Rich Little Still Wants to Make You Laugh by Not Being Himself

When Rich Little marks his return this week in a new residency at the Copa Room at the Tuscany Suites and Casino in Las Vegas, the entertainer will not be alone. As he’s done for decades, Little is bringing all his old friends—the 200 celebrities and presidents whom he impersonates—for support and most importantly, laughter.

“I’m retired, but I’m going to give it another shot,” Little told The Epoch Times in a recent interview.

In the early days, “I was performing in Ottawa where I was born, Canada. Paul Anka was with me, and we got $10 a show,” Little recalled.

Surprisingly, the impressions and comedic storytelling that he became famous for were not what he thought he’d be doing all these years later.

“Before I did anything, I did little theater plays,” said Little. “I really wanted to be an actor, and the impressions just came along. That happened because I started imitating my teachers.”

As a student, that didn’t go well for Little. “No, they didn’t like it at all,” he said. “They put me in the back of the schoolroom and never asked me anything again.”

The Call of Las Vegas

Fast forward 70-something years, and Little has a lifetime of material. The new Las Vegas show features interactive clips from his own appearances on shows including “The Judy Garland Show,” “Hollywood Squares,” “The Julie Andrews Show,” “The Tonight Show,” and “The Lucy Show.”

Little has added animation technology using his own artwork—he sketches portraits in charcoal—depicting friends and colleagues such as Henry Fonda, Katharine Hepburn, George Burns, John Wayne, and Sylvester Stallone.

“I moved [from California] because [Las Vegas was] where the work was, a place where you could perform on a regular basis,” said Little, who became an American citizen in 2010. “I drove up here in a sandstorm. Don Adams [“Get Smart”] was here. The first day I was here, he greeted me at the Sands Hotel. I followed him around and in 20 minutes, he lost $10,000. That’s when I said, ‘I will not gamble, no way,’ and I never did. The only gambling I do is when I walk onstage.”

Instead, Little focuses on his healthy habits, which at the moment include swimming eight laps a day, riding his exercise bike for 45 minutes, and standing on his vibrating machine. His advice for staying sharp and aging well: “Don’t take any drugs. Don’t smoke. Exercise.”

Audiences will be treated to his unique voice and humor as he tells the tales of the relationships he’s formed, and the interesting people he’s met and in many cases impersonated. It’s a revealing look at the many quirks and personalities of celebrities, as well as the U.S. presidents from Kennedy to Biden.

Admiration for Reagan

Of all the extraordinary people he’s met and greeted, Ronald Reagan is the one who stands out most to Little, who performed at both of Reagan’s presidential inaugurations.

“We were great friends. I had dinner with the Reagans a lot. They were big fans of mine. [During my inauguration performances] he was screaming with laughter,” he said.

What stood out most to Little about Reagan was his ability to lighten up.

“He was such a great man and I had a great rapport with him,” said Little. “He had such a marvelous sense of humor. I remember many stories about him, which I put in my act. He was just a wonderful person to get to know. He was the only president, I think in history, that told jokes. When he finished speaking, he would tell a joke.”

Little can attest to the importance of a little levity. Telling jokes “endeared him to people,” said Little.

Variety Show Star

A fixture on TV shows in the 1970s with appearances on “Dean Martin’s Celebrity Roasts” and “The Carol Burnett Show,” Little also headlined a few of his own shows including “KopyCats,” “The Rich Little Show,” and “The New You Asked for It,” recorded nine comedy albums, did three HBO specials, and wrote a book.

In 2021, he made his New York City theatrical debut in “Trial on the Potomac—The Impeachment of Richard Nixon” at the Theatre at St. Clement’s. Written by George J. Bugatti and inspired by Geoff Shepard’s “The Real Watergate Scandal,” the imagined history play cast the then 82-year-old Little as Richard Nixon, a persona he’s been honing since Nixon was in the White House.

Backing the Military

Another constant in Little’s career has been his commitment to the country’s service members and veterans. Over the years, he performed with the United Service Organizations (USO) and Armed Forces Entertainment all over the world, including sharing the stage with Bob Hope in South Korea and later on bases in Turkey and Italy.

When his book, “Little by Little: People I’ve Known and Been,” was re-released with a new edition in 2020, he donated all of the proceeds to veterans through the Gary Sinise Foundation.

“I have a lot of admiration for the military and the people who fought for us and died,” said Little. “Anything I can do for the military, I will do it.”

In the book, Little features his own artwork—he has sketched “everybody” that he has impersonated—and offers insights into many of them.

A more traditional autobiography will not be forthcoming. “I don’t think that would be that interesting,” said Little.

Instead, Little is interested in sharing what might be helpful to others about breaking into show business, or accomplishing anything one is passionate about.

“Get somebody that believes in you, who has a little clout and can further your career,” said Little. “You can’t do it yourself. … And a lot of it is just luck. Right place at the right time. It’s not easy.”