Don Rickles
Donald Jay "Don" Rickles (May 8, 1926 – April 6, 2017) was an American stand-up comedian, actor, voice actor and author, best known for his role as Mr. Potato Head in Toy Story, Toy Story 2, and Toy Story 3. He was also known for being an on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, and in The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts.
| Don Rickles | |
|---|---|
 Rickles in 2010 | |
| Birth name | Donald Jay Rickles |
| Born | May 8, 1926 Queens, New York, U.S. |
| Died | April 6, 2017 (aged 90) Beverly Hills, California, U.S. |
| Medium | Stand-up, movie, television |
| Nationality | American |
| Years active | 1948–2017 |
| Genres | Improvisational comedy, observational comedy, musical comedy, insult comedy |
| Subject(s) | United States culture, Racism, Self-deprecation, Everyday life, Religion, Current events |
| Influences | Milton Berle |
| Influenced | Jay Leno, David Letterman, Howard Stern, Russell Peters,[1] Dave Attell,[2] Lisa Lampanelli[3] Jerry Seinfeld, Norm Macdonald, Larry the Cable Guy |
| Spouse | Barbara Sklar (1965–2017; his death) (2 children) |
| Notable works and roles | Hello Dummy! Q M 1/C Ruby in Run Silent, Run Deep Sgt. Crapgame in Kelly's Heroes Billy Sherbert in Casino Mr. Potato Head in the Toy Story franchise |
Early life
Rickles was born in Queens, New York on May 8, 1926[4] to Max Rickles, who immigrated to the United States in 1902, and to Etta (née Feldman), who was from New York City. Rickles' parents were of Jewish ancestry. Rickles was educated at American Academy of Dramatic Arts.
Career
Rickles' career began in 1958 in Run, Silent, Run Deep. Since then Rickles has appeared in movies such as Casino, Toy Story, Toy Story 2, Denice the Menace Strikes Again, Toy Story 3, Zookeeper, Toy Story 3, and Small Fry.
Influences and influenced
Rickles' only influence was Milton Berle. Rickles and Berle appeared in The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts. Rickles influenced Jay Leno, David Letterman, Dana Snyder, Howard Stern, Russell Peters, Dave Attell, Lisa Lampanelli, Jerry Seinfeld, Norm Macdonald, and Larry the Cable Guy.
Personal life
Rickles married Barbara Sklar in 1965. They have two children; Larry Rickles (who died in 2011), and Mindy. Rickles also has 2 grandchildren who enjoy his role of Mr. Potato Head more than any other role Rickles ever had. Rickles currently lived in Los Angeles, California. He was a lifelong supporter of the Democratic Party.[5]
Death
Rickles died on April 6, 2017 of kidney failure in his home in Beverly Hills, California at the age of 90.[6]
Some movies he was in
- The Rat Race (1960)
- Pajama Party (1964)
- Kelly's Heroes (1970)
- Innocent Blood (1992)
- Toy Story (1995)
- Dirty Work (1998)
- Dennis the Menace Strikes Again (1998)
- Toy Story 2 (1999)
- Night of the Country (2004)
- The Last Laugh (2006) (documentary)
- Toy Story 3 (2010)
- Zookeeper (2011)
- Small Fry (2011) (short movie)
- Woody's Roundup: The Movie (2019)
Books
- Rickles' Book: A Memoir by Don Rickles and David Ritz (2007)
- Rickles' Letters by Don Rickles and David Ritz (2008)
Discography
- Hello Dummy! (1968)
- Don Rickles Speaks! (1969)
Don Rickles Media
Rickles and Louise Sorel on The Don Rickles Show
References
- ↑ "Gauntlet Entertainment – Comedy Preview: Russell Peters won't a hurt you real bad – 2005-11-24". Archived from the original on 2009-06-04. Retrieved 2013-03-16.
- ↑ Insomniac's Dave Attell, Pt. 1 | Cracked.com
- ↑ Reno/Tahoe – Look out: Here comes Lisa Lampanelli – sacbee.com[dead link]
- ↑ "Don Rickles Biography (1926-)". Filmreference.com. Retrieved 2012-05-11.
- ↑ "Time Magazine Interview: Don Rickles" Archived 2013-07-18 at the Wayback Machine, from Time Magazine
- ↑ Schudel, Matt (April 6, 2017). Don Rickles, lightning-fast launcher of comic insults, dies at 90. 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?utm_term=.8071b34c6a48. Retrieved April 6, 2017.