Born: May 8, 1926
Birthplace: Queens, New York
Death: April 6, 2017 (90 years old, Beverly Hills, California)
Net worth: $30 million
Funny words: "Show business is my life. When I was a kid I sold insurance, but nobody laughed."
Bottom line: Don Rickles' career as a legendary insult comic began in the early days of his act, when he heckled his hecklers and discovered that the audience enjoyed that more than his routine (he liked to call his hecklers "hockey pucks").
Nicknamed "The Merchant of Venom" and "Mr. Warmth," Rickles' politically incorrect career extended into both comedic and dramatic acting roles. He worked up until his death in 2017 at the age of 90.
Some classic Rickles insults and one-liners:
"Room service is great if you want to pay $500 for a club sandwich."
"Is that your wife, sir? … What was it, a train?"
On Frank Sinatra: "When you enter a room, you have to kiss his ring. I don’t mind, but he has it in his back pocket."
On Clint Eastwood: "Clint's idea of a good time is sitting on a pickup truck watching a dog bark."
"Bob Newhart made the claim that I am his closest friend. I have never met Bob Newhart."