Tall (6' 5") and blond, Ryan Stiles played in improvisation troupes and performed stand-up comedy for a decade before getting his first regular TV series gig playing Lewis, the janitor at a pharmaceutical house who seems forever attached to Drew Carey, on "The Drew Carey Show" (ABC, 1995- ). A high school dropout, Stiles crossed from his native Washington to Canada to begin his career performing in Vancouver comedy clubs. Towards the end of this period, he tried his hand at TV a bit, appearing on an isolated episode of the CBS series "Stir Crazy" (1985). In 1986, he went to Toronto to join the famed Second City troupe and when a Los Angeles branch was founded in 1990, he moved to California to be part of it. Stiles' early TV exposure was on "Andrea Martin: Together Again" (Showtime, 1989). He also was a regular on the British-produced comedy series "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" seen in the States on Comedy Central. Additionally, Stiles made three guest appearances on "The John Larroquette Show" (NBC) in three different roles.He has yet to crack large roles in feature films, but Stiles made his debut in the short subject "Rainbow War" (1986). He played the faceless pilot in "Hot Shots!" (1991) and appeared in an entirely different role--that of Rabinowitz--in "Hot Shots! Part Deux" (1993). Many TV viewers also know Stiles from the Nike commercials he made during the 1994-1995 major league baseball strike. In them, Stiles can be seen alone in the baseball stands, doing a solo version of The Wave.
Profession(s):
Actor, comedian, director, screenwriter
Sometimes Credited As:
1995 Featured as Lewis on "The Drew Carey Show" (ABC)
1994 Appeared in a memorable Nike TV commercial, directed by Joe Pytka, in which he was alone in an empty baseball stadium doing the wave
1992 Moved to L.A.
1991 Had small role in "Hot Shots"
1990 Moved to Los Angeles to appear in newly-formed Second City troupe
1990 Began making recurring appearances on the British improv series "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" (aired in USA on Comedy Central)
1986 Joined Second City troupe in Toronto
1986 Made feature film debut in the short film "Rainbow War"
1985 Had early TV gig on episode of "Stir Crazy" (CBS)
1969 Moved with family from Seattle to Vancouver
Dropped out of high school during his senior year
Began career performing in comedy clubs in Vancouver
With Sean Masterson, scripted the comedy "Live Bait" (set to lens 2001)
