Don Rickles Net Worth

How much was Don Rickles net worth?

net worth: $30 million
Birth: May 8, 1926
dead: April 6, 2017
country of origin: United States of america
Sources of funds: Professional comedian
Last Updated: July 30, 2024

Introduction

At the time of his passing, Don Rickles’ net worth was estimated at $30 million.

Donald “Don” Jay Rickles was an American comedian, writer, and actor from New York City.

Rickles became famous for his roles in ‘Run Silent, Run Deep’, ‘Kelly’s Heroes’ and CPO Sharkey.

During his career, he also won a Primetime Emmy Award for the 2007 documentary ‘The Don Rickles Project’.

Don Rickles died of kidney failure on April 6, 2017.

early life

Don Rickles was born on May 6, 1926 in New York City.

He was born to Jewish parents Max and Etta.

When Rickles graduated from high school, he enlisted in the United States Navy and served during World War II.

After two years Rickles decided to focus on his acting career.

Rickles began his career in the 1950s when he began performing comedy in New York.

Audiences loved the film, and Rickles became famous after that.

Livelihood

Don Rickles began his career at Murray Franklin’s nightclub in Miami, where he met the legendary Frank Sinatra.

Sinatra liked Rickles’ performance so much that he encouraged other celebrities to see him and suffer his humiliation.

Rickles made his acting debut in 1958 alongside Clark Gable and Burt Lancaster.

During that time, Rickles also became a regular guest and host on The Tonight Show, and appeared on The Dean Martin Show and celebrity roasts.

Having established himself as one of the funniest stand-up comedians of all time, Don Rickles was a constant in sitcoms throughout the ’60s and ’70s.

a tv star

During the 1960s, Don Rickles appeared in many shows, including The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Addams Family, The Andy Griffith Show, Gilligan’s Island, and The Munsters.

In 1970 he had a leading role in Kelly’s Heroes and in 1972 starred in The Don Rickles Show.

That same decade, Rickles appeared frequently on Hollywood Squares and made his way into comic books as Superman’s friend Jimmy Olsen in the series.

Rickles began performing in Las Vegas in the early ’80s and co-hosted Foul-Ups, Bleeps and Blunders with Steve Lawrence.

After appearing at Ronald Reagan’s second swearing-in ceremony, Rickles appeared in the second season of Tales from the Crypt.

Additionally, she was cast in the film Innocent Blood and starred alongside Richard Lewis in the sitcom Dearest Daddy.

A Lasting Legacy

On his 80th birthday, Don Rickles released his memoir, Rickles’ Book, and his life was covered in the documentary, Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project.

Soon after, in 2007, Rickles won a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program.

His win topped other notable comedians, including David Letterman and Stephen Colbert, who were also nominated.

In 2009, he appeared on Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List and fulfilled a wish on his “bucket list” by meeting the comedian’s mother.

A year later, Rickles starred in a commercial during Super Bowl XLIV and also made an appearance at the Daytime Emmy Awards in June.

After providing the voice of Mr. Potatohead in Toy Story 3, Rickles joined Joe Pesci in a Snickers commercial and played Betty White’s husband in Hot in Cleveland.

In 2014, Rickles was honored with One Night Only: An All-Star Comedy Tribute to Don Rickles on Spike TV.

The show, recorded at the Apollo Theater, was presented by Jerry Seinfeld and featured a number of prominent celebrities and public figures.

During the 2010s, Rickles still appeared on late-night talk shows and was a guest on the finale of David Letterman’s The Late Show.

Despite a bout of necrotizing fasciitis in 2013 and multiple surgeries, Rickles continued touring until his death in 2017.

While he was set to play Mr. Portraithead in Toy Story 4, he died before he could record his lines.

With permission from his family, the filmmakers used archival recordings in the 2019 film to honor the late actor.

don rickles net worth

At the time of his passing, Don Rickles’ net worth was estimated at $30 million.

Highlights

Here are some of the best highlights of Don Rickles’ career:

  • Run Silent, Run Deep (film, 1958)
  • Hello, Dummy! (Discography, 1968)
  • Kelly’s Heroes (film, 1970)
  • CPO Sharkey (television sitcom, 1976)
  • Toy Story (film, 1995)
  • Casino (film, 1995)
  • Hollywood Walk of Fame (2000)
  • Toy Story Racer (video game, 2001)
  • The Book of Rickles: A Memoir (autobiography, 2007)
  • Legend Award (2009)
  • Zookeeper (film, 2011)
  • Partysaurus Rex (film, 2012)
  • Friars Club (Award, 2013)

Favorite Quotes from Don Rickles

“Famous people are frauds. Inside, they’re just ordinary people. Like Larry King. We’ve been friends for forty years. He’s one of the few people I know who’s actually famous. One minute he’s talking to the president on his cell phone, and then the next minute he’s saying to me, ‘Do you think we should give the waiter another dollar?'” – Don Rickles

“We were Orthodox Jews, but we didn’t really fit in. I mean, bacon — my father said, ‘Don’t keep bacon in the house,’ but we had bacon. We didn’t keep kosher. And we were supposed to be what today would be Orthodox Jews. But in those days, we were associated with an Orthodox temple. So we described ourselves as Orthodox Jews, but we really weren’t.” – Don Rickles

“My mom had a huge influence on me. She was always motivating me because I was very shy and reserved. And schoolwork was very difficult for me because I couldn’t concentrate. I would fail almost every subject. To this day, I’m not very good at reading books. But I was the president of my high school comedy group, and they treated me like a king.” – Don Rickles

“Sinatra had a lot of mood swings, but he was wonderful to my wife Barbara and me. He was unabashed about who he liked and who he loved, and he had an amazing charisma. When he walked into a room, his mood would stop. I’ve only seen that happen with Ronald Reagan.” – Don Rickles

“At 90 I still do a few dates every month. I have a great mind on stage, so why not? It might sound strange, but I do it because people – young and old – still come to see me, and they are so excited about my work. They treat me like a godfather.” – Don Rickles

Summary

Don Rickles’ work as a comedian, actor, and writer inspired many throughout his career.

Rickles was one of the best comedians and worked with some of the world’s best stars.

At the time of his passing, Don Rickles’ net worth was estimated at $30 million.

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