Bill Rafferty
American television personality (1944–2012)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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).
June 17, 1944
Bill Rafferty | |
|---|---|
![](#/media/File:Bill_Rafferty_"Real_People"_(1981_NBC_press_photo).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 names | 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 |
Early life
Rafferty was born in Queens, New York.[1] He was the fourth and youngest child of Henry Rafferty, Sr., and Martha (Degnan) Rafferty.
Career
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
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Above the Rim | Self | Documentary |
| 1997 | Mad City | Bill Gottsegen | |
| 2010 | The Prankster | Presenter |
Television
| 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 |
