// Workers AI · dad joke modeWho's Bill Rafferty? A rafferty good comedian?
Bill Rafferty | |
|---|---|
.JPG) Rafferty in Real People, 1981 | |
| Born | William Rafferty June 17, 1944 Queens, New York, U.S. |
| Died | August 11, 2012 (aged 68) San Rafael, California, U.S. |
| Other name | Bill Raftery |
| Occupations | Comedian, game show host |
| Years active | 1977–2012 |
| Television | Laugh In (1977–78) Real People (1979–84) Every Second Counts (1984–85) Card Sharks (1986–87; nighttime) Blockbusters (1987) |
| Spouse |
Regina Miletic (m. 1968) |
| Children | 3 |
William Rafferty (June 17, 1944 – August 11, 2012) was an American comedian and game show host. He hosted Every Second Counts (1984–1985, syndicated), Card Sharks (1986–87, syndication), and Blockbusters (1987, NBC).
Early life
[edit]Rafferty was born in Queens, New York.[1] He was the fourth and youngest child of Henry Rafferty, Sr., and Martha (Degnan) Rafferty.
Career
[edit]Before his career in television, Rafferty was a military policeman in the United States Army. He was also a butcher in Bolinas, California.
His first national TV exposure was as a co-host on the NBC reality series Real People, which ran from 1979 to 1984.[2] Originally, he was one of the five in-studio co-hosts before becoming a field correspondent ("roving reporter"), though he still made occasional studio appearances.
Rafferty also made guest appearances on episodes of Laugh-In in the late 1970s version of the show.[1] Rafferty was the host of a television show on Retirement Living TV, called Retired and Wired, which debuted in October 2007.[3]
Personal life
[edit]Rafferty married Regina Miletic on May 25, 1968, in Queens, New York and they had three children together.[1] Rafferty died from congestive heart failure on the morning of August 11, 2012.[4]
Filmography
[edit]Film
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Above the Rim | Self | Documentary |
| 1997 | Mad City | Bill Gottsegen | |
| 2010 | The Prankster | Presenter |
Television
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | The Great American Laugh-Off | Self | Television special |
| 1977–1978 | Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In | Regular Performer | 6 episodes |
| 1980 | Mating and Dating in the '80s | Self (Host) | Television film |
| 1981 | Texas | Himself | Episode #1.240 |
| 1987 | Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer | Dean Bridges | Episode: "Green Lipstick" |
| 1998, 1999 | Nash Bridges | Eliot Brighton / Kenneth | 2 episodes |
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 "Rafferty's success is the 'Real' thing". The Messenger. Madisonville, Kentucky. July 25, 1981. p. 36.
- ↑ "Bill Rafferty ride 'Real People' train". Marysville Journal-Tribune. Marysville, Ohio. May 23, 1983. p. 22.
- ↑ "Home". www.rl.tv. Archived from the original on 2009-03-01. Retrieved 2009-03-20.
- ↑ Buzzerblog on Twitter. Accessed 11 August 2012.
External links
[edit]
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