Ryan Stiles has been working as an actor and comedian for more than 30 years. He got his big break in 1989 when he was cast on the UK version of the improv show, Whose Line Is It Anyway? In 1999, he was also cast on the American version of the show which ran until 2007. After a more than five year hiatus, Whose Line Is It Anyway? returned to the air 2013 with Stiles and fellow funny guy, Colin Mochrie, reprising their original spots. Even after decades of being funny on the spot, it looks like Ryan Stiles hasn’t missed a beat. Keep reading for 10 things you didn’t know about Ryan Stiles.
1. He Dropped Out Of School When He Was 17
Ryan left school high school when he was just 17-years-old. He never graduated and never went back to get his GED. Ryan says that the fact that he never completed school makes it difficult to instill the importance of education in his children.
2. He Doesn’t Like To Fly
Traveling is a big part of Ryan’s life. However, he doesn’t like to fly and avoids taking planes as often as possible. In an interview with Lollipop, Ryan said, “Smaller planes, smaller airports, smaller cities… I think that’s where I developed my fear of flying. I took a lot of ski planes and little dinky planes…” Ryan added that he also purchased an RV so that he wouldn’t have to fly.
3. He Prefers The English Version Of Whose Line
Over the years, lots of viewers have expressed that they prefer the British version of Whose Line Is It Anyway? Ryan Stiles would have to agree. Ryan told Ithica.com, “I’ll tell you why I preferred the English version, and Colin will agree, I think. For some reason on ABC, Wayne [Brady], Colin and myself had a chair all the time, and there was that one empty chair open. And on the English version, it was always different. You had a different mix, so people would kinda tune in to see who was doing the show that week.”
4. He Used To Do Comedy In Strip Clubs
Ryan has had a lot of different experiences throughout his career, one of which was working at strip club. Ryan began working in strip clubs immediately after dropping out of he school. He used a fake ID and eventually started making decent money.
5. He’s Gone Bowling With Weird Al
When Ryan isn’t working or spending time with his family, he enjoys hanging out with some of his fellow funny friends. During his interview with Lollipop, Ryan revealed that he’s gone bowling with Weird Al Yankovic.
6. He Didn’t Want To Raise His Family In L.A.
Los Angeles is a great place for a lot of things, but raising a family may not be one of them. Many prefer to raise their children away from the business of the city. Ryan Stiles is one of those people. He and his family live in Washington and he believes this allows his children to have a more ‘normal’ upbringing.
7. He’s Prepared For The End Of His Career
Even though Ryan Stiles has had a lot of success throughout his career, he knows it won’t last forever. Ryan told Comedy Couch, “I always look at it kind of like a job. I know I’m getting paid well for doing a job
and I can support my family and stuff, but I think you gotta realize that sooner or later you get fired. This
doesn’t last forever…So you’ve got to kind of stuff it away and wait for the time you’re not getting work and
realize what it is.”
8. He Has His Own Theater In Washington
In 2004, Ryan founded his own improv theater in Bellingham, Washington called The Upfront Theater. The venue has improv shows each Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. In addition to shows, The Upfront Theater also hosts improv classes.
9. He Doesn’t Take Intermissions At His Shows
Unlike many other comedians or live performers in general, Ryan Stiles doesn’t take intermissions during his shows. He prefers to perform all the way through and feels that intermissions can interrupt the flow of the show.
10. He Believes In Karma
Ryan Stiles may be a funny guy, but there’s one thing he takes very seriously: karma. Ryan is a firm believer in karma and believes that how you treat people will eventually come back to you. He also raises his kids to to live by this mindset.
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