MCM: John C. Reilly

You wouldn’t think that John C. Reilly, who is more known for his comedic roles in modern films and TV, would actually have a pretty extensive list of frock flicks to his name until you list them all out. I’m a huge fan of his work and even I didn’t really realize just how many historical shows he has done over the course of his career. Everything from war flicks to Victorian and whatever is in between! So today, we celebrate John C. Reilly’s historical films and TV shows!

Casualties of War (1989)

Hoffa (1992)

Boogie Nights (1997)

Yeah, yeah, it’s set after our 1969 cut-off, but only just. And the costume design by Mark Bridges in Paul Thomas Anderson’s iconic film was praised as particularly evocative of the 1970s.

The Thin Red Line (1998)

Never seen it, unlikely to see it, but I gotta include it here anyway.

Gangs of New York (2002)

Reilly plays an NYC policeman who is in cahoots with the Irish gang led by Bill the Butcher.

Chicago (2002)

Here, let me just put the entire clip of John C. Reilly singing “Mr. Cellophane” and be done with it.

The Hours (2002)

This film got every award nod imaginable when it came out but I still haven’t seen it because OMG DE-PRESS-ING.

The Aviator (2004)

The costumes in this film were amazing. We should honestly do a full review at some point.

Walk Hard (2007)

Just go read the review I recently did on this film.

Drunk History: Nikola Tesla & Thomas Edison (2010)

We are big fans of the Drunk History (2007-2011) series. In this installment, John C. Reilly plays Nikola Tesla opposite Crispin Glover as Thomas Edison. Content Warning: VOMIT.

Peace on Earth: Little Drummer Boy (2010)

Managing to capture the pure awkwardness of the 1977 original with Bing Crosby and David Bowie.

Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013)

Reilly has a cameo as the ghost of Stonewall Jackson.

Tale of Tales (2015)

Absolutely gorgeous and utterly weird film. Reilly plays the King of Longtrellis opposite Salma Hayek’s Queen.

Kong: Skull Island (2017)

The film is allegedly set after the Vietnam War, so post-1975, but I’m probably never going to watch it anyway.

The Little Hours (2017)

A fantastic, witty film set in the middle ages, but with hardly any real costume content because everyone in it is a monk or a nun.

Stan & Ollie (2018)

Excellent film that focuses on the latter part of iconic comedy duo Laurel & Hardy’s career in the 1950s.

Holmes & Watson (2018)

Another film that I have been meaning to watch for ages. The costumes actually look really good, even though it’s a John C. Reilly and Will Ferrell flick.

Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers (2022)

I can’t say enough good things about this show, and I am eagerly awaiting season two to drop, but alas, it takes place at the ass-end of the 70s and goes into the early-80s.

Do you have a favorite historical film or TV show featuring John C. Reilly? Share it with us in the comments!

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4 thoughts on “MCM: John C. Reilly”

Leslie says:

July 17, 2023 at 8:34 am

There was a TV show or film, made way back when he was a young man. I absolutely fell in love with his looks, he was just so different from the mainstream faces of the day.

I cannot for the life of me remember the plot or any of the other actors/characters, except that he played a clown of some sort. Can anyone help me out?

Will says:

July 17, 2023 at 9:55 am

John C Reilly always a joy to see in any film! First a nit-pick, Bill the Butcher’s gang was the American Natives, and very ANTI-Irish!
JCR was producer and star of 2018’s The Sisters Brothers, a western set in the 1850s.

Saraquill says:

July 17, 2023 at 11:19 am

Chicago was fun, but Tale of Tales was a feast for the eyes. I also need to check out that Drunk History episode.

Alys says:

July 17, 2023 at 2:49 pm

Oh yes! Please do The Aviator! It’s chock full of Old Hollywood!

Also, you get a pass on Skull Island because Reilly’s character was supposed to be a guy from WWII. You’re not missing anything by never watching that movie, unless you are really in to CGI monsters.