About
Don Rickles, born Donald Jay Rickles on May 8, 1926, in New York, was an American comedian and actor, nicknamed 'Mr. Warmth.' A pioneer of insult comedy, he rose to fame in the 1950s after Frank Sinatra embraced his ad-libbed routine. A Navy veteran of World War II, he became a Las Vegas headliner and an honorary member of the Rat Pack. He appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson over 100 times. His film roles include Run Silent, Run Deep (1958), Kelly's Heroes (1970), and Casino (1995). He voiced Mr. Potato Head in the Toy Story franchise. He won an Emmy in 2008 for Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project. He died on April 6, 2017, in Los Angeles.
* 1926-05-08 — † 2017-04-06
Major works
- Run Silent, Run Deep (1958)film
- Kelly's Heroes (1970)film
- C.P.O. Sharkey (1976)TV series
- Casino (1995)film
- Toy Story (1995)animated film
Key milestones
- 1946Honorably discharged from the U.S. Navy after serving in World War II.
- 2000Receives a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Live Performance.
- 2008Wins a Primetime Emmy Award for his performance in Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project.
Themes
Insult comedyImprovisationVaudevilleTelevisionCinema
Sources: id.loc.gov · televisionacademy.com · walkoffame.com