SANTA MONICA- Comedian and actor Don Rickles passed away on Thursday in his Los Angeles home. He had developed a bacterial infection a few months ago which stopped him from completing some of his recent performances. However, he was still in the process of filming pieces for an upcoming internet series. He passed away at the age of 90 years old, having had a career full of laughs, warmth, and mockery.
Rickles was often known as “Mr. Warmth” due to his somewhat insulting humor, something that he attributed to his lack of ability to tell traditional jokes.
He insisted his humor came not from ill willed insults, but rather, from exaggerating the truth in the name of comedy. “If I were to insult people and mean it, that wouldn’t be funny,” he once said according to Reuters.
In fact, it was that same humor that won over the respect of Frank Sinatra. Rickles famously told Sinatra, “make yourself at home, Frank – hit somebody.” It was a line that sparked their friendship and his career. Sinatra praised Rickles humor and encouraged others to see him.
Throughout Rickles decades of working in entertainment, he is most well known for his roles in Run Silent, Run Deep, Kelly’s Heroes, comedic appearances on Dean Martin Celebrity Roast and then on his own show C.P.O. Sharkey. He was even the voice of Mr. Potato Head in Toy Story.
He left behind a legacy of laughs, commitment to humor, and smart comedy. He also leaves behind his 52 year old wife, Barbara, their daughter Mindy Mann, and two grandchildren.
Some content/photos courtesy of Reuters.
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