Early life

Rickles was born Donald Jay Rickles in the New York City borough of Queens on May 8, 1926 to Max Rickles (1897-1953), who emigrated in 1903 with his parents Joseph and Frances Rickles (Richters) from Kaunas, Lithuania (then in the Russian Empire), and Etta (Feldman) Rickles (1898-1984), born in New York to immigrant parents from the Austrian Empire. His family was Jewish and spoke Yiddish at home. Rickles grew up in the Jackson Heights area. After graduating from Newtown High School, Rickles enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served during World War II on the motor torpedo boat tender USS Cyrene (AGP-13) as a seaman first class. He was honorably discharged in 1946. Two years later, 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 doing stand-up comedy, performing in clubs in New York, Miami, and Los Angeles. He became known as an insult comedian by responding to his hecklers. The audience enjoyed these insults more than his prepared material, and he incorporated them into his act. When he began his career in the early 1950s, he started calling ill-mannered members of the audience "hockey puck". His style was similar to that of an older insult comic, Jack E. Leonard, though Rickles denies that Leonard influenced his style.

Career

1950s-1960s

While working in a Miami Beach nightclub known as "Murray Franklin's" early in his career, he spotted Frank Sinatra and remarked to him, "I just saw your movie, The Pride and the Passion and I want to tell you, the cannon's acting was great." He added, "Make yourself at home, Frank. Hit somebody!" Sinatra, whose pet name for Rickles was "bullet-head," enjoyed Rickles so much that he encouraged other celebrities to see Rickles' act and be insulted by him. Sinatra's support helped Rickles become a popular headline performer in Las Vegas. Rickles earned the nicknames "The Merchant of Venom" and "Mr. Warmth" for his insult comedy in which he pokes fun at people of all ethnicities and walks of life. When he is introduced to an audience or on a television talk show, Spanish matador music, "La Virgen de la Macarena," will usually be played, subtly foreshadowing that someone is about to be metaphorically gored. Rickles has said, "I always pictured myself facing the audience as the matador." In 1958, Rickles made his film debut in a serious part in Run Silent, Run Deep with Clark Gable and Burt Lancaster. Throughout the 1960s, he appeared frequently on television in sitcoms and dramatic series. Rickles guest-starred in Get Smart as Sid, an old war buddy of Max who comes to stay with him. In an episode of the 1960s drama series Run for Your Life, Rickles played a distressed comedian whose act culminates when he strangles a patron while imploring the patron to "Laugh!" Rickles took a dramatic turn in the low budget Roger Corman film X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes as a carnival barker out to exploit the title character (played by Ray Milland).

Rickles appeared in the popular 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. Rickles' agent, Jack Gilardi, was married to Annette Funicello when Rickles was cast in the Beach Party films. He subsequently began appearing more frequently on television talk shows, first appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in 1965. He 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 massage by foot, Rickles walked onto the set. At one point, he decided to play massage therapist to the prone and towel-clad Carson. Rickles leaned over and wrapped his arms around Carson, ad-libbing, "Give me a break, I'm so lonely!" Carson broke into hysterical laughter, got up, grabbed Rickles, and tossed the suit-clad comedian into the bathtub. Rickles also made frequent appearances on The Dean Martin Show and became a fixture on The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast specials which continued until 1984. In 1968, Rickles released a live comedy album, Hello, Dummy!, which reached #54 on The Billboard 200 album chart. The same year he starred in his own variety show on ABC, The Don Rickles Show, with comedy writer Pat McCormick as his sidekick. The show lasted one season. 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 Andy Griffith Show, and I Dream of Jeannie.

1970s-1980s

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, which lasted for 13 episodes. He also starred in a series of television specials. In his memoir, Rickles acknowledged that a scripted sitcom was not well-suited to his ad-lib style of performing. Starting in 1973, Rickles became a popular comedian appearing on The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast specials. In 1976-1978, he starred in C.P.O. Sharkey, which lasted two seasons. The series is primarily remembered for the cigarette box incident when Johnny Carson did an impromptu surprise visit during an episode's taping because he was "incensed" that Rickles broke his cigarette box while he chatted with Bob Newhart (who was sitting in for Carson as the guest host of the The Tonight Show) on the previous night's show. The incident was often replayed in Tonight Show retrospectives and was considered a highlight of the 1970s era of the series. 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.

1980s-1990s

In the early 1980s, Rickles began performing 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 1985, when Frank Sinatra was asked to perform at Ronald Reagan's Second Inaugural Ball, he stipulated he would not perform unless Rickles was allowed to perform with him. Rickles considers this performance the highlight of his career. In 1990, he appeared in the second season of Tales from the Crypt in the episode "The Ventriloquist's Dummy". In 1992, he was cast in Innocent Blood, directed by John Landis. In his memoir, Rickles wrote that he recalled that Landis was once 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 Daddy Dearest, with Richard Lewis. In 1995, he made a return to film in two high-profile projects: A dramatic role as Robert De Niro's trusted colleague in Martin Scorsese's Casino, and voicing Mr. Potato Head in Toy Story (1995), which he reprised his latter role in Toy Story 2 (1999) and Toy Story 3 (2010). In 1998, he portrayed a film theater manager in Dirty Work and voiced Cornwall, one of the heads of a two-headed dragon, in Quest for Camelot.

2000s-present

In February 2007, Rickles made a cameo appearance as himself in a strange, recurring dream sequence that was woven through an episode titled "Sub Conscious" of the CBS dramatic series, The Unit. Rickles' memoir, titled Rickles' Book, was released on May 8, 2007 by Simon & Schuster. 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 an Emmy Award for "Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program, besting a number of notable comics, including David Letterman, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert. To this 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." Rickles reprised the role of Mr. Potato Head in the Toy Story Midway Mania! attraction at Disney California Adventure Park, Disney's Hollywood Studios and the film Toy Story 3. 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. In 2011, Rickles reunited with his Casino-co-star Joe Pesci in a Snickers advertisement highlighting the actors known for their "short fuses." Also in 2011, he made a surprise appearance as the late husband of Elka (Betty White) on the TV Land original comedy Hot in Cleveland—a "surprise" because Rickles' character was thought to be dead. Rickles remains very active on the stand-up comedy scene and has no plans to retire, as he recently stated in an interview. "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."

On May 28, 2014, Rickles was honored by Spike TV's "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. Live monologs were performed 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. The show was highly praised by audiences and critics alike.

"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

At 90, he is still a frequent guest on late night talk shows, including the Late Show with David Letterman, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. 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 in the show Grandfathered.

Personal life

On March 14, 1965, Rickles married Barbara Sklar, a native of Philadelphia, and had two children: a daughter, Mindy, and a son, producer Larry Rickles (1970-2011). According to Rickles' memoir, his grandchildren, Ethan and Harrison Mann, are much more impressed by his role as Mr. Potato Head than by any of his other achievements.

Although a lifelong Democrat, he performed at the inaugurations of Republican presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush with his friend Frank Sinatra.

Rickles considers comedian Bob Newhart to be his best friend, an unusual partnership since Newhart's low-key, hesitant, self-effacing comic persona is almost completely the opposite of Rickles' high energy, rapid-fire act. 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, which included footage of the "cigarette box incident". 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. Rickles, Newhart, and their wives often vacation together.

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1958	Run Silent, Run Deep	Quartermaster 1st Class Ruby
1959	The Rabbit Trap	Mike O'Halloran
1960	The Rat Race	Nellie
1963	X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes	Crane
1964	Muscle Beach Party	Jack Fanny
1964	Bikini Beach	Big Drag
1964	Pajama Party	Big Bang The Martian
1965	Beach Blanket Bingo	Big Drop
1967	Enter Laughing	Harry Hamburger
1967	The Money Jungle	Harry Darkwater
1969	Where It's At	Willie
1970	Kelly's Heroes	Staff Sergeant Crapgame
1971	The Love Machine	Announcer	Uncredited
1990	Keaton's Cop	Jake
1992	Innocent Blood	Emmanuel "Manny" Bergman
1995	Casino	Billy Sherbert
1995	Toy Story	Mr. Potato Head (voice)
1997	Redux Riding Hood	The Boss (voice)	Short film
1998	Quest for Camelot	Cornwall (voice)
1998	Dirty Work	Mr. Hamilton
1998	Dennis the Menace Strikes Again	George Wilson
1999	Toy Story 2	Mr. Potato Head (voice)
2010	Toy Story 3
2011	Hawaiian Vacation		Short film
2011	Zookeeper	Jim the Bullfrog (voice)
2011	Small Fry	Mr. Potato Head (voice)	Short film
2012	Partysaurus Rex
2018	Toy Story 4

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1955	Stage 7	Announcer	Episode: "A Note of Fear"
1956	Chevron Hall of Stars	Announcer	2 episodes
1955-56	Cavalcade of America	Commentator	2 episodes
1956	Four Star Playhouse	Announcer	Uncredited Episode: "The Listener"
1957	M Squad	N/A	Scenes deleted Episode: "Pete Loves Mary"
1959	The Thin Man	Eddie	Episode: "The Cat Kicker"
1959-60	The DuPont Show with June Allyson	Reporter / Newscaster / Announcer	3 episodes
1961	The Twilight Zone	Bettor	Episode: "Mr. Dingle, the Strong"
1961	Wagon Train	Joe Carder	Episode: "Wagon to Fort Anderson"
1961	Hennesey	Chief Petty Officer Ernie Schmidt	Episode: "Professional Sailor"
1962	The Dick Powell Show	Newscaster	Episode: "Seeds of April"
1962	Cain's Hundred	Dave Molloy	Episode: Blood Money
1964	The Addams Family	Claude	Episode: "Halloween With the Addams Family"
1964	The Dick Van Dyke Show	Lyle Delp	2 episodes
1963-65	Burke's Law	Swifty Piedmont / Frank Cross / Lou Kronkeit	3 episodes
1965	The Beverly Hillbillies	Fred	Episode: "Jed's Temptation"
1965	Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.	Sergeant Jim Mason	Episode: "My Buddy, the War Hero"
1965	The Munsters	'Doc' Happy Havemeyer	Episode: "Dance with Me, Herman"
1965	The Andy Griffith Show	Newton Munroe	Episode: "The Luck of Newton Munroe"
1965	F Troop	Bald Eagle	Episode: "The Return of Bald Eagle"
1966	The Wild Wild West	Asmodeus	Episode: "The Night of the Druid's Blood"
1966	The Bob Hope Show	N/A	October 19
1965-66	Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre	Linny	2 episodes
1966	Gilligan's Island	Norbert Wiley	Episode: "The Kidnapper"
1967	The Lucy Show	Eddie Rickles	Episode: "Lucy the Fight Manager"
1967	I Spy	Frank Bodie	Episode: "Night Train to Madrid"
1967	I Dream of Jeannie	Kiski	Episode: "My Master, the Weakling"
1966-67	Run for Your Life	Willy Hatch / Leo Mazinov	2 episodes
1968-69	Get Smart	Sid Krimm / Guard	Episodes: "The Little Black Book - Parts 1&2" Episode: "To Sire, with Love - Part 2"
1972	The Don Rickles Show	Don Robinson
1974	Sanford and Son	Fight Announcer (voice)	Episode: "Once a Thief"
1975	Buy This Tape, You Hockey Puck	Himself	Standup Comedy special
1976	Medical Center	N/A	Episode: "The Happy State of Depression"
1976-78	C.P.O. Sharkey	"C.P.O. Otto Sharkey"	37 episodes
1982	Archie Bunker's Place	Al Snyder	Episode: "Death of a Lodger"
1983	Gimme a Break!	Max	Episode: "Nell and the Kid"
1985	George Burns Comedy Week	Mayor	Episode: "Disaster at Buzz Creek"
1989	Newhart	Don Prince	Episode: "The Nice Man Cometh"
1990	Tales from the Crypt	Mr. Ingles	Episode: "The Ventriloquist's Dummy"
1991	Hunter	Harold Schwan	Episode: "Ex Marks the Spot"
1993	Daddy Dearest	Al Mitchell	13 episodes
1997	The Larry Sanders Show	Himself	Episode: "Artie and Angie and Hank and Hercules"
1997	The Single Guy	Dr. Dick Sloan, Sam's Father	Episode: "Big Baby"
1998	Murphy Brown	Leonard, Secretary #90	Episode: "Dial and Substance"
2002	The Bernie Mac Show	Himself	Episode: "The Sweet Life"
2004	The Wool Cap	Ira	Television film
2005	The Catch	Roy Kozikowski	Television film
2007	The Unit	Himself Priest	Episode: "Sub-Conscious"
2011	Hot in Cleveland	Bobby	2 episodes
2013	Toy Story of Terror!	Mr. Potato Head (voice)	Short
2014	Toy Story That Time Forgot	Mr. Potato Head (voice)	Television film

Other

Theme park

• Toy Story Midway Mania! - Mr. Potato Head

Discography

• Hello Dummy! (1968)
• Don Rickles Speaks! (1969)

Books

• Rickles' Book: A Memoir by Don Rickles with David Ritz (Simon & Schuster, 2007), ISBN 978-0-7432-9305-1
• Rickles' Letters by Don Rickles with David Ritz (Simon & Schuster, 2008), ISBN 978-1-4165-9663-9

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Work	Result
2000	Hollywood Walk of Fame		Won
2008	Primetime Emmy Award for Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program	Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project	Won
2009	Legend Award		Won
2012	The Johnny Carson Award	For a lifetime of comedic excellence	Won

[ Source: Wikipedia ]