| Rodney Dangerfield | |
|---|---|
 Dangerfield in 1972 | |
| Birth name | Jacob Cohen |
| Born | (1921-11-22)November 22, 1921 Babylon, New York, U.S. |
| Died | October 5, 2004(2004-10-05) (aged 82) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park and Mortuary |
| Medium |
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| Years active |
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| Genres | |
| Spouse |
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| Children | 2 |
| Signature |  |
| Website | www.rodney.com |
Jack Roy (bornJacob Cohen; November 22, 1921 – October 5, 2004), better known by thestage nameRodney Dangerfield, was an Americanstand-up comedian, actor, screenwriter, and producer. He was known for his self-deprecatingone-liner humor, hiscatchphrase "I don't get no respect!" and hismonologues on that theme.[2]
Dangerfield began his career working as a stand-up comic at the Fantasy Lounge in New York City. His act grew in popularity as he became a mainstay onlate-night talk shows throughout the 1960s and 1970s, eventually developing into a headlining act on theLas Vegas casino circuit. His breakout film role came as a boorishnouveau riche golfer in theensemble sports comedyCaddyshack (1980). He subsequently starred in a string of comedy films such asEasy Money (1983),Back to School (1986),Rover Dangerfield (1991),Ladybugs (1992), andMeet Wally Sparks (1997). He took a rare dramatic role as an abusive father inOliver Stone's satirical crime filmNatural Born Killers (1994).
Over his career he released seven comedy albums including his albumNo Respect (1980) which won theGrammy Award for Best Comedy Album. He received a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame in 2002. Health troubles curtailed his output through the early 2000s before his death in 2004, following a month in a coma due to complications from heart valve surgery.[3]
Rodney Dangerfield was born Jacob Cohen[4] in theVillage of Babylon, New York, on November 22, 1921.[5] He was the son ofJewish parents Dorothy "Dotty" Teitelbaum and thevaudevillian performer Phillip Cohen, whose stage name was Phil Roy. His mother was born inHungary.[6] Phillip Cohen was rarely home; his son normally saw him only twice a year. Late in life, Cohen begged for, and received, his son's forgiveness.[7]
Cohen's mother was reportedly emotionally distant for most of his childhood and did not show signs of affection towards her son.[8] In an interview withHoward Stern on May 25, 2004, Dangerfield told Stern that he had been molested by a man in his neighborhood. The man would pay Rodney a nickel and kiss him for five minutes.[9]
After Cohen's father abandoned the family, his mother moved him and his sister toKew Gardens, Queens, where Dangerfield attendedRichmond Hill High School, graduating in 1939. To support himself and his family, he delivered groceries and sold newspapers and ice cream at the beach.[7]
At the age of 15, he began to write for stand-up comedians while performing at theNevele, a former resort inEllenville, New York.[10] Then, at the age of 19 he legally changed his name to Jack Roy.[11][12] He struggled financially for nine years, at one point performing as a singing waiter until he was fired, before taking a job selling aluminum siding in the mid-1950s to support his wife and family.[13][14] He later quipped he was so little known that when he gave up show business, "I was the only one who knew I quit."[15]
In the early 1960s, he started reviving his career as an entertainer. Still working as a salesman by day, he returned to the stage, performing at hotels in theCatskill Mountains, but still finding minimal success. He fell into debt, about $20,000 by his own estimate and couldn't get booked. He later joked, "I played one club; it was so far out, my act was reviewed inField & Stream."[16]
Dangerfield came to realize that what he lacked was an "image", a well-defined on-stage persona that audiences could relate to, one that would distinguish him from other comics. After being shunned by some premier comedy venues, he returned home where he began developing a character for whom nothing goes right.
Roy took the name Rodney Dangerfield from an episode byJack Benny on his radio program in a 1941 broadcast.[17] The name was referenced as an actor who Jack had invited to his upcoming Christmas Party, butMary Livingstone had never heard of him. The name surfaces again in the December 15, 1946, episode as a "movie star" on Jack's Christmas Card list.[18] The name was also used byRicky Nelson in a 1962 television episode ofThe Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, as a phony name for a blind date.[19]
- "My fan club broke up. The guy died."
- "Last week my house was on fire. My wife told the kids, 'Be quiet, you'll wake up Daddy.'"
- "I was ugly, very ugly. When I was born, the doctor smacked my mother."[5]
- "I went to the fights last night, and a hockey game broke out."
Dangerfield reached national prominence appearing onThe Ed Sullivan Show in March 1967.[20] He soon began headlining shows inLas Vegas and continued making frequent appearances onThe Ed Sullivan Show.[21] He also became a regular onThe Dean Martin Show and appeared onThe Tonight Show more than 70 times.[22]
In 1969, Dangerfield teamed up with Anthony Bevacqua to build theDangerfield's comedy club in New York City, a venue where he could perform on a regular basis without having to constantly travel. The club remained in continuous operation until October 14, 2020. Dangerfield's was the venue for severalHBO comedy specials starring such stand-up comics asJerry Seinfeld,Jim Carrey,Tim Allen,Roseanne Barr,Robert Townsend,Jeff Foxworthy,Sam Kinison,Bill Hicks,Rita Rudner,Andrew Dice Clay,Louie Anderson,Dom Irrera, andBob Saget.[citation needed]
In 1978, Dangerfield was invited to be the keynote speaker atHarvard University's Class Day, an annual ceremony for seniors the day before commencement.[23]
His 1980 comedy albumNo Respect won aGrammy Award.[24] One of his TV specials featured a musical number, "Rappin' Rodney", which appeared on his 1983 follow-up album,Rappin' Rodney. In December 1983, the "Rappin' Rodney" single became one of the first Hot 100 rap records, and the associated video was an earlyMTV hit.[25] The video featured cameo appearances byDon Novello as alast rites priest munching on Rodney'slast meal of fast food in a styrofoam container andPat Benatar as a masked executioner pulling ahangman's knot. The two appear in a dream sequence wherein Dangerfield is condemned to die and does not get any respect, even in Heaven, as the gates close without him being permitted to enter.
Though his acting career had begun much earlier in obscure movies likeThe Projectionist (1971),[10] Dangerfield's career took off during the early 1980s, when he began acting in hit comedy movies.
One of Dangerfield's more memorable performances was in the 1980 golf comedyCaddyshack, in which he plays an obnoxiousnouveau riche property developer who is a guest at acountry club, where he clashes with the uptight Judge Elihu Smails (played byTed Knight). His role was initially smaller, but because he and fellow cast membersChevy Chase andBill Murray proved adept at improvisation, their roles were greatly expanded during filming, much to the chagrin of some of their castmates.[26] Initial reviews ofCaddyshack praised Dangerfield's standout performance among the wild cast.[27]
Dangerfield's appearance inCaddyshack led to starring roles inEasy Money andBack to School, for which he also served as co-writer. Unlike his stand-up persona, his comedy film characters were portrayed as successful, confident and generally popular despite being characteristically loud, brash, and detested by the wealthy elite.
Throughout the 1980s, Dangerfield also appeared in a series of commercials forMiller Lite beer, including one in which various celebrities who had appeared in the ads were holding a bowling match. With the score tied, after a beardedBen Davidson told Rodney, "All we need is one pin, Rodney", Dangerfield's ball went down the lane and bounced perpendicularly off the head pin, landing in the gutter without knocking down any of the pins. He also appeared in the endings ofBilly Joel's music video of "Tell Her About It" andLionel Richie's video of "Dancing on the Ceiling".[28]
In 1990, Dangerfield was involved inWhere's Rodney?, an unsold TV pilot forNBC. The show starredJared Rushton as a teenager, also named Rodney, who could summon Dangerfield whenever he needed guidance about his life.[29][30]
In a change of pace from the comedy persona that made him famous, he played anabusive father inNatural Born Killers in a scene for which he wrote or rewrote all of his own lines.[31]
Dangerfield was rejected for membership in theMotion Picture Academy in 1995 by the head of the academy's Actors Section,Roddy McDowall. After fan protests, the academy reconsidered, but Dangerfield then refused to accept membership.[32]
In March 1995, Dangerfield was the first celebrity to personally own a website and create content for it.[33] He interacted with fans who visited his site via an "E-mail me" link, often surprising people with a reply.[34] By 1996, Dangerfield's website proved to be such a hit that he madeWebsight magazine's list of the "100 Most Influential People on the Web".[35]
Dangerfield appeared in "Burns, Baby Burns", an episode of the animated television seriesThe Simpsons in which he playedMr. Burns's son Larry Burns, a character who is essentially a parody of Dangerfield's onstage persona. He also appeared as himself in an episode ofHome Improvement.
Dangerfield appears in the 2000Adam Sandler filmLittle Nicky, playingLucifer, the father ofSatan (Harvey Keitel) and grandfather of Nicky (Sandler).
Dangerfield was recognized by theSmithsonian Institution, which has displayed one of his trademark white shirts and red ties. When he handed the shirt to the museum's curator, Rodney joked, "I have a feeling you're going to use this to cleanLindbergh's plane."[36]
Dangerfield played an important role in comedianJim Carrey's rise to stardom. In the 1980s, after watching Carrey perform at theComedy Store in Los Angeles, Rodney signed Carrey to open for Dangerfield's Las Vegas show. The two toured together for about two more years.[37] When Dangerfield celebrated his 80th birthday onThe Tonight Show with Jay Leno in November 2001, Carrey made a surprise appearance to thank Dangerfield for his years of support.
Dangerfield was married twice to Joyce Indig, a singer. They married on October 3, 1951, divorced in 1961, remarried in 1963, and divorced again in 1970, although Rodney lived largely separated from his family.[38] Together, the couple had two children: son Brian Roy (born 1960) and daughter Melanie Roy-Friedman, born after her parents remarried. From 1993 until his death, Dangerfield was married to Joan Child, whom he met in 1983 at a flower shop she owned inSanta Monica, California.[39][40]
At the time of aPeople magazine article on Dangerfield in 1980, he was sharing an apartment onManhattan'sUpper East Side with a housekeeper, his poodle Keno, and his closest friend of 30 years, Joe Ancis, whom Dangerfield called "the funniest man in the world";[41] Ancis was also a friend of and major influence onLenny Bruce.[42] Ancis, whoRoseanne Barr described as "too psychologically damaged to be able to live in a germ-infested world on his own", lived with Dangerfield until Ancis's death in 2001.[40][43][44]
Dangerfield resented being confused with his on-stage persona. Although his wife Joan described him as "classy, gentlemanly, sensitive, and intelligent,"[45] he was often treated like the loser he played, and documented this in his 2004 autobiography,It's Not Easy Bein' Me: A Lifetime of No Respect but Plenty of Sex and Drugs. In this work, he also discussed being amarijuana smoker; the book's original title wasMy Love Affair with Marijuana.[46]
AlthoughJewish, Dangerfield referred to himself asatheist during an interview withHoward Stern on May 25, 2004, about four months before his death. Dangerfield added during the interview that he was a "logical" atheist, adding: "We're gorillas - does a gorilla come back?" In the same interview, he lamented that he "suffered greatly for being a perfectionist"; he also said: "My mother never hugged me, kissed me, nothing, okay? Other kids would go to sleep listening to afairy tale. I went to sleep with a fight downstairs, listening to a guy yelling, 'Enough! Enough!'"[47]
On November 22, 2001 (his 80th birthday), Dangerfield suffered amild stroke while doing stand-up onThe Tonight Show. While Dangerfield was performing, hostJay Leno noticed something was wrong with Dangerfield's movements and asked his producer to call the paramedics.[48] During Dangerfield's hospital stay, the staff was reportedly upset that he smokedmarijuana in his room.[49] Dangerfield returned to theTonight Show a year later, performing on his 81st birthday.[49]
On April 8, 2003, Dangerfield underwentbrain surgery to improve blood flow in preparation forheart valve-replacement surgery on a later date.[50] The heart surgery took place on August 24, 2004.[51] Upon entering theUniversity of California, Los Angeles Medical Center, he uttered another characteristic one-liner when asked how long he would be hospitalized: "If all goes well, about a week. If not, about an hour and a half."[52]
Dangerfield died on October 5, 2004. He is interred in theWestwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery inLos Angeles. On the day of Dangerfield's death, the randomly selected Joke of the Day on his website happened to be "I tell ya I get no respect from anyone. I bought a cemetery plot. The guy said, 'There goes the neighborhood!'" This led his wife, Joan Dangerfield, to choose "There goes the neighborhood" as the epitaph on his headstone, which has become so well known that it has been used as aNew York Times crossword puzzle clue.[53][54]
Dangerfield's widow held an event in which the word "respect" had been emblazoned in the sky, while each guest was given a livemonarch butterfly for a butterfly-release ceremony led byFarrah Fawcett.[55]
UCLA's Division ofNeurosurgery named a suite of operating rooms after him and gave him the "Rodney Respect Award", which his widow presented toJay Leno on October 20, 2005. It was presented on behalf of theDavid Geffen School of Medicine/Division of Neurosurgery at UCLA at their 2005 Visionary Ball.[56] Other recipients of the "Rodney Respect Award" includeTim Allen (2007),[57]Jim Carrey (2009),Louie Anderson (2010),[58]Bob Saget (2011),Chelsea Handler (2012),[59]Chuck Lorre (2013),[60]Kelsey Grammer (2014),[61]Brad Garrett (2015),[62]Jon Lovitz (2016),[63]Jamie Masada (2019),[64]Jimmy Fallon (2021),[65]Whitney Cummings (2022),[66] andKen Jeong (2024).[67]
In memoriam,Saturday Night Live ran a short sketch of Dangerfield (played byDarrell Hammond) at the gates of heaven.Saint Peter mentions that he heard Dangerfield got no respect in life, which prompts Dangerfield to spew an entire string of his famous one-liners. After he's done, he asks why Saint Peter was so interested. Saint Peter replies, "I just wanted to hear those jokes one more time" and waves him into heaven, prompting Dangerfield to joyfully declare: "Finally! A little respect!"[68]
On October 26, 2004, an episode ofGeorge Lopez was dedicated to the memory of Dangerfield, who had died two weeks prior.[69]
On September 10, 2006,Comedy Central'sLegends: Rodney Dangerfield commemorated his life and legacy. Featured comedians includedAdam Sandler,Chris Rock,Jay Leno,Ray Romano,Roseanne Barr,Jerry Seinfeld,Bob Saget,Jerry Stiller,Kevin Kline, andJeff Foxworthy.[70] In 2007, a Rodney Dangerfield tattoo was among the most popular celebrity tattoos in the United States.[71] OnThe Tonight Show with Jay Leno, May 29, 2009, Leno credited Dangerfield with popularizing the style of joke he had long been using. The format of the joke is that the comedian tells a sidekick how bad something is, and the sidekick—in this case, guitar playerKevin Eubanks—sets up the joke by asking just how bad that something is.[72]
The official Rodney Dangerfield website was nominated for aWebby Award after it was relaunched by his widow, Joan Dangerfield, on what would have been his 92nd birthday, November 22, 2013.[73] Since then, Dangerfield has been honored with two additional Webby Award nominations and one win.[74][75]
In 2014, Dangerfield was awarded an honorary doctorate posthumously fromManhattanville College, officially deeming him Dr. Dangerfield.[76] Beginning on June 12, 2017, Los Angeles City College Theatre Academy hosted the first class of The Rodney Dangerfield Institute of Comedy. The class is a stand-up comedy class which is taught by comedienne Joanie Willgues, aka Joanie Coyote.[77][78]
In August 2017, a plaque honoring Dangerfield was installed in Kew Gardens, his old Queens neighborhood.[79] In 2019, an inscription was made to the "Wall of Life" atHebrew University'sMt. Scopus Campus that reads "Joan and Rodney Dangerfield."[80]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | The Killing | Onlooker | [81] | |
| 1971 | The Projectionist | Renaldi / The Bat | [82] | |
| 1980 | Caddyshack | Al Czervik | Additional dialogue (uncredited) | [83] |
| 1983 | Easy Money | Monty Capuletti | Co-writer | |
| 1986 | Back to School | Thornton Melon | Co-writer | |
| 1988 | Moving | Loan Broker | ||
| 1991 | Rover Dangerfield | Rover Dangerfield | Voice; also executive producer and screenwriter | |
| 1992 | Ladybugs | Chester Lee | ||
| 1994 | Natural Born Killers | Ed Wilson, Mallory's Dad | Additional dialogue (uncredited) | [84] |
| 1995 | Casper | Himself | ||
| 1997 | Meet Wally Sparks | Wally Sparks | Also Producer and co-writer | |
| Casper: A Spirited Beginning | Mayor Johnny Hunt | |||
| 1998 | The Godson | The Rodfather | ||
| Rusty: A Dog's Tale | Bandit the Rabbit | Voice | ||
| 1999 | Pirates: 3D Show | Crewman Below Deck | ||
| 2000 | My 5 Wives | Monte Peterson | Also producer and co-writer | |
| Little Nicky | Lucifer | |||
| 2002 | The 4th Tenor | Lupo | co-writer | |
| 2005 | Back by Midnight | Jake Puloski | Posthumous release; filmed in 2002 | |
| Angels with Angles | God | Posthumous release; filmed in 2002 | ||
| 2008 | The Onion Movie | Rodney Dangerfield | Posthumous release; filmed in 2003 |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1967–1971 | The Ed Sullivan Show | Himself | 17 appearances | [20] |
| 1969–1992 | The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson | Himself | More than 70 appearances | [22] |
| 1972–1973 | The Dean Martin Show | Himself | Regular performer | [85] |
| 1977 | Benny and Barney: Las Vegas Undercover | Manager | Television movie | |
| 1978 | The Redd Foxx Comedy Hour | Himself | 5-minute stand-up act | |
| 1979, 1980, 1996 | Saturday Night Live | Himself | Cameo in '79 & '96, Host in '80 | |
| 1990 | Where's Rodney | Himself | Unsold pilot | |
| 1990 | The Earth Day Special | Dr. Vinny Boombatz | Television special | |
| 1993 | In Living Color | Himself | Season 4, Episode 18 | |
| 1995–2004 | The Tonight Show with Jay Leno | Himself | Frequent guest | |
| 1996 | The Simpsons | Larry Burns | Voice; Episode: "Burns, Baby Burns" | |
| Suddenly Susan | Artie | Episode: "Cold Turkey" | ||
| 1997 | Home Improvement | Himself | Episode: "Thanksgiving" | |
| Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist | Himself | Episode "Day Planner" | ||
| Mad TV | Himself | Season 2, Episode 12 | ||
| 2003 | The Electric Piper | Rat-A-Tat-Tat | Voice; Television movie | |
| 2004 | Phil of the Future | Max the Dog | Episode: "Doggie Daycare" | |
| Still Standing | Ed Bailey | Episode: "Still Neighbors" |
| Year | Title | Artist | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | "Tell Her About It" | Billy Joel | |
| 1984 | "Rappin' Rodney" | Rodney Dangerfield | |
| 1986 | "Dancing on the Ceiling" | Lionel Richie | |
| 1986 | "Twist and Shout" | Rodney Dangerfield | |
| 1988 | "Wild Thing" | Sam Kinison | |
| 2002 | "Dance with Me" | Michael Bolton |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Rodney Dangerfield: It's Not Easy Bein' Me | Himself / Various | HBO special | |
| 1983 | Rodney Dangerfield: I Can't Take It No More | Himself / Various | ABC special | |
| 1985 | Rodney Dangerfield: Exposed | Himself / Various | HBO special | |
| 1986 | Rodney Dangerfield: It's Not Easy Bein' Me | Himself | HBO special | |
| 1988 | Rodney Dangerfield: Nothin' Goes Right | Himself | HBO special | |
| 1991 | Rodney Dangerfield's The Really Big Show | Himself | HBO special | |
| 1992 | Rodney Dangerfield: It's Lonely at the Top | Himself | Paramount special | |
| 1997 | Rodney Dangerfield's 75th Birthday Toast | Himself | HBO special |
| Title | Year |
|---|---|
| The Loser /What's In A Name (reissue) | 1966 / 1977 |
| I Don't Get No Respect | 1970 |
| No Respect | 1980 |
| Rappin' Rodney | 1983 |
| La Contessa | 1995 |
| Romeo Rodney | 2005 |
| Greatest Bits | 2008 |
| Title | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 20th Century Masters – The Millennium Collection: The Best of Rodney Dangerfield | 2005 |
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Grammy Award | Grammy Award for Best Comedy Recording | No Respect | Won | |
| 1981 | UCLA Jack Benny Award | Outstanding Contribution in the Field of Entertainment | Won | ||
| 1985 | Grammy Award | Grammy Award for Best Comedy Recording | Rappin' Rodney | Nominated | |
| 1987 | Grammy Award | Grammy Award for Best Comedy Recording | "Twist and Shout" | Nominated | |
| 1987 | American Comedy Award | Funniest Actor in a Motion Picture (Leading Role) | Back to School | Nominated | |
| 1987 | MTV Video Music Award | Best Video from a Film | "Twist and Shout" (fromBack to School) | Nominated | |
| 1991 | AGVA Award | Male Comedy Star of the Year | Won | ||
| 1995 | American Comedy Award | Creative Achievement Award | Won | ||
| 2002 | Hollywood Walk of Fame | Won | |||
| 2003 | Commie Award | Lifetime Achievement Award | Won | ||
| 2014 | Webby Award | Celebrity Website | Rodney.com | Nominated | |
| 2018 | Webby Award | Celebrity Social | Nominated | ||
| 2019 | Webby Award | People's Voice: Event Website | Rodney Respect Award | Won | |
| 2024 | Webby Award | Comedy | The Caddyshack Shuffle | Nominated |
Rodney has written thousands of great jokes, but for me, his funniest line is his classic setup, 'I don't get no respect.' That's almost an inside joke because from me, and from all the thousands of comedians he has helped and inspired, and from anybody who digs great comedy, he gets nothing but love and respect.(Foreword byJim Carrey.)
Because of the joke of the day incident, I decided to put the punch line on his tombstone.
