Don Rickles

Real Name: Donald Jay Rickles
Date of Birth: 5/8/1926












The life of Don Rickles began in Queens New York in 1926. At that time, no one would know that this individual would be one of the top insult comic, standup comedians to ever take the stage. Here we're going to discover more about the life of Don Rickles in terms of the early years, his claim to fame, and the here and now. After reading through the information below, you'll have a better understanding of who this comedic standup artist is, and why his style of comedy has made him so successful.

Early Years 

Born in Queens New York and raised in Jackson Heights, Donald Jay "Don" Rickles had come from parents that had immigrated to this country from Lithuania. Although his family was Jewish, they spoke Yiddish quite frequently on the home front. Rickles always wanted to see the world, so right after graduating from high school - he enlisted in the US Navy and served his country well in WWII. After being honorably discharged in or around 1946, he decided to go to school and study to become an actor. After finding out that there wasn't really that much call for his acting work, he began dabbling in standup comedy.
One of the unique aspects about Mr. Rickles was his quick response to hecklers in the crowd. He could easily tear down an individual with jokes, observation, and ultimately insults. This is where he became known as the insult comedian, and the rest is history. His audiences went wild with the way he carried himself on stage and because of his unique capabilities of dishing out insults, he incorporated this material into a variety of his onstage acts. When he would get heckled in the crowd, he would always shout out a phrase that was coined by him, "Shut up, you Hockey Puck."

Claim To Fame 

Mr. Don Rickles currently has a career that has spanned from the early 1950s all the way till the present. Some of his earliest acts began at the nightclub in Miami Beach called, "Murray Franklin's". Since that time he would go on to play in a variety of different movies and work with a number of famous comedians and actors. He played with individuals such as Frank Sinatra, Clark Gable, Burt Lancaster, and he had a long run with Johnny Carson on the Tonight Show.

The Here And Now 

Today, Don Rickles has played on a number of different TV episodes, voiceovers, and Disney animation projects. He's made several appearances in a variety of different television advertisements. One in particular is his stint with Joe Pesci in a Snickers commercial. Of course, these actor/comedians have been known for their short fuses, so they were perfect for a commercial about how people act when they get hungry. As of recent, Mr. Rickles took home the Johnny Carson Award that was given away at the 2012 Comedy Awards.



Although Mr. Rickles had a comedic career that spanned over five decades, he also has a personal life that has spanned almost as long. Married for over 45 years to his beautiful wife by the name of Barbara, Don is a family man, a loving husband, and a loving father. So, with this brief review of the great Mr. Don Rickles, you now have a better understanding about the man, as well as the standup comedian.