As one of the most successful impressionists in American history, the 83-year-old comedy icon Rich Little has enjoyed a blockbuster career making generations of fans laugh out loud thanks to his spot-on impersonations and witty lines.

 

A native of Ontario, Canada, Little first broke out into the mainstream culture with a string of frequent television appearances after his American television debut on The Judy Garland Show, fast becoming a favorite on the popular The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts, where he’d skewer the biggest stars of the ‘60s and ‘70s.

 

His impressions of famous people from all walks of life range the gamut, perhaps most famously his unique take on American Presidents (perhaps his most famous being that of Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan), in addition President Trump right up to his current imitation of President Joe Biden. Little’s electric roster of voices also include singers (Dean Martin), actors (Humphrey Bogart, John Wayne) and other personalities (Dr. Phil).

 

It’s a storied career that also includes a prestigious gig hosting the White House Correspdonent’s Dinner where he joked alongside then-President George W. Bush, nine comedy albums and three HBO comedy specials. It’s a laugh-filled life he recounted in the 2017 memoir Little by Little: People I Have Known and Been.

 

In recent years, Little has a popular residency in Sin City at the Tropicana Las Vegas’s in-house comedy club The Laugh Factory where he currently performs dozens of impressions and gags, in addition to displaying his personal charcoal drawings of his most notable subjects, multiple nights a week.

 

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Tell us about what you’re working on.

I’m currently performing at the Tropicana Hotel in Las Vegas.

 

What can you tell us about your current show?

It’s a trip down memory lane, with impersonations of a lot of the people I grew up with.

 

What kind of people do you impersonate?

Mostly older impressions, but young people come too (and enjoy the show). I had a guy say to me that he loved my show and thought my best impression was the drunk. I said, “The drunk?” And he meant Dean Martin, but he didn’t know who he was.

 

What’s your favorite drink?

I don’t really drink, but I’ll have a glass of wine occasionally.

 

White or Red?

Red.

 

Do you have a preferred kind?

I like Cabernet Sauvignon.

 

Is there any beverage you always have to have stocked at your house?

I always have iced tea in my home. I drink a lot of it.

 

Have you ever been a bartender or waiter?

No, I haven’t.

 

What has it been like performing for audiences in bars and clubs over the course of your career?

Sometimes you get people who drink too much, and they can interrupt the show.

 

How do you handle that kind of situation?

You have to use stock lines on them. Like, “I’m gonna do Lassie, and you’re gonna be the tree.” Or “Hey, there’s a bus outside leaving in five minutes. Be under it.” You try to cover it by kidding with them!