1. Theatre, Film, and Television Biographies
2. Patrick Renna to Christy Carlson Romano

Larry Riley Biography (1952-1992)

Born June 21, 1952, in Memphis, TN; died of kidney failure due to AIDS, June6, 1992, in Burbank, CA; son of George C. Bass and Corine C. Riley; married Nina Gervetz, December, 1991; children: Larry Miguel Fondren, Jr.

Nationality

American

Birth Details

June 21, 1952

Memphis, Tennessee, United States

Death Details

June 6, 1992

Burbank, California, United States

Famous Works

• Credits; Stage Appearances
• (Stage debut) Judge, The Blacks, Memphis State University, TN, 1971.
• Wally, I Love My Wife, Longacre Theatre, New York City, 1978.
• Frances, Night and Day, American National Theatre and Academy, New York City, 1979.
• The Conductor, Frimbo, Grand Central Station Theatre, New York City, 1980.
• Lawrence, Shakespeare's Cabaret, Bijou Theatre, New York City, 1981.
• C. J. Memphis, A Soldier's Play, Theatre Four, New York City, 1981-82.
• Larry, Maybe I'm Doing It Wrong, Astor Place Theatre, New York City, 1982.
• Larry, August 6th 1945, Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles, 1982.
• C. J. Memphis, A Soldier's Play, Mark Taper Forum, 1982.
• Curtis Taylor, Dreamgirls, Shubert Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, 1983.
• Made his New York debut as leading player, Pippin, Minskoff Theatre; appeared as Robinson, Amerika, Music Theatre Lab, New York City; Larry, Styne After Styne, and Silky, Sidewalkin', both Manhattan Theatre Club, New York City;Valere, Doctor in Spite of Himself, David, Way Back When, and Clay, The Dutchman, all Center Stage, Baltimore, MD; Rip, A Crowd of People, Phaedra, Tomorrow, and Nat Baker, Workin', all Chicago Free Street Theatre, IL; Butterfly,Three Mean Fairy Tales, Kennedy Center, Washington, DC; Teshembe, To Be Young, Gifted, and Black, Goodman Theatre, Chicago.
• Credits; Major Tours
• Curtis Taylor, Jr., Dreamgirls, U.S. cities, 1983-84.
• Also appeared as leading player, Pippin, U.S. cities.
• Credits; Film Appearances
• (Film debut) Boardwalk, Crackers, Universal, 1984.
• C. J. Memphis, A Soldier's Story, Columbia, 1984.
• Credits; Television Appearances; Series
• Harry Fletcher, Stir Crazy, CBS, 1985-86.
• Frank Williams, Knots Landing, CBS, 1988-92.
• Credits; Television Appearances; Episodic
• Spenser: For Hire, ABC, 1987.
• Appeared as Detective Garrison, One Life to Live, ABC; Vernon Tucker, Hill Street Blues, NBC; Calvin Barnes, The Doctors, NBC; also appeared in MiamiVice and Twilight Zone.
• Credits; Television Appearances; Movies
• Steve Kelsey, Muggable Mary, Street Cop, NBC, 1982.
• Herman Bell, Badge of the Assassin, CBS, 1985.
• Detective Starling, One Police Plaza, CBS, 1986.
• Joe Louis Brown, Long Gone, HBO, 1987.
• Spec, Dead Solid Perfect, HBO, 1988.
• Martin Luther King, Unconquered, CBS, 1989.
• Reverend Gillis, Polly (also known as The Magical World of Disney), NBC,1989.
• Polly Comin' Home! (also known as Polly--One More Time!), NBC, 1990.
• Credits; Television Work; Episodic
• Composer of scores for several episodes of Knots Landing, CBS.

Further Reference

Periodicals:

• Jet, June 29, 1992; March 29, 1993, p. 51.
• New York Times, June, 10, 1992.