Don Rickles, legendary stand-up comedian and actor, has died at the age of 90, his publicist said.
Best known as an insult comic, Rickles frequently appeared on late night talk shows, making his first appearance on “The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson” in 1965.
He was also a prolific actor who appeared on shows like “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” “The Addams Family” and “Gilligan’s Island” in the 1960s, and became a fixture on “The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast” specials.
In recent years, he voiced Mr. Potato Head in the “Toy Story” trilogy and guest-starred on shows like “Hot in Cleveland” and “Grandfathered,” and continued to appear as a frequent guest on late night shows, including showing up to send off David Letterman in one of his final “Late Show” appearances in 2015.
In 2014, Rickles was honored by Spike TV’s “One Night Only: An All-Star Comedy Tribute to Don Rickles,” with Jerry Seinfeld, Johnny Depp, Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, Jon Stewart, David Letterman, Tracy Morgan, Brian Williams, Regis Philbin, Amy Poehler and Tina Fey all paying tribute to the iconic comedian.
In 2007, Rickles won an Emmy for the documentary “Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project,” which aired on HBO.
Rickles, who would have turned 91 on May 8, 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. Funeral services will be private.
In lieu of flowers, his publicist suggested that donations be made to the Larry Rickles Endowment Fund at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.