Comedian Don Rickles dies at 90
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
Legendary insult comedian Don Rickles died of kidney failure Thursday morning at his home in Los Angeles, his publicist has confirmed. He was 90 years old.
Rickles, also an actor and best-selling author, was known for his bitingly funny insults lobbed at everyone from A-list celebrities to anonymous audience members. His caustic humor earned him the nicknames "The Merchant of Venom" and "The King of Zing." His two signature phrases, "dummy" and "hockey puck," were tossed out often during his frequent appearances at nightclubs and on late-night talk shows.
He was also the voice of Mr. Potato Head in the Toy Story movies. In 2008, he won an Emmy for his performance in an HBO documentary about him entitled Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Watch one of Rickles' more famous moments — his 1976 appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson during which he gave Frank Sinatra a kiss on the lips — below. Becca Stanek
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com