Editing Don Rickles

{{short description|American comedian and actor (1926–2017)}}
{{about|the stand-up comedian|the radio and television announcer|Donald Rickles}}
{{use mdy dates|date=February 2024}}
{{use American English|date=February 2024}}
{{Infobox comedian
| name          = Don Rickles
| image         = Don Rickles 1973.JPG
| caption       = Rickles in 1973
| birth_name    = Donald Jay Rickles
| birth_date    = {{birth date|1926|05|08}}
| birth_place   = New York City, U.S.
| death_date    = {{death date and age|2017|04|06|1926|05|08}}
| death_place   = [[Los Angeles, California]], U.S.
<!-- Infobox comedian does not support the following parameter:
| party         = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] -->
| resting_place = [[Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery]]
| years_active  = 1950–2017
| medium        = {{hlist|Stand-up|film|television|books}}
| genre         = {{hlist|[[Observational comedy]]|[[insult comedy]]|[[black comedy]]|[[cringe comedy]]|[[shock humor]]|satire}}
| subject       = {{hlist| [[American culture]]|racism|[[self-deprecation]]|everyday life|religion|[[current events]]}}
| spouse        = {{marriage|Barbara Sklar|March 14, 1965}}
| children      = 2, including [[Larry Rickles]]
| website       = {{URL|donrickles.com}}
{{Infobox military person
| embed         = yes
| allegiance    = United States
| branch        = [[United States Navy]]<!--No flags per MOS:INFOBOXFLAG-->
| serviceyears  = 1944–1946 
| rank          = [[Seaman first class]]<!--No icons per MOS:INFOBOXFLAG-->
| battles       = {{Tree list}}
* [[World War II]]
** [[Pacific War]] 
{{Tree list/end}}
}}
}}
'''Donald Jay Rickles''' (May 8, 1926 – April 6, 2017) was an American [[stand-up comedian]] and actor. He was known primarily for his [[insult comedy]]. His film roles include ''[[Run Silent, Run Deep (film)|Run Silent, Run Deep]]'' (1958), ''[[Enter Laughing (film)|Enter Laughing]]'' (1967), ''[[Kelly's Heroes]]'' (1970), and ''[[Casino (1995 film)|Casino]]'' (1995). From 1976 to 1978, Rickles had a two-season starring role in the [[NBC]] television sitcom ''[[C.P.O. Sharkey]]'', having previously starred in two eponymous half-hour programs, an [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] variety series titled ''The Don Rickles Show'' (1968) and a [[CBS]] sitcom identically titled ''[[The Don Rickles Show]]'' (1972).

A veteran headline performer at [[Las Vegas]] hotel-casinos and peripheral member of the [[Rat Pack]] via friendship with [[Frank Sinatra]],<ref>Rickles, Don and David Ritz (2007). ''Rickles' Book: A Memoir''. Simon & Schuster. {{ISBN|978-0-7432-9305-1}}. p. 91.</ref> Rickles received widespread exposure as a frequent guest on talk and variety shows, including ''[[The Dean Martin Show]]'', ''[[The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson]]'', and The ''[[Late Show with David Letterman]]'', and voiced [[Mr. Potato Head#Toy Story franchise|Mr. Potato Head]] in the first four films of the [[Toy Story (franchise)|''Toy Story'' franchise]] (1995–2019). He won a [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program|Primetime Emmy Award]] for the 2006 documentary ''[[Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project]]''. In 2014, he was honored by fellow comedians in a show at the [[Apollo Theater]], which was taped and released on [[Spike TV]] titled ''[[Don Rickles: One Night Only]]''.

== Early life ==
Rickles was born in [[Queens, New York]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://qns.com/story/2017/04/06/comedian-don-rickles-grew-jackson-heights-dead-age-90 |title=Comedian Don Rickles, who grew up in Jackson Heights, is dead at the age of 90 |author=Pozarycki, Robert |access-date=April 27, 2020 |website=[[TimesLedger Newspapers|QNS]]|date=April 6, 2017 }}</ref> on May 8, 1926.<ref name="dummy" /> His father Max S. Rickles (1896–1952) emigrated in 1903 with his [[Litvaks|Lithuanian]] parents from [[Kaunas]].<ref>World War I draft registration, NY City, #31-9-149-B, Max S. Rickles, born August 12, 1897, in Kovna (Kaunas) Russia</ref> His mother Etta Rickles (''née'' Feldman; 1898–1984) was born in New York City to Austrian immigrant parents.<ref>US Census, 1930. Queens, New York, Supervisor's District 33, sheet 6A, family No. 136</ref><ref>US Census, 1920. NY City, Enumerationer's district 1508, Sheet 33A, family No. 138</ref> Rickles grew up in [[Jackson Heights, Queens|Jackson Heights]].<ref name="dummy">Witchel, Alex (August 25, 1996). [https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D04E6DE1031F936A1575BC0A960958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=1 "I'm No Howard Stern, You Dummy"]. ''[[The New York Times]]''. Retrieved October 8, 2007.</ref>

After graduating from [[Newtown High School (Queens)|Newtown High School]] in 1944,<ref>Shain, Percy (January 23, 1972). "[https://www.newspapers.com/image/434823103/ The Three Sides of Don Rickles]". ''[[The Boston Globe]]''.</ref> Rickles enlisted in the [[United States Navy]] and served during [[World War II]] on the motor torpedo boat tender {{USS|Cyrene|AGP-13|6}} as a [[Seaman (rank)|seaman]] first class. He was [[honorably discharged]] in 1946.<ref>{{cite news |last=Jones |first=Chris |title=Don Rickles, WWII Vet & Comedian, Dies At 90 |website=American Military News |date=April 6, 2017 |url=https://americanmilitarynews.com/2017/04/breaking-wwii-vet-comedian-don-rickles-dies-90/ |access-date=October 27, 2020}}</ref><ref name="Post">{{cite news |last=Heller |first=Karen |date=May 26, 2016 |title=90 Years Old and Still Zinging |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |pages=C1–C2 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/don-rickles-was-politically-incorrect-before-it-was-incorrect-and-hes-still-going-at-90/2016/05/24/3b5e0422-1868-11e6-924d-838753295f9a_story.html |access-date=June 4, 2016}}</ref> Two years later, intending to be a dramatic actor, he studied at the [[American Academy of Dramatic Arts]] and then played bit parts on television. Frustrated by a lack of acting work, Rickles began to perform comedy in clubs in New York, Miami, and Los Angeles. He became known as an [[insult comedian]] when he responded to his hecklers. The audience enjoyed these insults more than his prepared material, so he incorporated them into his act.<ref name=allmusic>{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/don-rickles-mn0000193606/biography |title=Artist Biography |author=Ankeny, Jason |access-date=October 20, 2016 |website=[[AllMusic]]}}</ref>

When Rickles started his career in the early 1950s, he started to call ill-mannered members of the audience "[[hockey puck]]s".<ref>''[[The Tonight Show with Jay Leno]]'' April 15, 2009.</ref> His style was similar to that of an older insult comic [[Jack E. Leonard]], though Rickles denied Leonard influenced his style.<ref name="couch">{{cite web| url=http://www.comedycouch.com/interviews/drickles.htm| author=MacPherson, Guy| title=Don Rickles Interview| website=The Comedy Couch| date=October 6, 2006| access-date=May 17, 2007}}</ref> During an interview on ''[[Larry King Live]]'', Rickles credited [[Milton Berle]]'s comedy style for inspiring him to enter show business.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XMNqakiGzw;t=11m11s Don Rickles on Larry King Show], 1985</ref>

==Career==
===Rise to fame===
While working in the "Murray Franklin's" nightclub in [[Miami Beach, Florida]], early during his career, Rickles spotted [[Frank Sinatra]] and remarked to him, "I just saw your movie ''[[The Pride and the Passion]]'' and I wanna tell you, the cannon's acting was great." He added, "Make yourself at home, Frank. Hit somebody!"<ref name="dummy"/><ref name="puck"/> Sinatra, whose pet name for Rickles was "bullet-head", enjoyed him so much that he encouraged other celebrities to see Rickles's act and be insulted by him. Sinatra's support helped Rickles become a popular headline performer in [[Las Vegas]].<ref name="puck">{{cite web| url=http://www.thehockeypuck.com/bio.html| title=Biography| publisher=The Hockey Puck| access-date=May 17, 2007| archive-date=August 12, 2007| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070812091320/http://www.thehockeypuck.com/bio.html| url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5_V9RT8aR8| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211102/q5_V9RT8aR8| archive-date=November 2, 2021| url-status=live| title=Frank Sinatra is Surprised by Don Rickles on Johnny Carson's Show, Funniest Moment| date=August 3, 2011| access-date=April 6, 2017| via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref> During a ''[[The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast|Dean Martin Celebrity Roast]]'' special, Rickles was among those who took part in [[Roast (comedy)|roasting]] Sinatra,<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-KeTNU-ods Don Rickles roasts Frank Sinatra], Dean Martin special</ref> and Rickles himself was also roasted during another show in the series.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdPcjIrSvcs| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211102/sdPcjIrSvcs| archive-date=November 2, 2021| url-status=live| title=Comedian Foster Brooks roasts Don Rickles |via=YouTube |date=December 13, 2008 |access-date=April 10, 2017}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

Rickles earned the nicknames "The Merchant of Venom" and "Mr. Warmth"<ref name=allmusic/><ref name=latimes>{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/showtracker/la-et-st-0624-don-rickles-20130624-story.html |title=Don Rickles to be honored for busting people's chops |date=June 24, 2013 |author=King, Susan |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |access-date=October 20, 2016}}</ref> for his poking fun at people of all ethnicities and all walks of life. When he was introduced to an audience or on a television talk show, Spanish [[matador]] music, "La Virgen de la Macarena", would usually be played, subtly foreshadowing someone was about to be metaphorically gored. As Rickles observed, "I always pictured myself facing the audience as the matador."<ref name="couch" />

In 1958, Rickles made his film debut in a serious part in ''[[Run Silent, Run Deep (film)|Run Silent, Run Deep]]'' with [[Clark Gable]] and [[Burt Lancaster]].<ref name=latimes/> Throughout the 1960s, he often appeared on television in sitcoms and dramatic series. Rickles guest-starred in ''[[Get Smart]]'' as Sid, an old war buddy of Max's, who comes to stay with him. In an episode of ''[[Run for Your Life (TV series)|Run for Your Life]]'', Rickles portrayed a distressed comedian whose act culminates in him strangling a patron while imploring the patron to "Laugh!" Rickles took a dramatic turn in the low-budget [[Roger Corman]] science-fiction/horror film ''[[X (1963 film)|X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes]]'' as a [[carnival barker]] out to exploit the title character (portrayed by [[Ray Milland]]).<ref>{{cite journal| url=https://deadline.com/2017/04/don-rickles-dies-legendary-comic-90-1202063770/| title=Don Rickles Dies: Legendary Comedian Was 90| first=Denise| last=Petski| date=April 6, 2017| journal=[[Deadline Hollywood]]| access-date=April 6, 2017}}</ref>

[[File:Don Rickles and Lorne Green.jpg|thumb|left|240px|Rickles and [[Lorne Greene]] on ''The Don Rickles Show'' in 1968]]
Rickles appeared in the ''[[Beach Party film|Beach Party]]'' film series. He recalled in his 2007 memoir that at a [[White House]] dinner, [[Barbara Bush]] teased him about his decision to appear in those films.<ref name=Rickles2007>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5IbANRNF1UIC&q=rickles+memoir+bush&pg=PA202 | title=Rickles' Book: A Memoir |author1=Rickles, Don |author2=David Ritz |publisher=Simon & Schuster |isbn=978-0-7432-9305-1 |year=2007 |page=202}}</ref> Rickles's agent Jack Gilardi was married to [[Annette Funicello]] when Rickles was cast in the ''Beach Party'' films. He subsequently began to appear more frequently on television talk shows, first appearing on ''[[The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson]]'' in 1965.<ref name=allmusic/> Rickles became a frequent guest and guest host, appearing more than 100 times on ''The Tonight Show'' during Carson's era. An early Carson–Rickles ''Tonight'' highlight occurred in 1968 when, while two Japanese women treated Carson to a bath and foot massage, Rickles walked onto the set.<ref>{{YouTube|gauYtZ8S1zs}}</ref> Rickles also made frequent appearances on ''[[The Dean Martin Show]]'' and became a fixture on ''[[The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast]]'' specials.<ref name="latimes" />

In 1968, Rickles released a live comedy album titled ''Hello, Dummy!'', which reached number 54 on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] album chart.<ref>{{cite web|url={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p218|pure_url=yes}}|title =Don Rickles Charts & Awards|publisher=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=May 17, 2007}}</ref> The same year, he starred in his own variety show on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]], ''The Don Rickles Show'', with comedy writer Pat McCormick as his sidekick; the show lasted only 17 episodes and was replaced by a prime time version of the game ''[[Let's Make a Deal]]''. During the 1960s, Rickles made guest appearances on ''[[The Dick Van Dyke Show]]'', ''[[The Munsters]]'', ''[[The Addams Family]]'', ''[[The Mothers-in-Law]]'', ''[[Gilligan's Island]]'', ''[[Get Smart]]'', ''[[The Twilight Zone]]'' episode "[[Mr. Dingle, the Strong]]",<ref>{{cite web |title=Twilight Zone, The: Mr. Dingle, The Strong (TV) |url=https://www.paleycenter.org/collection/item/?item=T:01969 |website=Paley Center for Media |access-date=June 15, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Mr. Dingle, the Strong – The Twilight Zone (Season 2, Episode 19) |url=https://tv.apple.com/au/episode/mr-dingle-the-strong/umc.cmc.7ax3h2n513c31g5mpavaa8j8g?showId=umc.cmc.3tg58h9lglzj81tldi0n9167g |website=Apple TV |access-date=June 15, 2022 |language=en-AU |date=March 2, 1961}}</ref> ''[[The Andy Griffith Show]]'', ''[[Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.]]'', and ''[[I Dream of Jeannie]]''.

===Mid-career===
[[File:Don Rickles and Louise Sorel, 1971.jpg|thumb|Rickles and [[Louise Sorel]] on ''The Don Rickles Show'']]
In 1970, Rickles had a notable role as Crapgame in ''[[Kelly's Heroes]]'', sharing the marquee poster with co-stars Clint Eastwood, [[Telly Savalas]], [[Donald Sutherland]], and [[Carroll O'Connor]]. In 1972, he starred in ''The Don Rickles Show'' (his second series with that title)'','' which lasted for 13 episodes.<ref>{{cite book |page=38 |title=Single Season Sitcoms, 1948–1979 |first=Bob |last=Leszczak |publisher=McFarland |year=2012 |isbn=978-0-7864-9305-0 |chapter=The Don Rickles Show |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UvE6snvtSesC&q=don+rickles |access-date=February 4, 2022}}</ref> He also starred in a series of television specials. In his memoirs, Rickles acknowledged a scripted sitcom was not well-suited to his ''ad lib'' style of performing,<ref name=latimes_obit>{{cite news| url=https://www.latimes.com/la-me-don-rickles-snap-20170406-story.html| title=Don Rickles, aggressively caustic comedian dubbed 'Mr. Warmth,' dies at 90| date=April 6, 2017| access-date=April 6, 2017| newspaper=Los Angeles Times}}</ref> as he had earlier said that he never wrote down his jokes.<ref>{{cite interview |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/la-et-from-the-archives-don-rickles-interview-20170406-story.html |title=From the Archives: A 1967 interview with Don Rickles, the ever-busy insult comic who never writes anything down |last=Rickles |first=Don |interviewer=Don Page |date=October 13, 1967 |newspaper=Los Angeles Times}}</ref>

Starting in 1973, he became a popular [[dais]] comedian appearing on ''[[The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast]]'' specials. In 1976–1978, he starred in ''[[C.P.O. Sharkey]]'', which lasted two seasons.<ref name=latimes_obit/> The series is remembered for the [[C.P.O. Sharkey#The Tonight Show cigarette box incident|cigarette box incident]] when [[Johnny Carson]] made an impromptu visit during a ''Tonight Show'' taping to the adjacent TV studio during an episode's taping, feigning "incensed" ire that Rickles, an ex-smoker,<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.maxim.com/entertainment/interview-icon-don-rickles/ | title=Notorious Insult Comic Don Rickles Reveals His Darkest Secret of All: He's Actually Nice - Maxim | date=April 6, 2017 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.ebay.com/itm/373996075841 | title=Don Rickles Laugh in guest spot smoking cigarette Original 35mm Transparency }}</ref> broke Johnny Carson's wooden box, from 1967, on the previous night, while a guest on ''The Tonight Show'', on which [[Bob Newhart]] was the guest host. The incident was often replayed in ''Tonight Show'' [[retrospective]]s and was considered a highlight of the 1970s era of the series.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/17/arts/television/don-rickles-recalls-his-cpo-sharkey-days.html| title=Don Rickles Recalls His 'CPO Sharkey' Days| first=Dave| last=Itzkoff| date=May 15, 2015| access-date=April 6, 2017| newspaper=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> Rickles retorted that he would replace the box with an X-ray of Johnny Carson's lungs.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://heavy.com/entertainment/2017/04/watch-don-rickles-johnny-carson-cigarette-box-bit-incident-cpo-sharkey-tonight-show-original-clip-video-youtube/ | title=WATCH: Don Rickles & Johnny Carson's Famous Cigarette Box Incident | date=April 6, 2017 }}</ref>

Rickles occasionally appeared as a panelist on ''[[Hollywood Squares]]'' and was depicted in comic-book form by [[Jack Kirby]] during his work on the ''[[Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen]]'' series (part of [[Jack Kirby's Fourth World]]).<ref>{{cite book| last1=McAvennie| first1=Michael| editor-last=Dolan| editor-first=Hannah| chapter=1970s| title=DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle| publisher=[[Dorling Kindersley]] |year=2010 |isbn=978-0-7566-6742-9 |page=146 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9mmgDwAAQBAJ&q=rickles |quote=In one of Jack Kirby's strangest tales, Jimmy Olsen met real-world funnyman Don Rickles' costumed likeness, 'Goody' Rickles. |url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref>{{cite comic| writer=[[Jack Kirby|Kirby, Jack]]| penciller=Kirby, Jack| inker=[[Vince Colletta|Colletta, Vince]]| story=The Guardian Fights Again!!!| title= Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen| issue=139| date=July 1971}}</ref><ref>{{cite comic| writer=Kirby, Jack| penciller=Kirby, Jack| inker=Colletta, Vince| story=Will The Real Don Rickles Panic?!?| title=Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen| issue= 141| date=September 1971}}</ref>

In the early 1980s, Rickles began to perform with [[Steve Lawrence]] in concerts in Las Vegas. In 1983, the duo co-hosted ''[[Foul-Ups, Bleeps & Blunders]]'', an imitation of ''[[TV's Bloopers & Practical Jokes]]''. In 1982, he was in "Death of a Lodger", an episode of ''[[Archie Bunker's Place]]''. In 1985, when Frank Sinatra was asked to organize and perform at [[Ronald Reagan]]'s second presidential inaugural celebration, he insisted Rickles be allowed to perform and do it unrehearsed.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XMNqakiGzw;t=17m33s |title=Don Rickles discussing Reagan inaugural performance |via=YouTube |date=December 25, 2016 |access-date=April 10, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3kJ7VPJnmI | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211102/K3kJ7VPJnmI| archive-date=November 2, 2021| url-status=live| title=Don Rickles performing at Ronald Reagan's 2nd inaugural |via=YouTube |date=March 5, 2011 |access-date=April 10, 2017}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Rickles considered this performance the highpoint of his career.<ref name="insults">{{cite news |url=http://www.dailyrecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070316/ENT09/703160315/1091/ENT |title=Insults still flying from legendary Don Rickles |author=Darrow, Chuck |newspaper=[[Daily Record (Morristown)|Daily Record]] |location=Parsippany, NJ |date=March 16, 2007 |access-date=May 17, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130102091810/http://www.dailyrecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20070316%2FENT09%2F703160315%2F1091%2FENT&nclick_check=1 |archive-date=January 2, 2013}}</ref>

In 1990, he appeared in the second-season episode of ''[[Tales from the Crypt (TV series)|Tales from the Crypt]]'' titled "The Ventriloquist's Dummy". In 1992, he was cast in ''[[Innocent Blood (film)|Innocent Blood]]'', directed by [[John Landis]]. In his memoir, Rickles wrote that he recalled Landis was a "production assistant" to [[Brian G. Hutton]] during the filming of ''Kelly's Heroes''. During the filming of ''Innocent Blood'', Rickles would kid Landis by ordering him to get coffee or to run other errands befitting his one-time "[[gofer]]" status.

In 1993, Rickles starred in another short-lived sitcom titled ''[[Daddy Dearest]]'', with [[Richard Lewis (comedian)|Richard Lewis]]. In 1995, he played Billy Sherbert in the Universal Pictures film ''[[Casino (1995 film)|Casino]]'' and voiced Mr. Potato Head in the Disney and Pixar film ''[[Toy Story]].'' He reprised his role as Mr. Potato Head in ''[[Toy Story 2]]'' (1999).<ref>{{cite news| url=https://variety.com/2017/tv/news/don-rickles-dead-dies-comedian-insult-vegas-1202025068/| title=Don Rickles, Legendary Insult Comic, Dies at 90| first=Richard| last=Natale| date=April 6, 2017| newspaper=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]| access-date=February 4, 2022}}</ref> Rickles starred as [[George Everett Wilson|George Wilson]] in 1998's ''[[Dennis the Menace Strikes Again]]''; that same year, he portrayed a film theater manager in ''[[Dirty Work (1998 film)|Dirty Work]]'' and voiced Cornwall, one of the heads of a two-headed dragon, in ''[[Quest for Camelot]]''. In 1999, he briefly appeared in a fictionalized form in ''[[The Simpsons]]'' episode "[[Viva Ned Flanders]]".

===Later works===
Rickles made a cameo appearance as himself in a recurring [[dream sequence]] in "[[Sub Conscious (The Unit)|Sub Conscious]]", an episode of ''[[The Unit]]'', which aired in February 2007.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tv.com/the-unit/sub-conscious/episode/963722/summary.html |title=The Unit – Season 2, Episode 13: Sub Conscious |website=[[TV.com]] |access-date=May 19, 2015}}</ref>

On May 8, 2006, on his 80th birthday, [[Simon & Schuster]] released his memoir titled ''Rickles' Book''. ''[[Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project]]'', a documentary about Rickles directed by John Landis, made its debut on [[HBO]] on December 2, 2007. Rickles won a [[Primetime Emmy Award]] for [[Primetime Emmy Award for Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program|Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program]], besting a number of notable comics, including [[David Letterman]], [[Jon Stewart]], and [[Stephen Colbert]]. Rickles remarked, "Stephen Colbert's a funny man, but he's too young. He has got plenty of time to win awards, but this may be my last year and I think that I made it count. On second thought, it was probably just a mercy award for an old man."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://goldderby.latimes.com/awards_goldderby/the_colbert_report/ |title=Gold Derby |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |access-date=May 19, 2015}}</ref> In 2009, Rickles appeared on ''[[Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List]]'' and met Griffin's mother Maggie to fulfill one item on Maggie's "bucket list". In 2010, he appeared in a commercial during [[Super Bowl XLIV]] as a talking rose, and appeared on the 37th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards on CBS TV on June 27, 2010.

He reprised his role as Mr. Potato Head in ''[[Toy Story 3]]'' (2010). In 2011, Rickles reunited with his ''[[Casino (1995 film)|Casino]]'' (1995) co-star [[Joe Pesci]] in a [[Snickers]] advertisement highlighting actors known for their "short fuses".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://theadbuzz.com/2011/05/joe-pesci-and-don-rickles-join-the-snickers |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120720151251/http://theadbuzz.com/2011/05/joe-pesci-and-don-rickles-join-the-snickers |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 20, 2012 |title=Joe Pesci and Don Rickles Join the Snickers "Party" |website=The Ad Buzz |date=May 18, 2011 |access-date=May 11, 2012}}</ref> Rickles also portrayed the supposedly late husband of Elka ([[Betty White]]) on ''[[Hot in Cleveland]]''— a "surprise" because his character was believed dead.<ref>{{cite news| first=Mark| last=Dawidziak| newspaper=[[The Plain Dealer]]| location=[[Cleveland]]| url=http://www.cleveland.com/tv-blog/index.ssf/2011/08/don_rickles_shows_up_as_elkas_husband_in_hot_in_cleveland_season_finale.html| title=Don Rickles shows up as Elka's husband in 'Hot in Cleveland' season finale| date=September 2011| access-date=February 4, 2022}}</ref>

On May 28, 2014, Rickles was honored by [[Spike TV]]'s ''[[Don Rickles: One Night Only|One Night Only: An All-Star Comedy Tribute to Don Rickles]]''. Recorded live at New York City's [[Apollo Theater]], [[Jerry Seinfeld]] was the master of ceremonies for the two-hour special, with live monologues by [[Johnny Depp]], [[Martin Scorsese]], [[Robert De Niro]], [[Jon Stewart]], [[David Letterman]], [[Tracy Morgan]], [[Brian Williams]], [[Regis Philbin]], [[Amy Poehler]], and [[Tina Fey]]. Recorded segments included bits from [[Bob Newhart]], [[Bill Cosby]], [[Jimmy Kimmel]], and [[Eddie Murphy]]. Seinfeld described Rickles as a part of the "Mount Rushmore of Stand-up Comedy" with [[George Carlin]], [[Richard Pryor]], and Bill Cosby.<ref name=comics>[http://thecomicscomic.com/2014/05/28/highlights-from-one-night-only-an-all-star-tribute-to-don-rickles-for-his-88th-birthday/ "Highlights from One Night Only: An All-Star Tribute to Don Rickles"]. ''The Comic's Comic''. May 28, 2014.</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/rickles-trades-shots-best-spike-salute-article-1.1803561 |title=Don Rickles and guest-star roasters like Jerry Seinfeld, David Letterman, Amy Poehler and Tina Fey trade shots |author=Kaplan, Don |date=May 27, 2014 |access-date=October 20, 2016 |newspaper=[[New York Daily News]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://ew.com/article/2014/05/07/don-rickles-tribute-jokes/ |title= Don Rickles: Comedy legends' salute 2014 |author=Hillary Busis |magazine= [[Entertainment Weekly]] |accessdate=July 3, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150329011431/https://ew.com/article/2014/05/07/don-rickles-tribute-jokes/ |archive-date=March 29, 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

{{quote|"The camaraderie and the comedy made the show a cross between a traditional roast and a dignified lifetime achievement award, spanning emotions ranging from admiration and gratitude to, well, degradation. And as the evening reached its climax, when Rickles got his say after all that had said about him and his nearly 60-year-long career, fittingly, he had the last laugh." – ''TV Week''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tvweek.com/blogs/2014/05/spike-tvs-all-star-don-rickles-tribute-turning-up-the-heat-on-mr-warmth.php |title=Spike TV's All-Star Don Rickles Tribute: Turning Up the Heat on 'Mr. Warmth' |website=TVWeek |access-date=May 19, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140729051831/http://www.tvweek.com/blogs/2014/05/spike-tvs-all-star-don-rickles-tribute-turning-up-the-heat-on-mr-warmth.php |archive-date=July 29, 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref>}}

He was still a frequent guest on [[late night talk show]]s, including ''[[Jimmy Kimmel Live!]]'', ''[[The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon]]'', ''[[The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson]]'' among others, during the later months of his life. On May 11, 2015, Rickles appeared as a guest on one of the final episodes of ''The Late Show with David Letterman''. He also made a cameo appearance in ''[[Grandfathered (TV series)|Grandfathered]]''.<ref>{{cite magazine| url=https://www.tvguidemagazine.com/john-stamos-inherits-a-new-full-house-with-foxs-grandfathered/| title=John Stamos Inherits a New Full House With Fox's 'Grandfathered'| date=September 24, 2015| access-date=February 4, 2022| magazine=TV Guide}}</ref>

In an interview in 2014, he dismissed thoughts of retiring, stating: <blockquote>"I'm in good health. I'm working better than I ever have. The audiences are great. Why should I retire? I'm like a fighter. The bell rings and you come out and fight. My energy comes alive. And I still enjoy it."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.turlockjournal.com/archives/25588/ |title=Comedy legend Don Rickles heads into Turlock |author=Stafford, Sabra |date=May 8, 2014 |access-date=October 20, 2016 |newspaper=[[Turlock Journal]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161021011056/http://www.turlockjournal.com/archives/25588/ |archive-date=October 21, 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref></blockquote> Up until his death in 2017, despite being impeded by multiple surgeries following a bout with [[necrotizing fasciitis]] in 2013, he continued touring across the United States.<ref name="Post"/>

He was reportedly slated to reprise his role as Mr. Potato Head in ''Toy Story 4'' (2019), but he died without recording any of his lines of dialogue. With permission from his wife Barbara Rickles, [[Josh Cooley]] used unused archival audio from the previous three ''[[Toy Story]]'' films to honor him and dedicate to his memory.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Schaefer |first1=Sandy |title=Toy Story 4 Has A Tribute To Mr. Potato Head's Don Rickles |url=https://screenrant.com/toy-story-4-potato-head-don-rickles-tribute/#:~:text=Speaking%20at%20Pixar's%20Toy%20Story,have%20a%20tribute%20to%20him. |website=screenrant.com |date=May 2019 |access-date=February 5, 2023}}</ref>

==Filmography==
{{main|Don Rickles filmography}}

== Personal life ==
On March 14, 1965, Rickles married Barbara Sklar of Philadelphia. He admitted to having a difficult time romantically in his 20s and 30s, meeting Sklar through his agent when he was 38 years old and falling for her when she failed to get his sense of humor.<ref>{{cite magazine| url=http://www.mensjournal.com/magazine/don-rickles-survival-skills-20130826| title=Don Rickles's Life Advice| magazine=[[Men's Journal]]| access-date=April 6, 2017| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170407025311/http://www.mensjournal.com/magazine/don-rickles-survival-skills-20130826| archive-date=April 7, 2017| url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine| url=https://www.milwaukeemag.com/don-rickles-exclusive-interview/| title=Don Rickles Exclusive Interview| first=Jimmy| last=McDonough| date=August 9, 2016| magazine=[[Milwaukee Magazine]]| access-date=April 6, 2017}}</ref> They had two children: Mindy, an actress, and [[Larry Rickles|Larry]], a producer who died of [[pneumonia]] at the age of 41.<ref name=thr>{{cite news| first=Mike| last=Barnes| title=Don Rickles' Only Son Dies at 41, Larry Rickles earned an Emmy Award for a 2007 documentary about his dad |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/don-rickles-son-dies-at-270157| newspaper=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]| date=December 6, 2011| access-date=December 20, 2011}}</ref> According to Rickles's memoir, his grandchildren Ethan and Harrison Mann were much more impressed by his role as Mr. Potato Head than by any of his other achievements. Barbara died from [[non-Hodgkin lymphoma]] on March 14, 2021, exactly 56 years after the couple married.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/17/arts/television/barbara-rickles-dead.html| title=Barbara Rickles, Comedian's Wife and Target, Dies at 84| agency=[[Associated Press]]| newspaper=The New York Times| date=March 17, 2021| accessdate=March 20, 2021}}</ref><ref name=hi>{{cite news| url=https://apnews.com/article/don-rickles-barbara-sklar-bob-saget-c3fdb37360c6c548f0f7892bb441950| title=Barbara Rickles, widow of comedian Don Rickles, dies at 84 | agency=[[The Associated Press]]| date=March 15, 2021| first=Hillel| last=Italieap}}</ref>

Rickles befriended mobster "Crazy" [[Joe Gallo]] following a performance at the [[Copacabana (nightclub)|Copacabana]] in 1972. Gallo, whom Rickles had ribbed mercilessly during his set, despite being warned not to do so, accepted Rickles's ribbings in good humor and invited him to [[Umberto's Clam House]] after the show. Rickles declined the offer. That night, a gunfight erupted at Umberto's, [[Joe_Gallo#Murder|killing Gallo]].<ref>{{cite news| first=Don| last=Paul| url=http://buffalonews.com/2017/06/28/from-thugs-to-thunderstorms-the-don-paul-story/| title=From Thugs to Thunderstorms: the Don Paul story| newspaper=[[The Buffalo News]]| date=June 28, 2017| access-date=June 28, 2017}}</ref> This situation was dramatized in the movie ''[[The Irishman]]''.

Rickles performed at the inaugurations of [[Ronald Reagan]] and [[George H. W. Bush]] with his friend Frank Sinatra,<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Stein |first=Joel |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1101991213-35479,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080925065312/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1101991213-35479,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 25, 2008 |title=Don Rickles |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=December 5, 1999 |access-date=May 19, 2015}}</ref> although Rickles himself was a lifelong [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]].<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2017/04/06/don-rickles-dies-90/100127122/| title=Master of the insult: Comedian Don Rickles dies at 90| newspaper=[[USA Today]]| date=April 6, 2017| first=Gary| last=Levin}}</ref> He considered [[Bob Newhart]] his best friend, and the two often vacationed together along with their wives, who were also close.<ref name="huffpo">{{cite news |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/04/aarp-convention-2013_n_3383576.html |title=AARP Convention 2013 Brings Don Rickles And Bob Newhart Together for the First Time |date=June 4, 2013 |journal=[[HuffPost]] |access-date=October 20, 2016 |author=Emling, Shelley}}</ref> Rickles and Newhart appeared together on ''[[The Tonight Show with Jay Leno]]'' on January 24, 2005, the Monday following [[Johnny Carson]]'s death, reminiscing about their many guest appearances on Carson's show. The two also appeared together on the television sitcom ''[[Newhart]]'' and for previous episodes of ''The Tonight Show'', where Newhart or Rickles were guest hosts. The friendship was memorialized in ''Bob & Don: A Love Story'', a 2023 short documentary film by [[Judd Apatow]] featuring interviews with and home movies of both families.<ref name=hi/><ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/judd-apatows-bob-and-don-a-love-story| title=Judd Apatow's ''Bob and Don: A Love Story'': Watch a short film about the lifelong friendship between Bob Newhart and Don Rickles, who were not an obvious match| magazine=[[The New Yorker]]| date=November 27, 2023| first=Bruce| last=Handy}}</ref>

== Death ==
On April 6, 2017, Rickles died of [[kidney failure]] at his home in [[Century City, Los Angeles]], at the age of 90.<ref name="WaPo Dead">{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/don-rickles-lightning-fast-launcher-of-comic-insults-dies-at-90/2017/04/06/d785d626-1af2-11e7-855e-4824bbb5d748_story.html |title=Don Rickles, lightning-fast launcher of comic insults, dies at 90 |last=Schudel |first=Matt |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=April 6, 2017 |access-date=April 6, 2017}}</ref> He was buried at [[Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.tmz.com/2017/04/12/don-rickles-cause-of-death-certificate/ |title=Don Rickles Death Certificate, Kidney Disease Proved Fatal |website=[[TMZ]]|date=April 12, 2017 }}</ref>

==Legacy==
Many television hosts paid tribute to his comedic talents, with [[Conan O'Brien]], Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert, [[Seth Meyers]], and David Letterman among them.<ref>{{cite magazine| url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/late-night-hosts-remember-funny-sharp-generous-don-rickles-991896| title=Late-Night Hosts Remember the 'Funny, Sharp and Generous' Don Rickles| magazine=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]| date=April 6, 2017| first=Jennifer| last=Konerman}}</ref> [[Barbra Streisand]], [[Billy Crystal]], [[Mel Brooks]], ''[[Toy Story]]'' (1995) filmmaker [[John Lasseter]], [[Ron Howard]], [[Chris Rock]], [[Patton Oswalt]], [[Jim Carrey]], [[Ricky Gervais]] and even his ''Toy Story'' (1995) co-stars [[Tom Hanks]] (the voice of [[Woody (Toy Story)|Woody]]), [[Tim Allen]] (the voice of [[Buzz Lightyear]]) and [[Whoopi Goldberg]] (the voice of Stretch in ''Toy Story 3'') paid their respects on Twitter.<ref>{{cite magazine| url=https://variety.com/2017/tv/news/don-rickles-dead-celebrities-react-bob-newhart-tom-hanks-1202025158/| title=Bob Newhart, Tom Hanks, Other Stars Remember Don Rickles: 'A God Died Today'| magazine=Variety| date=April 6, 2017| first=Sarah| last=Ahern}}</ref> 

Bob Newhart said in a statement: "He was called 'The Merchant of Venom', but in truth, he was one of the kindest, caring, and most sensitive human beings we have ever known. We are devastated, and our world will never be the same. We were totally unprepared for this."<ref>{{cite magazine| url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/don-rickles-dead-hollywood-pays-tribute-991739|title=Hollywood Pays Tribute to Don Rickles| magazine=The Hollywood Reporter| date=April 6, 2017}}</ref>

Martin Scorsese, who directed him in ''Casino'' in 1995, stated: "Don Rickles was a giant, a legend&nbsp;... and I can hear his voice now, skewering me for being so lofty. I had the honor of working with him on my picture ''Casino''. He was a professional. He kept me doubled over with laughter every day on the set – yet he was a complete pro. We became friends over the years, and I had the honor of being roasted by him more than once – sometimes when I didn't expect it. He just started showing up at places and insulting me. Experiencing Don, and tuning into his mind, I witnessed the evolution of his comedy. It was like listening to a great jazz musician wail. Nobody else did what he did. He made comedy into an art form. And like all geniuses, comic or otherwise, he's irreplaceable. He was much loved. I'm really missing this man."<ref>{{cite news| url=https://ew.com/movies/2017/04/06/martin-scorsese-don-rickles-tribute/| title=Martin Scorsese pays tribute to Don Rickles: 'He made comedy into an art form'| first=Oliver| last=Gettell| magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]| date=April 6, 2017}}</ref>

At the [[90th Academy Awards]], [[The Academy Awards|The Academy]] honored Rickles in its annual in Memoriam segment.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.etonline.com/oscars-in-memoriam-honors-roger-moore-don-rickles-and-other-hollywood-icons-but-who-got-snubbed |title=Oscars' 'In Memoriam' Honors Roger Moore, Don Rickles and Other Hollywood Icons – But Who Got Snubbed? |first=Zach |last=Seemayer |date=March 4, 2018 |access-date=May 22, 2019 |work=[[Entertainment Tonight]]}}</ref> The film ''Toy Story 4'' was dedicated to his memory, as well as that of animator Adam Burke; while he would die before recording any dialogue, with the permission of Rickles's family he would still reprise his role as Mr. Potato Head posthumously with the use of unused archival footage.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://ew.com/movies/2019/03/28/toy-story-4-potato-head/ |title=Here's how Toy Story 4 will honor the late Don Rickles as Mr. Potato Head |first=Marc |last=Snetiker |date=March 28, 2019 |access-date=May 22, 2019 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly}}</ref>

== Discography ==
* ''[[Hello Dummy!]]'' (1968)
* ''[[Don Rickles Speaks!]]'' (1969)

== Bibliography ==
* {{cite book |title=Rickles' Book: A Memoir |first1=Don |last1=Rickles |first2=David |last2=Ritz |publisher=Simon & Schuster |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-7432-9305-1 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/ricklesbook00rick }}
* {{cite book |title=Rickles' Letters |first1=Don |last1=Rickles |first2=David |last2=Ritz |publisher=Simon & Schuster |year=2008 |isbn=978-1-4165-9663-9 |url=https://archive.org/details/ricklesletters00rick}}

== Awards and nominations ==
{|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|-
! scope="col" | Year
! scope="col" | Award
! scope="col" | Category
! scope="col" | Work
! scope="col" | Result
! scope="col" | Ref.
|-
| 2000
!scope="row" | [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]]
| {{n/a}}
| Lifetime Achievement
| {{won}}
|<ref>{{cite web| url=http://projects.latimes.com/hollywood/star-walk/don-rickles/| title=Don Rickles| website=Los Angeles Times Hollywood Star Walk| access-date=April 6, 2017}}</ref>
|-
| 2008
!scope="row" | [[Primetime Emmy Award]]
|[[Primetime Emmy Award for Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program|Individual Performance in a Variety Program]]
| ''[[Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project]]''
| {{won}}
|<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.twincities.com/2017/04/06/don-rickles-king-of-insult-comedy-dies-at-90/| title=Don Rickles, 'Mr. Warmth,' dies at 90| date=April 6, 2017| newspaper=[[St. Paul Pioneer Press]]| first=Lynn| last=Elber| agency=Associated Press| access-date=February 4, 2022}}</ref>
|-
| 2009
!scope="row" | [[TV Land Award]]
|[[TV Land|Legend Award]]
| Lifetime Achievement 
| {{won}}
|<ref>{{cite press release| url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/2009/03/31/tv-land-awards-to-honor-comedic-icon-don-rickles-with-this-years-legend-award/20090331tvland01/| title=TV Land Awards to Honor Comedic Icon Don Rickles With This Year's Legend Award| access-date=April 6, 2017| publisher=TV Land| via=[[The Futon Critic]]}}</ref>
|-
| 2012
!scope="row" | [[The Comedy Awards]]
|[[The Comedy Awards|The Johnny Carson Award]]
| Lifetime Achievement 
| {{won}}
|<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/apr/2/don-rickles-to-receive-johnny-carson-award/ | title=Don Rickles to receive Johnny Carson Award| newspaper=[[The Washington Times]]| date=April 2, 2012| agency=Associated Press| access-date=April 6, 2017}}</ref>
|-
| 2013
!scope="row" | [[New York Friars Club]] 
|Lifetime Achievement Award
| {{n/a}}
| {{won}}
|<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sdut-don-rickles-honored-by-friars-club-2013jun24-story.html| title=Don Rickles honored by Friars Club| newspaper=[[The San Diego Union-Tribune]]| date=June 25, 2013| access-date=April 6, 2017}}</ref>
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book |title=Rickles' Book: A Memoir |first1=Don |last1=Rickles |first2=David |last2=Ritz |publisher=Simon & Schuster |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-7432-9305-1 |url=https://archive.org/details/ricklesbook00rick}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Don Rickles}}

* {{official website|https://donrickles.com/}}
* {{IMDb name|0725543}}
* {{tcmdb name}}
* {{Find a Grave|178150969|Don Rickles}}
* {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091113101814/http://www.hulu.com/watch/55113/mr-warmth-the-don-rickles-project-mr-warmth---the-don-rickles-project |date=November 13, 2009 |title=''Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project'' full-length feature film at Hulu (link is only accessible from within the United States) }}

{{EmmyAward VarietyPerformance|state=collapsed}}

{{portal bar|Biography|Comedy|New York City}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rickles, Don}}
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