How much is Don Rickles worth?
| Net Worth: | $15 Million |
|---|---|
| Profession: | Professional Comedian |
| Date of Birth: | May 8, 1926 (aged 90) |
| Country: | United States of America |
| Height: | 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) |
About Don Rickles
Don Rickles, whose full name is Donald Jay Rickles, was an American actor, author, and stand up comedian. He is best known for his insult comedy and for his many film roles in box-office hits such as Run Silent, Run Deep, and Casino among many others. He also received widespread exposure as a frequent guest star on the variety and talk shows of Dean Martin, Johnny Carson and David Letterman.
Don Rickles first gained popularity with his roles in the 1958 black and white war film Run Silent, Run Deep and the Beach Party film series. He was born on May 8, 1926, in Queens, New York to Jewish parents.
His father Max emigrated from Lithuania with his parents in 1903, while his mother Etta, was born in New York City to Austrian immigrants. Growing up in Jackson Heights, he attended the Newtown High School.
After his graduation in 1944, he enlisted in the US Navy and served during the World War II. Two years later, after he was honourably discharged, he entered the American Academy of Dramatic Arts with the intentions of becoming a dramatic actor. Throughout the rest of the decade, he played bit parts on television and appeared in several commercials.
In the early 1950s, he became known as an insult comedian that responded to his hecklers. After incorporating the insults into his acts, he became even more popular in the stand-up comedy world.
What made this actor and (stand up) comedian so rich were his incredible acting skills. One of his very first memorable performances on television was as part of Dean Martin’s talk show where he roasted Frank Sinatra.
His film debut came in the 1958 Run Silent, Run Deep, which was later followed by television roles in sitcoms and dramatic series. In 1965, he made his debut on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, for which he appeared in 131 episodes until 1992.
Concurrently with acting in various projects and doing stand up comedy, Don Rickles also became a co-host and vocalist to other talk shows such as The Mike Douglas Show, The Joey Bishop Show, The Hollywood Squares, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and The Late Show with Craig Ferguson.
From all of his performances, during his six decades long career, he was able to make peak earnings of an estimated inflation adjusted $1-2 million per year. Prior to his passing away in early April 2017, his net worth is estimated to have been $15 million.
Being a regular guest on The Dean Martin Show and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson shows and starring in popular television series, films, and documentaries is what makes Rickles so victorious.
In 1995, he took part in two of that year’s highest-grossing films – Casino and Toy Story. He went on to voice the leading role of Mr. Potato Head in all of the Toy Story film series from 1995 to 2019 (which included an archive sound and was released posthumously).
He also reprised his role in four video games based on the films – Animated Story Book, Toy Story 2, Toy Story Racer and Toy Story Buzz Lightyear’s Blast Up.
Towards the end of his career in the entertainment business, for his contribution and incredible work, Don Rickles has earned himself many awards and accolades. He received his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2000 and then went on to win a Primetime Emmy, TV Land, The Comedy Award. In the late years of that decade, he released his two books Rickles’ Book: A Memoir and Rickles’ Letters.
His final appearances on television were in 13 episodes of Dinner with Don from 2017, his own web television talk show that was just getting started. His last film roles were voicing the role of his character Mr. Potato Head in the latest Toy Story films and in the Toy Story Toons series.
Summing-Up
Don Rickles remains not only one of the most influential but also one of the highest paid comedians in Hollywood. He was a familiar face on television that starred in nearly 100 films, series, and documentaries. At the time of his death in 2017, Don Rickles’ net worth was an estimated $15 million dollars.
From the 1950s to the 2010s, he was a regular guest on some of the most-watched talk shows and realities, where he was able to portray his skills and amuse millions of viewers with his incredible stand up comedy.
