Don Rickles Biography

 Don Rickles was an American comedian, author, actor as well as stand-up comic. He was an entertainer who is highly respected. He had a mix of wit and humor and a genuine affection for his fans which made him an ideal source of laughter, fun, and amusement. Because of his ability to make an insult appear funny and non-offensive, he was a regular on celebrity roasts. His insults that were cruel and savage, attracted a lot of attention. Yet, the recipient would be laughing. He started his career as a standard comedian who performed routinely-prepared jokes. However, he soon realized that audiences enjoyed his spontaneous insults more than the scripted material. He was a favorite of many, including Frank Sinatra. In addition to being featured in numerous films and TV shows he also had two comedy albums. He received many honors including a Lifetime Achievement Award at  The Comedy Awards. Don Rickles was only able to land small television roles following his graduation. He began doing stand-up comedy to increase his income, eventually developing his 'insult comedian' persona. He played a key part of Clint Eastwood's hit movie Kelly's Heroes (1970). He also made appearances on television comedies such as 'The Don Rickles Show' (1972) and 'The Dean Martin Roasts' (1973). Don Rickles married Barbara Sklar on March 14, 1965. Their two children were Mindy and Larry. Their son passed away in the year 2011. His best friend was Bob Newhart and the two often vacationed together along with their wives. They appeared together on numerous shows including "Newhart" as well as Don Rickles passed away from kidney disease in his Beverly Hills home on April 6, 2017.