Rise to Fame
He trained as a dramatic actor, spent years doing bit parts, then turned to standup because nothing was working. The act crystallized when he started insulting hecklers instead of doing prepared material. The breakthrough came at a Miami nightclub when Frank Sinatra walked in and Rickles informed him that the cannon in his latest film had better acting than he did. Sinatra laughed and started inviting everyone he knew to come get insulted. By 1959, Rickles was doing midnight, 2 a.m., and 5 a.m. sets at the Hotel Sahara in Las Vegas. Lounge act to headliner on the back of one well-aimed insult.
In the Spotlight
He performed until 90 and never changed the format. His Tonight Show debut in 1965 reportedly saw him greet Johnny Carson as "dummy" on the first appearance, and 50 years later he was still doing the same thing. The Toy Story franchise gave him a second audience: he voiced Mr. Potato Head for 25 years across all the films and related media. Pixar assembled his final lines in Toy Story 4 from archival audio after he died. The nickname "Mr. Warmth" was a Carson joke. By the end, it wasn't entirely wrong.
Side Notes
He enlisted in the Navy at 18 during WWII reportedly wanting the entertainer slot, ended up on a motor torpedo boat tender, and spent the war on the water. After discharge, he trained seriously as a dramatic actor. The standup was plan B that became the whole plan. Casino and Toy Story both opened November 22, 1995: he was Scorsese's casino floor manager and Pixar's cartoon potato on the same day. His catchphrase was "hockey puck," aimed at anyone he judged stupid. They kept showing up to hear it.
Final Chapter
Tom Hanks posted "A God died today" within hours of the news. Chris Rock said he was funnier in death than most comics are alive. Pixar used archival recordings to voice Mr. Potato Head in Toy Story 4 (2019) with his wife Barbara's permission, and dedicated the film to his memory. Director Judd Apatow released Bob and Don: A Love Story in 2023, a short documentary about his friendship with Bob Newhart, using home movies from both families.