Don Rickles was born of Lithuanian descent on May 8, 1926 in Queens, New York City USA, and spent his childhood among Jewish people. Don was best known from “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson“, however, he was generally infamous but widely appreciated for his insulting techniques in his popular stand-up comic acts. He passed away in April 2017.
So just how rich was Don Rickles? Sources estimate that Don’s net worth was over $30 million, which he accumulated while working not only as a stand-up comedian, but also while acting, including on TV.
Don Rickles Net Worth $30 Million
After graduating from Newtown High School, Don Rickles joined the US Navy, serving during World War 2 and until 1946. In 1948 he enrolled into the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, which led to him appearing in a few TV shows, which started his net worth growing. However, these minor roles did not lead Rickles to huge success, so he decided to pursue a career in comedy, which he started by performing in some New York City clubs as a stand-up comedian, which considerably enhanced his net worth. It was in these clubs that Don began featuring insulting humor, which idea he got from Jack E. Leonard, and was probably the reason why Rickles received so much recognition from the public. Using this unique technique, Don Rickles net worth grew much larger.
His comic abusive routines led to Don Rickles being nicknamed as The Merchant of Venom and Mr. Warmth. An interesting fact is that, at the beginning of his performance, there was always the same song played, which was called La Virgen de la Macarena.
It was in 1958 when Don Rickles started performing as an actor. His film debut is considered perhaps coincidentally to be “Run Silent Run Deep”, released in 1958 and based on the US Navy submarine corps. Don Rickles net worth increased with other movies, some of which were indeed successful. Probably it was in the 1960s when Don Rickles got most attention: he was offered roles in various productions, sitcoms as well as in dramatic TV shows and in films. One of the best movies Don Rickles appeared in is considered to be “Kelly`s Heroes”, in which Don starred along with Clint Eastwood and Donald Sutherland. Other notable film credits include “The Rat Race”, “Bikini Beach:, “Pajama Party”, “Enter Laughing”, “Love Machine”, “Dennis the Menace Strikes Again”, “Zookeeper”, “Small Fry”, and “Partysaurus Rex”, all contributing to his net worth.
As for television, Don Rickles was known from a wide range of shows and sitcoms, including “Four Star Playhouse”, “The Thin Man”, “Wagon Train”, “Hennesey”, “The Addams Family”, “The Dick Van Dyke Show”, “The Wild Wild West”, “The Lucy Show”, “I Spy”, “Get Smart”, and “Sanford and Son” all of which were popular in several countries around the world as well as the US, and were broadcast from the 1960s up until the present. Most recently, he was the voice of Mr Potato Head in the animated “Toy Story” films, another string to his comedic bow.
As for Don Rickles personal life, he is somewhat unusual in the entertainment world in that he was married to Barbara Sklar for 52 years; they had two children, but son Larry died in 2011. He counted comedian Bob Newhart as his best friend, which is interesting as the latter’s style is self-deprecating and laid back, the exact opposite of Don Rickle’s. They were both still in demand in this millenium, especially for appearances on late-night shows, such as with Jay Leno. Don Rickles passed away on 7 April 2017 of kidney failure, at his home in Beverley Hills California, aged 90.
