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Rodney Dangerfield Author: Dosis Von Lustig Author: Comedians
[Description]

Rodney Dangerfield was an American comedian and actor who was known for his hilarious catchphrase, "I don't get no respect!"

[/Description]

[Bio]

Rodney Dangerfield made his name telling people he didn't get any respect. And he didn't...for awhile.

Born Jacob Rodney Cohen in Deer Park in Suffolk County, Long Island on November 22, 1921, the comedian known as Rodney Dangerfield had Hungarian and Jewish roots. His mom was named Dottie, and his dad, Phil Roy, was a vaudevillian performer. Rodney Dangerfield's father was rarely home, and the fact that the two only saw each other twice a year majorly impacted their relationship.

Rodney Dangerfield's mother moved her family to Kew Gardens, Queens, after his father abandoned them. While attending high school at Richmond Hill High School in Queens, Rodney Dangerfield would help support the family by selling newspapers for $1/each as well as delivering groceries.

By the ripe old age of 15 Dangerfield discovered his talent for comedy and began writing for standup comedians. He eventually began performing under the stage name Jack Roy with little success, often having to resort to being a singing waiter or performing as an acrobatic diver to help pay the bills.

In the 1960's he divorced his first wife, Joyce, and began performing in the Catskills as a standup comedian. While times were still tough, Dangerfield said he finally figured out what his problem was: he lacked an image. So, he decided he would take on the name Rodney Dangerfield, which was the name of a fake cowboy on Jack Benny's radio show from the 1940's. The character often thought he got "no respect," and this would serve as a model for Dangerfield's new standup personality.

Rodney Dangerfield got his big break on March 5, 1967 when Ed Sullivan needed a replacement for one of his acts. After that his career took off, and Rodney Dangerfield was a regular on The Tonight Show (he appeared on it 35 times), The Dean Martin Show, as well as the headliner for several Vegas shows. Tired of constantly touring, he set up Dangerfields Comedy Club with friend Anthony Bevacqua in New York City, which is still open today. The venue helped launch the careers of comedians such as Jerry Seinfeld, Roseanne Barr, Tim Allen, and Andrew Dice Clay. Rodney Dangerfield was also instrumental in the rise of comedian Jim Carrey, whom he saw at The Comedy Store in Los Angeles and subsequently asked to open for him in Vegas.

In addition to appearing in such hits as Back to School, Caddyshack, and Little Nicky, Dangerfield tried his hand in drama when he appeared as abusive father in the movie Natural Born Killers, in which he wrote all of his own lines. Rodney Dangerfield also won a Grammy for his 1980 album, No Respect and appeared in a series of hit commercials for Miller Light.

Rodney Dangerfield was married three times. Twice to Joyce Indig, whom he had a son and daughter with, and once to Joan Child, whom he married in 1993 and stayed married until his death. Dangerfield was often upset at the misconception that he was the same gruff character as his onstage persona. His wife Joan Child described the comedian as "classy, gentlemanly, sensitive and intelligent," and Dangerfield spoke about the misconception in his autobiography, It's Not Easy Bein' Me: A Lifetime of No Respect but Plenty of Sex and Drugs.

Rodney Dangerfield died in 2004 from complications of a heart-valve surgery. He is buried in Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles with a headstone that reads, "Rodney Dangerfield... There goes the neighborhood.”

You get no respect, Rodney. No respect!

[/Bio]

Rodney Dangerfield

Rodney Dangerfield photo

Stats

  • Birth Name

    Jacob Rodney Cohen

  • D.O.B

    November 22, 1921

  • Died

    October 5, 2004

  • Age

    82

  • Hometown

    Deer Park, New York, U.S.

  • Nationality

    American

  • Alma mater
    (Visited 379 times, 1 visits today)
  • Years Active

    1940–1949, 1962–2004

  • Medium

    Stand-up, Film

    (Visited 379 times, 1 visits today)
  • Genres

    Surreal humor, Wit, Black comedy, Deadpan, Jewish humor

    (Visited 379 times, 1 visits today)
  • Subject(s)
    (Visited 379 times, 1 visits today)
  • Influences

    Groucho Marx, W. C. Fields, Laurel and Hardy, Henny Youngman, Don Rickles

    (Visited 379 times, 1 visits today)
  • Website

    http://www.rodney.com/


Rodney Dangerfield was an American comedian and actor who was known for his hilarious catchphrase, "I don't get no respect!"

Rodney Dangerfield made his name telling people he didn't get any respect. And he didn't...for awhile.

Born Jacob Rodney Cohen in Deer Park in Suffolk County, Long Island on November 22, 1921, the comedian known as Rodney Dangerfield had Hungarian and Jewish roots. His mom was named Dottie, and his dad, Phil Roy, was a vaudevillian performer. Rodney Dangerfield's father was rarely home, and the fact that the two only saw each other twice a year majorly impacted their relationship.

Rodney Dangerfield's mother moved her family to Kew Gardens, Queens, after his father abandoned them. While attending high school at Richmond Hill High School in Queens, Rodney Dangerfield would help support the family by selling newspapers for $1/each as well as delivering groceries.

By the ripe old age of 15 Dangerfield discovered his talent for comedy and began writing for standup comedians. He eventually began performing under the stage name Jack Roy with little success, often having to resort to being a singing waiter or performing as an acrobatic diver to help pay the bills.

In the 1960's he divorced his first wife, Joyce, and began performing in the Catskills as a standup comedian. While times were still tough, Dangerfield said he finally figured out what his problem was: he lacked an image. So, he decided he would take on the name Rodney Dangerfield, which was the name of a fake cowboy on Jack Benny's radio show from the 1940's. The character often thought he got "no respect," and this would serve as a model for Dangerfield's new standup personality.

Rodney Dangerfield got his big break on March 5, 1967 when Ed Sullivan needed a replacement for one of his acts. After that his career took off, and Rodney Dangerfield was a regular on The Tonight Show (he appeared on it 35 times), The Dean Martin Show, as well as the headliner for several Vegas shows. Tired of constantly touring, he set up Dangerfields Comedy Club with friend Anthony Bevacqua in New York City, which is still open today. The venue helped launch the careers of comedians such as Jerry Seinfeld, Roseanne Barr, Tim Allen, and Andrew Dice Clay. Rodney Dangerfield was also instrumental in the rise of comedian Jim Carrey, whom he saw at The Comedy Store in Los Angeles and subsequently asked to open for him in Vegas.

In addition to appearing in such hits as Back to School, Caddyshack, and Little Nicky, Dangerfield tried his hand in drama when he appeared as abusive father in the movie Natural Born Killers, in which he wrote all of his own lines. Rodney Dangerfield also won a Grammy for his 1980 album, No Respect and appeared in a series of hit commercials for Miller Light.

Rodney Dangerfield was married three times. Twice to Joyce Indig, whom he had a son and daughter with, and once to Joan Child, whom he married in 1993 and stayed married until his death. Dangerfield was often upset at the misconception that he was the same gruff character as his onstage persona. His wife Joan Child described the comedian as "classy, gentlemanly, sensitive and intelligent," and Dangerfield spoke about the misconception in his autobiography, It's Not Easy Bein' Me: A Lifetime of No Respect but Plenty of Sex and Drugs.

Rodney Dangerfield died in 2004 from complications of a heart-valve surgery. He is buried in Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles with a headstone that reads, "Rodney Dangerfield... There goes the neighborhood.”

You get no respect, Rodney. No respect!

Quotes View More

38 Funny Rodney Dangerfield Jokes and One-Liners

I don't get no respect, are you kiddin'? The time I got hurt. On the way to the hospital, the ambulance stopped for gas.