Man Of La Mancha") - *Hugh Hefner: American Playboy* (2003), as Narrator (voice) - *The Men Who Made the Movies: Samuel Fuller* (2002), as Joey (archive footage) - *Heroes of Horror* (2001), as Narrator - *Searching for Lost Worlds* (1999), series, as narrator - *Blue Moon* (1999), as Jimmy Keating - *Patch Adams* (1998), as Dr. Titan - *The Gates of Jerusalem: A History of the Holy City* (1998), as Host - *Wolves at Our Door* (1997), as Narrator - *Vincent Price: The Versatile Villain* (1997), as Narrator - *The Sonoran Desert: A Violent Eden* (1997), as Narrator (voice) - *Ally McBeal* (1997), series, as Seymore Little - *Time to Say Goodbye?* (1997), as Dr. Gerald Klooster - *Tigers of the Snow* (1997), as Narrator (voice) - *Audrey Hepburn: The Fairest Lady* (1997), as Narrator - *Mary & Tim* (1996), as Ron Melville - *The Rockford Files: Punishment and Crime* (1996), as Frank Dougherty - *Phenomenon* (1996), as Dr. Wellin - *Lon Chaney: Son of a Thousand Faces* (1995), as Narrator - *Darryl F. Zanuck: 20th Century Filmmaker* (1995), as Narrator - *Secrets* (1995), as Dr. Will Berter - *The Great Defender* (1995), series, Actor - *A Passion for Justice: The Hazel Brannon Smith Story* (1994), as Earl Clayburn - *Christy* (1994), series, as Dr. Ferrand - *Mysteries of the Bible* (1994), series, Actor - *The Visual Bible: Matthew* (1993), as Matthew - *Jurassic Park* (1993), as Jurassic Park Tour Voice (voice) — Fi1m 91, [page](https://film.one/film/jurassic-park.md) - *Star Trek: Deep Space Nine* (1993), series, as Seyetik — Fi1m 85, [page](https://film.one/tv/star-trek-deep-space-nine.md) - *Mastergate* (1992), as Archer Bowman - *Picket Fences* (1992), series, as Hayden Langston - *Giant Bears of Kodiak Island* (1992), as Narrator - *Absolute Strangers* (1991), as Dr. RJ Cannon - *Separate but Equal* (1991), as Chief Justice Earl Warren - *Separate but Equal* (1991), series, as Chief Justice Earl Warren - *National Geographic: Splendid Stones* (1991), as Narrator - *Gunsmoke: The Last Apache* (1990), as Chalk Brighton - *Bali: Masterpiece of the Gods* (1990), Actor - *Aladdin* (1990), as The Magician - *The Final Days* (1989), as J. Fred Buzhardt - *To The Limit* (1989), as Narrator - *My First Love* (1988), as Sam Morrissey - *Cary Grant: A Celebration of a Leading Man* (1988), as Narrator - *Australia's Twilight Of The Dreamtime* (1988), as Narrator - *Australia's Aborigines* (1988), as Narrator - *National Geographic: White Wolf* (1988), as Narrator (voice) - *A Year in the Life* (1987), series, as Joe Gardner - *Grace Kelly: The American Princess* (1987), as Narrator (voice) - *Biography* (1987), series, as Narrator (voice) - *Lions of the African Night* (1987), Actor - *A Year in the Life* (1986), series, as Joe Gardner - *Howard the Duck* (1986), as The Cosmos (voice) — Fi1m 43, [page](https://film.one/film/howard-the-duck.md) - *If Tomorrow Comes* (1986), series, as Gunther Hartog - *The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn* (1986), as Col. Grangerford - *Planet Earth* (1986), series, as Narrator - *The Twilight Zone* (1985), series, as Sir Lancelot du Lac (segment "The Last Defender of Camelot") - *Do You Remember Love* (1985), as George Hollis - *A.D.* (1985), series, as Claudius - *The Bad Seed* (1985), as Richard Bravo - *Ballad of the Irish Horse* (1985), as Narrator (voice) - *The Canterville Ghost* (1985), as Sir Simon De Canterville - *George Washington* (1984), series, as George Mason - *Starfest: The Stars Salute Public Television 1983* (1983), Actor - *The Thorn Birds* (1983), series, as Paddy Cleary - *Hotel* (1982), series, as Matt Carmichael - *Pray TV* (1982), as Rev. Gus Keiffer - *American Playhouse* (1982), series, as Announcer · Writer - *Isabel's Choice* (1981), as Lyman Jones - *Golden Gate* (1981), as Thomas J. Kingsley - *Endless Love* (1981), as Arthur - *Some Call Them ... Freaks* (1981), as Host (Self) - *Angel on My Shoulder* (1980), as Nick - *The New Media Bible: The Gospel According to St. Luke* (1979), as Narrator/St. Luke - *Looking for Mr. Goodbar* (1977), as Mr. Dunn - *The Andros Targets* (1977), series, as Rev. Ellis - *The Macahans* (1976), as Timothy Macahan - *Medical Story* (1975), series, as Mark Kellerman - *Friendly Persuasion* (1975), as Jess Birdwell - *The Little Prince* (1974), as The Pilot - *Give Me Liberty* (1974), as Robertson - *Jigsaw* (1972), as DA Dan Bellington - *All the Way Home* (1971), as Jay Follet - *Murder Once Removed* (1971), as Frank Manning - *Columbo* (1971), series, as Mark Halperin — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/tv/columbo.md) - *Cannon* (1971), series, Actor - *The Swan Song* (1971), as Theatre Actor - *Incident in San Francisco* (1971), as Robert Harmon - *Great Performances* (1971), series, as Introduction Narrator (voice) (uncredited) - *Night Gallery* (1970), series, as Ralph Burke - *The Ceremony of Innocence* (1970), as King Ethelred - *Night Gallery* (1969), as SS-Gruppenführer Helmut Arndt / Josef Strobe - *Medical Center* (1969), series, as Dr. Thomas Patton - *The New People* (1969), series, Actor - *Hawaii Five-O* (1969), series, as Sam Patton - *Pendulum* (1969), as Woodrow Wilson King - *The Mod Squad* (1968), series, as Vincent Warren - *The Name of the Game* (1968), series, as Arlen McKittrick, Dr. Judson Strode - *The Danny Thomas Hour* (1967), series, Actor - *Judd, for the Defense* (1967), series, Actor - *Garrison's Gorillas* (1967), series, Actor - *The F.B.I.* (1965), series, as John Streyer, Dr. Herbert Barth, Frederic Oliver Scott - *National Geographic Specials* (1965), series, as Narrator - *Kraft Suspense Theatre* (1963), series, as Lou Franklin - *The Great Adventure* (1963), series, as Col. Edwin L. Drake - *The Alfred Hitchcock Hour* (1962), series, as Jim Derry - *Ben Casey* (1961), series, Actor - *Dr. Kildare* (1961), series, as Fred Carroll - *Cain's Hundred* (1961), series, as Doug Crawford - *The Defenders* (1961), series, as George Helber, Acting Governor White, Harvey Slaughter - *Bonanza* (1959), series, as Sheriff Gideon Yates - *The Power of the Resurrection* (1958), as Peter - *Spanish Affair* (1957), as Merritt Blake - *Homeward Borne* (1957), as Bob Lyttleton - *Alfred Hitchcock Presents* (1955), series, as Harry Adams - *Gunsmoke* (1955), series, as Lewis Stark, Tom Lynott, Bohannan, Will Stambridge - *The Phenix City Story* (1955), as John Patterson — Fi1m 71, [page](https://film.one/film/the-phenix-city-story.md) - *Blackboard Jungle* (1955), as Joshua Y. Edwards - *Patterns* (1955), as Fred Staples - *Climax!* (1954), series, as Charley Kincaid - *Kraft Television Theatre* (1953), series, Actor - *Medallion Theatre* (1953), series, Actor - *Revlon Mirror Theatre* (1953), series, Actor - *Pickup on South Street* (1953), as Joey — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/pickup-on-south-street.md) - *General Electric Theater* (1953), series, Actor - *Eight Iron Men* (1952), as Pvt. Coke - *The Ford Television Theatre* (1952), series, as Walter Crandall - *The Sniper* (1952), as James G. Kent - *Hallmark Hall of Fame* (1951), series, as Jay Follet - *The Mob* (1951), as Tom Clancy - *Tales of Tomorrow* (1951), series, Actor - *Lux Video Theatre* (1950), series, as Dan - *Danger* (1950), series, Actor - *Robert Montgomery Presents* (1950), series, Actor - *Suspense* (1949), series, as Webb Wilson - *Studio One* (1948), series, as Joe, Edward Dean, Fred Baxter, Jim Colton, Calvin, Julian Hurst, Ralph Johnson, Merrick, Richard Baker - *Kraft Television Theatre* (1947), series, as Fred Staples, Frederick Banting, Artaban, Hacker ## Gallery - ![Photo of Richard Kiley from an appearance on The United States Steel Hour. US Steel sponsored the anthology series. (1961)](https://film.one/media/person/292440/gallery-4da41f95549e.jpg) Photo of Richard Kiley from an appearance on The United States Steel Hour. US Steel sponsored the anthology series. (1961) — United States Steel Corporation, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8a/Richard_Kiley_1961.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled) - ![Photo of Richard Kiley in the Danny Thomas Hour's presentation of The Measure of a Man. The item has no copyright markings on it as can be seen in the links abo (1968)](https://film.one/media/person/292440/gallery-6150730b4479.jpg) Photo of Richard Kiley in the Danny Thomas Hour's presentation of The Measure of a Man. The item has no copyright markings on it as can be seen in the links abo (1968) — NBC Television, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c7/Richard_Kiley_Measure_of_a_Man_Danny_Thomas_Hour_1968.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled) - ![Richard Kiley](https://film.one/media/person/292440/gallery-4ad06cc3d2ae.jpg) Richard Kiley — "Photograph courtesy of United States Steel Corporation". The company was the sponsor of the program., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7f/Richard_Kiley_1960.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled) - ![Publicity photo of Peter Falk and Richard Kiley in the television program Columbo.](https://film.one/media/person/292440/gallery-01fb7c17b272.jpg) Publicity photo of Peter Falk and Richard Kiley in the television program Columbo. — NBC Television, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bc/Peter_Falk_Richard_Kiley_Colombo_1974.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled) - ![Richard Kiley](https://film.one/media/person/292440/gallery-c12180589bdf.jpg) Richard Kiley — Image via TMDB - ![Richard Kiley](https://film.one/media/person/292440/gallery-8ef60cec4c21.jpg) Richard Kiley — Image via TMDB - ![Richard Kiley](https://film.one/media/person/292440/gallery-4424b6526f9d.jpg) Richard Kiley — Image via TMDB - ![Richard Kiley](https://film.one/media/person/292440/gallery-9053fc615069.jpg) Richard Kiley — Image via TMDB ## Awards ### Primetime Emmy Awards — 3 won - 1994: Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series (won), for *Picket Fences* - 1988: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (won), for *A Year in the Life* - 1983: Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie (won), for *The Thorn Birds* ### Other awards — 3 won, 2 nominated - Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play 1987: Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play (nominated) - Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical 1966: Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical (won) - Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical 1962: Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical (nominated) - Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical 1959: Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical (won), for *Redhead* - Theatre World Award 1953: Theatre World Award (won) *From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.* --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/richard-kiley