There are some people whose continuing contribution to pop culture can instantly transport an audience to a different era. Jack Riley was one of those people.
The actor and voice over artist has died, aged 80. He is survived by his wife, two children and two grandchildren.
While the actor enjoyed a 49-episode run on The Bob Newhart Show and a varied career on the small and silver screens, Riley’s most well-known work is likely his portrayal of the Rugrats patriarch Stu Pickles.
For over fifteen years of television and film, Riley’s deadpan voice anchored the Nickelodeon mainstay.
Of course, after the series ended, the man’s work was also given a second life as one of those nihilistic memes Rugrats’ original audience is so hot on, circa 2016:
In all sincerity, the genuine quality of Nickelodeon’s cartoons from that era is a huge factor in their resurgence. Work from the likes of Riley went a long way to instilling that quality.
R.I.P.
