Don Rickles is
an American comedian as well as a film, television, and voice actor from New York, NY.
His career in comedy has spanned many decades, and taken on various
mediums including over 100 appearances on The Tonight Show. More recently,
Rickles made a return to film, appearing in a dramatic part as Robert DeNiro's
trusted colleague in Martin Scorsese's Casino, and voicing Mr. Potato Head in the Pixar's Toy Story
feature films.
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Don Rickles was born in New York City to Jewish parents Etta and Max Rickles, and spent most of his early career doing stand-up comedy, becoming known primarily as an "insult comedian". It is said that this characteristic was partially inspired by his admiration for older comic Jack E. Leonard and was greatly elaborated when he learned to respond to hecklers by insulting them back. The audience liked these insults more than his prepared material, so he developed that part of his act.
Don Rickles has for many years also been known as "Mr. Warmth" (a satirical self-reference to his insult comedy schtick). Often when he is introduced to an audience or on a television talk show, Spanish matador music, usually "La Virgen de la Macarena", will be played (subtly foreshadowing that someone is about to be metaphorically gored), or else a dischordant version of "Mister Wonderful".