I actually believe that he had to be HIGH when playing that character because it was SO REAL!!!!!!!, it didn;t come off as a ACT which is why it would be easy to believe he was drinking while doing the episodes-lol

....I remember Jackie telling Morley Safer on "60 MINUTES", when asked the question of whether he drank during production of his variety show, "Not on Show Day. The rest of the week, maybe...". If Jackie was so good at being an "expert" on inebriation, he didn't need to be smashed to "be" Reggie during a live performance.

:tv:

I've heard it said that the contents of his coffee cup were 100% proof.

I've heard it said that the contents of his coffee cup were 100% proof.

By Jackie's own admission in an article or interview years ago, the coffee cup was filled with champagne. I believe that because I attended 8 tapings of "American Scene Magazine" and moments before the tape would roll Johnny Olson (the announcer) would ask one of the Glea Girls to come on stage with the tray containing JG's "coffee" that he would proudly pour into the coffee cup before the audience. He poured from what looked most assuredly like a bottle of champagne. It has been noted (I believe in a Saturday Evening Post magazine article) that Jackie ONLY drank champagne on taping days. Maybe he didn't consider this "drinking on show days" since it wasn't hard liquor. Anyway you look at it.....it was a funny bit, and it worked! Incidentally, the use of the coffee cup and his obvious reaction to what was in it started because of the show he did in 1961 called "You're In The Picture", the game show that failed after the first broadcast. He said he knew it would look like sour grapes if he came out the second week to apologize for such "a bomb", so he had a girl come on stage seconds before air time and pour some J&B (scotch) into a cup. This way, every time he took a sip, it was like a free laugh and the audience was in on it and hopefully on his side. This he told to Tom Snyder on "Tomorrow" in February of 1978.