John C. Reilly

John Christopher Reilly (born May 24, 1965) is an American actor. He is known as a character actor taking leading and supporting roles in independent drama films and studio comedies. He gained exposure through his supporting roles in Paul Thomas Anderson's films Hard Eight (1996), Boogie Nights (1997) and Magnolia (1999), and Martin Scorsese's Gangs of New York (2002) and The Aviator (2004). Reilly was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and the corresponding Golden Globe Award for his role in the musical film Chicago (2002). Reilly's other notable films include The River Wild (1994), The Thin Red Line (1998), and The Hours (2002). Reilly gained prominence for his roles in comedy films such as Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007), Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006) and Step Brothers (2008). He voiced the title character in the Wreck It Ralph film series (2012–⁠2018), and acted in the independent films Cyrus, We Need to Talk About Kevin, and Carnage (all in 2011), The Lobster (2015), and The Sisters Brothers (2018). He portrayed comedian Oliver Hardy in the biopic Stan and Ollie (2018) earning nominations for the Golden Globe Award and Critics' Choice Award. Reilly is also known for his work on television. He created and starred in a Showtime comedy series Moonbase 8 (2020) and led an ensemble cast for the HBO sports drama series Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty (2022). Reilly performs with his band John Reilly and Friends. For his role in the Broadway revival in Sam Shepard's play True West (2000) he was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play. Early life and education Reilly was born in Chicago, Illinois, the fifth of six children. His father was of Irish and Scottish descent, and his mother was of Lithuanian ancestry. His father ran an industrial linen supply company. Reilly has described himself as being mischievous during his childhood, highlighting an event when he was 12 in which he and his friends stole 500 boxes of Sugar Corn Pops from a freight train. Reilly grew up in the Chicago Lawn neighborhood.