Elliott Reid

Actor Elliott Reid had a diverse career that encapsulated performances on stage, radio, film, and television. Best known for his portrayal of the smitten detective in the popular Marilyn Monroe/Jane Russell comedy "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes," Reid got his start working as a radio announcer as a teen. At 20, he broke into film with a small role in the largely forgotten drama "The Ramparts We Watch." As a member of Orson Welles's Mercury Theater, Reid had little time for moviemaking and so made only a handful of films in his long career. However, by the 1950s, television was on the rise, and Reid took to the emerging medium. Many theater actors found this transition easy, as much of the early programming was anthology series composed of live or adapted theatrical productions. Reid spent much of the '50s working on these programs. As the years went on, he took to one-off roles on such popular sitcoms as "The Odd Couple," which was based on the acclaimed movie adaptation of the hit Broadway comedy, and "Seinfeld," the New York-set sitcom that famously declared it was about "nothing." After a screen career that spanned 55 years and included 21 films and 60 television programs, Reid retired.