John C.
Biography
With a homely mug, lumbering gait and unruly mop of curly hair tailor-made for offbeat character work, John C. Reilly played a host of seamy characters to great effect over the years. Of late, however, he has defied the odds by drawing in the ladies with his touching "common man" portrayals of lovable, good-natured schlepps. The fifth of six children born to an Irish father and Lithuanian mother, Reilly was brought up on Chicago's tough Southwest territory. On the amateur stage from age eight, he trained at the Goodman School of Drama and eventually became a member of Chicago's renowned Steppenwolf Theatre. His film break came with a small role in the Vietnam War drama Casualties of War (1989), wherein Brian De Palma liked his work so much during the early stages that he recast him in a major role by the start of shooting as a soldier bent on rape. Reilly gained momentum throughout the 1990s and showed his dazzling stretch of talent in such films as Days of Thunder (1990), Shadows and Fog (1991), What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993) and The River Wild (1994). He became a major stock player in director Paul Thomas Anderson's films, while finding some of his best roles in Hard Eight (1996) as a compulsive gambler, Boogie Nights (1997) in which he played a narcissistic porn star, and in Magnolia (1999) as a compassionate policeman. He went on to earn further critical points for his role of the soldier sent to the front lines in Terrence Malick's war epic The Thin Red Line (1998). On stage, Reilly has wowed audiences in "The Grapes of Wrath" on Broadway, "A Streetcar Named Desire" and "Othello" at Steppenwolf, and earned an Outer Critics Circle Award and Tony nomination for "True West" alongside another impeccable character player Philip Seymour Hoffman. Reilly finally received the film recognition he deserved in 2002 with a slew of choice, high-profile parts in The Hours (2002), The Good Girl (2002), Gangs of New York (2002), and especially Chicago (2002) as the put-upon husband, Amos Hart, who is played for a patsy by murderous wife Roxie (Renée Zellweger). For this last part, he received both Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations for best supporting actor. Though he didn't win either, it's only a matter a time for this talented thespian who can easily switch from being a dream of a nice guy to your worst nightmare on any given day. Reilly is married to producer Alison Dickey.
Filmography
We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011)
Terri (2011)
Cedar Rapids (2011)
Check It Out! with Dr. Steve Brule(2010)
Funny or Die Presents...(2010)
Drunk History(2010)
The Extra Man (2010)
A man who escorts wealthy widows in New York's Upper East Side takes a young aspiring playwright under his wing. |
Cyrus (2010)
A recently divorced guy meets the woman of his dreams. Then he meets her son.
Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant (2009)
A young boy named Darren Shan meets a mysterious man at a freak show who turns out to be a Vampire. After a series of events Darren must leave his normal life and go on the road with the Cirque Du Freak and become a Vampire.
Zombieland (2009)
In the horror comedy Zombieland focuses on two men who have found a way to survive a world overrun by zombies...
9 (2009)
A post-apocalyptic nightmare in which all of humanity is threatened.
Prop 8: The Musical (2008)
Green Team (2008)
Step Brothers (2008)
Two spoiled adult men (Ferrell and Reilly) are pulled into a new sibling rivalry after their respective single parents get hitched. The formula didn't work for The Brothers Solomon last fall, but Will Arnett + Will Forte ≠John C. Reilly, never mind the still-remarkably-popular Will Ferrell, who wrote this screenplay with director Adam McKay, he of Anchorman and Talladega Nights fame. Not much is known about the project at this time save what you can glean from the first trailer, but we're happy to see that Ferrell and McKay are stepping out of their comfort zone a bit -- that being their penchant for stretching a character sketch into a feature film.
The Promotion (2008)
Oscar-nominated actor, John C. Reilly (\"Chicago,\" \"Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby\") and Seann William Scott (\"American Pie\") lend their deft comedic touch to the story of two mid-level Chicago supermarket employees – Doug and Richard, a dubious new guy from Canada - who compete ruthlessly for a coveted managerial post at a new store location. Doug and Richard could not be more different, but going head-to-head in a contest of wits and will reveals how they have more in common than they once suspected. The duo battle toward a hilarious final showdown that will leave you guessing until the very end. The film is the directorial debut of Steve Conrad, the writer of the \"The Pursuit of Happyness.\"
Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!(2007)
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007)
Year of the Dog (2007)
Peggy (Shannon) is a happy-go-lucky secretary - a great friend, employee, and sister who lives alone with her beloved dog. But when Pencil unexpectedly dies, Peggy must embark on a journey of personal transformation that is hilarious, poignant and heartbreaking. "Year of the Dog" marks the directorial debut for Mike White who has written "Chuck & Buck," "The Good Girl" and "School of Rock."
Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny (2006)
This is the story of a friendship that changes the course of rock history forever, of the fateful collision of minds between JB and KG that led to the creation of the precedent-shattering band Tenacious D, and of the two heroes' quest to find the fabled Guitar Pick Of Destiny...
Tom Goes to the Mayor(2006)
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)
Rebel Nascar driver Ricky Bobby faces stiff competition in the form of his new teammate, Jean Girard. Bobby partners with his buddy Cal, to form Thunder and Lightning, the most feared duo in the game.
A Prairie Home Companion (2006)
A look at what goes on backstage during the last broadcast of America's most celebrated radio show, where singing cowboys Dusty and Lefty, a country music siren (Streep), and a host of others hold court.
Dark Water (2005)
Dahlia Williams is starting a new life with her daughter when her dilapidated apartment seems to take on a life of its own. Mysterious noises, persistent leaks of dark water, and strange happenings cause her imagination to run wild, leaving her to wonder who is behind the endless mind games.
Are You the Favorite Person of Anybody? (2005)
The Aviator (2004)
A biopic depicting the early years of legendary director and aviator Howard Hughes\\\' career, from the late 1920s to the mid-1940s.
