Don Rickles Biography Quotes 4 Report mistakes

Overview
Donald Jay Rickles (May 8, 1926 April 6, 2017) was an American stand-up comedian and actor whose rapid-fire insult comedy made him one of the most recognizable figures in show business for more than half a century. Known as Mr. Warmth, a nickname delivered with affectionate irony, he turned quick wits and razor-sharp timing into an art form that worked as well in intimate nightclubs as on national television and in major films. Equally at home sparring with friends and legends like Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Johnny Carson, he built a career on barbs that somehow left audiences and targets laughing.

Early Life and Training
Rickles was born in Queens, New York, to Max Rickles and Etta (Feldman), and grew up in a working-class Jewish household. After graduating from high school, he served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, an experience he later credited with toughening his outlook and giving him an understanding of the diverse personalities he would tease from the stage. Following the war, he studied acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York, hoping for a serious career on stage and screen. When roles did not come easily, he turned to stand-up to pay the bills, discovering a voice that would change his life and influence American comedy.

Finding a Voice in Nightclubs
Working clubs in New York and Miami, Rickles saw that audiences reacted more strongly when he chatted with them than when he delivered prepared jokes. He developed an improvisational insult style, equal-opportunity and lightning-fast, in which he teased patrons and celebrities with feigned hostility and unmistakable warmth underneath. A pivotal moment arrived when Frank Sinatra came to see him perform in Miami. Rickles greeted him with a mock-scolding line that became legend, and Sinatra, delighted, spread the word. That endorsement opened doors in Las Vegas and beyond, connecting Rickles to a circle that included Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., and other headliners who appreciated his fearless act.

National Spotlight
Rickles soon became a fixture on television. Appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show and, most importantly, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson helped bring his act into living rooms across the country. Carson relished Rickles sharp tongue, and their on-air jousts formed a cornerstone of late-night comedy. Rickles also became a star of The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast specials, where he traded barbs with Martin, Bob Hope, and a parade of entertainers and public figures. Comedy albums like Hello, Dummy! introduced his club persona to a wider audience, solidifying his reputation as the preeminent insult comic of his era.

Film and Television
Although stand-up remained his foundation, Rickles had a durable screen career. He appeared in the submarine drama Run Silent, Run Deep alongside Clark Gable and Burt Lancaster, showed comic grit in Kellys Heroes with Clint Eastwood and Telly Savalas, and delivered a straight-faced turn amid the volatility of Martin Scorseses Casino, acting opposite Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci. On television he headlined The Don Rickles Show and later the service-comedy C.P.O. Sharkey, bringing his acerbic charm to scripted formats. To younger generations he became instantly familiar as the voice of Mr. Potato Head in Pixars Toy Story films, directed by John Lasseter, which introduced his timing and attitude to family audiences worldwide.

Style, Relationships, and Influence
Rickles comedy was built on speed, surprise, and a paradoxical sense of affection. He insulted everyone race, religion, status, and celebrity were fair game but the sting was blunted by a winking stage persona that insisted we are all flawed and thus all in on the joke. His closest professional relationships sustained that balance. Johnny Carson invited him back repeatedly, luxuriating in the mock scolding. Dean Martin presided over roasts where Rickles flayed the dais and then hugged his targets. Frank Sinatra remained a champion who understood that Rickles mock menace was a form of camaraderie. A profound and enduring friendship with Bob Newhart also defined his life; the two toured together for years, with Newharts laconic precision complementing Rickles crackling energy. Their families Barbara Rickles and Ginny Newhart included became famously close offstage.

Personal Life
In 1965, Rickles married Barbara Sklar, a partnership that anchored him through decades of travel and performance. They had two children, Mindy and Larry. Larry Rickles, who worked in television and collaborated on projects relating to his fathers career, died in 2011, a deep personal loss that Rickles confronted with the resilience he often drew upon in his comedy. Despite a reputation for onstage ferocity, friends consistently described him as devoted, loyal, and generous in private, with Barbara frequently by his side at appearances and honors.

Later Recognition and Final Years
Rickles continued to perform well into his eighties, adapting his act without abandoning the spontaneity that defined it. The HBO documentary Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project, directed by John Landis, celebrated his life and method and earned him a Primetime Emmy Award, a late-career acknowledgment from the industry he had entertained for decades. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was honored by institutions such as the Friars Club, reflecting not only his longevity but his status as a bridge between the nightclub era and modern comedy. He remained a coveted guest on late-night programs hosted by David Letterman, Jay Leno, and later Jimmy Kimmel, who admired his fearlessness and welcomed his unpredictable visits.

On April 6, 2017, Don Rickles died in Los Angeles at the age of 90, of kidney failure. Tributes poured in from peers and younger performers alike, many noting how his insults were a vehicle for connection, not cruelty. His legacy rests in the alchemy of that balance: he teased to include rather than exclude, and his speed, courage, and showmans heart influenced generations. From the war years and acting school to the spotlight of Las Vegas, the banter of Johnny Carsons couch, the roasts with Dean Martin, the friendship with Bob Newhart, and the warmth he shared with Barbara and their family, Don Rickles left a singular mark on American entertainment.

Our collection contains 4 quotes who is written by Don, under the main topics: Witty One-Liners - Live in the Moment - Savage.