Hollywood legend and comedian Don Rickles has died, he was 90-years-old.
Rickles has 85 acting credits to his name, appearing is various TV shows and movies. Among his credits were the hit TV series’ “Get Smart” and “CPO Sharkey” and movies such as Casino and Toy Story, where he played the beloved role of Mr. Potato Head.
On March 11, Rickles celebrated his 52nd wedding anniversary with his long-time wife. During that celebration, he took to Twitter for one final message.
We are celebrating our 52nd Wedding Anniversary March 14th. Happy Anniversary my dear wife, Barbara. You are my life. ❤️❌⭕Pussycat (Me)
— Don Rickles (@DonRickles) March 12, 2017
“We are celebrating our 52nd Wedding Anniversary March 14th. Happy Anniversary my dear wife, Barbara. You are my life. [heart] XO Pussycat (Me),” he tweeted.
Rickles married Barbara in 1965 and the couple had two children together, their late son Larry Rickles, who died in 2011, and daughter, Mindy Mann.
Rickles rep Paul Shefrin announced that the longtime veteran actor and comedian had passed away at the age of 90.” Emmy-Award winning iconic comedian Don Rickles passed away at his home Los Angeles this morning (Thursday) as a result of kidney failure,” he told PEOPLE.
“Rickles would have turned 91 on May 8. Rickles also had great success as an actor and best-selling author,” he continued. “He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Barbara, as well as their daughter Mindy Mann and her husband Ed, and Rickles’ two grandchildren, Ethan and Harrison Mann.”
During his time in entertainment, Rickles most often appeared as a guest on various popular TV shows. He earned an outstanding individual performance in a variety or music program Emmy for “Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project” in 2008.
Rickles was also a regular on “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” and “Late Show with David Letterman.” His last appearance was in 2015 when he heckle current host Jimmy Fallon.
Heckling was a specialty of Rickles. During his career, he spent many nights on stage at nightclubs and concert halls, where he regularly made fun of people’s looks, their ethnicity, their spouses, their sexual orientation, their jobs or anything else he could think of.
He didn’t discriminate in who he chose to target, from Hollywood celebrities to ordinary people. His favorite victim? Rat Pack singer Frank Sinatra.
Hollywood has lost a legend but his past performances will remain with us as a reminder of his comedic genius.
The Rickles family will hold funeral services in private. In lieu of flowers, they are asking that donations be made to the Larry Rickles Endowment Fund at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.
