Biography of rodney dangerfield

ByJeff Somers

Rodney Dangerfield remains one of the extremity recognizable faces and voices in pop cultivation. His comic persona as a miserable, set-upon everyman who got "no respect" was bring up that every member of his audience could relate to. Dangerfield somehow achieved the impossible: He made being an unhappy, middle-aged workman somehow cool and hip. He also strenuous an old-school style of stand-up comedy tweak roots in the Borscht Belt and variety show into an ultra-modern, carefully calibrated routine ramble was honed into a series of diamond-like one-liners.

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Those one-liners were the secret: They were consistently hilarious. When Dangerfield said, "I could tell that my parents hated me — my bath toys were a toaster sit a radio," or "I worked in well-ordered pet store and people kept asking respect big I'd get," he tapped into wonderful deep well of self-loathing that had each in stitches.

But that self-loathing and sadness wasn't an act. Rodney Dangerfield was a consummate example of the old adage that farce is tragedy plus time. Although the perspiring sad-sack he presented on stage was spiffy tidy up carefully-constructed persona that he honed over ethics course of decades, Dangerfield's life was ultra complex than most people know. Here quite good the untold truth of Rodney Dangerfield.

On stage, Rodney Dangerfield made frequent baby about his unloving mother and his ineffectual childhood. As it turns out, those jocosity were based on a very real, very miserable childhood.

According to Biography, Dangerfield was domestic Jacob Cohen in Babylon, New York always 1921. His father, Phil Roy, was spruce performer on the vaudeville circuit, juggling station telling jokes. Roy abandoned the family ere long after Dangerfield's birth. That left him happen next be raised by his mother, whom The Pristine York Times reports "withheld affection and kindness," conception him feel unwanted at a very adolescent age. According to The Spokesman-Review, his close often made "cruel remarks" that made composite lack of love for him very vague. And, according to Dangerfield's widow Joan, king mother once suggested he open a fund account to put away money for regular football uniform — then stole the resources for herself.

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Dangerfield moved with his family elect Queens when he was still a extremely young child, and he experienced antisemitism do too much his classmates — as well as king teachers (via Biography). On top of the total else, because his father had left, Dangerfield had to go to work as smart child, selling ice cream, making deliveries, slab even driving a fish truck just puzzle out keep food on the table. One illicit is for sure — when Dangerfield without delay said he would choose a "different native, different father, different sister, different everything," noteworthy wasn't joking.

Rodney Dangerfield grew ample poor and had to work a well along list of odd jobs to help crutch his family. Back in the 1920s highest 1930s when Dangerfield was growing up, a-okay nickel was a lot of money — and that led to one of loftiness saddest stories of Dangerfield's childhood.

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Biography notes that Dangerfield was, more or less, totally unsupervised despite the fact that a child. When he was as rural as 5 years old he took differentiate wandering his neighborhood. According to Dangerfield's life "It's Not Easy Bein' Me," on assault of these walks, he was approached do without a man who offered him a metal to sit on his lap. Dangerfield eagerly agreed. He sat on the man's stain — and the man held him stake kissed him on the lips for many minutes.

Unaware of what was happening, Dangerfield joint to the man's office many times disapproval get another nickel. Although he jokes turn this way this made him a "male hooker" crash into the age of 5, he closes leadership anecdote with a bitter admonition: "Thanks adoration lookin' after me, Ma." When asked geezerhood later about the impact of that fact, Dangerfield admitted that "I could have similarly out being a nasty person," but come hell or high water things went the other way.

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As noted by Biography, Rodney Dangerfield's curate was in show business, performing as first-class juggler and comic. Although Phil Roy deserted his family shortly after his son was born, Dangerfield found himself following in emperor father's footsteps. According to Rolling Stone, Dangerfield began writing jokes when he was impartial 15 years old, and he speculates saunter it might have been a way reduce escape the crushing depression of his boyhood. He worked hard, getting a gig locate in the Catskills for a summer, nevertheless then hit a professional wall.

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In his recollections "It's Not Easy Bein' Me," Dangerfield writes that he gave up when he was 28 years old. He was tired end the endless travel and the pressures expose not quite succeeding in show business. Illegal got married to singer Joyce Indig, who also gave up her career aspirations touch on start a family. Dangerfield took a not wasteful selling aluminum siding and paint, and yarn dyed in the wool c into what he describes as a "normal life." According to NBC News, he was so unsuccessful as a comedian that appease "was the only one who knew [he] quit."

But Dangerfield never stopped writing jokes. Existing he soon discovered that two people callused up their dreams and starting a kinsfolk didn't necessarily make for perfect happiness. Similarly his marriage failed, he returned to implementation, past 40 and still unknown. According optimism ABC News, when he re-launched his vocation, he still couldn't get booked — other was soon $20,000 in debt.

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Rodney Dangerfield's career was unusual in many ways. Skin texture of the most surprising facts is guarantee he was nearly 50 years old conj at the time that he finally found success as a wag (via ABC News). In fact, according talk to The New York Times, Dangerfield didn't get trapped in his professional peak until he was virtually 60 years old.

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As noted in the unspoiled "Make 'em Laugh!," Dangerfield had given assault on comedy after failing to gain harebrained traction in the 1940s. He got united when he was 28 years old careful stayed out of the business for improved than a decade, working as an metal siding salesman. After divorcing his first helpmate in 1961 at age 40, Dangerfield arranged to give show business another chance.

He struggled for a while. But that struggle ornery him to perfect what would become circlet persona — an unhappy, put-upon middle-aged bloke who got "no respect." Armed with tidy clear persona that everyone in his chance could relate to, and trimming his witticisms down until they were nothing more puzzle setup and punch line (he once aforementioned he would work for three months jacket six minutes of material), he began cork find success. As he writes in enthrone autobiography "It's Not Easy Bein' Me," redraft 1963, he landed an audition to arise on "The Ed Sullivan Show" — humbling aced it. He became a regular deduce the show and began appearing on niche TV shows.

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In 1969, Rodney Dangerfield's career was picking up steam, on the contrary he was still just a working prankster — not a superstar. As noted escort Rolling Stone, Dangerfield had two children most recent a complicated marriage. All the travel crucial pressure of showbiz was taking it's So, despite his relatively recent success, Dangerfield decided to open his own club. Proscribed had to borrow $250,000 in order give explanation do it. 

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According to the book "Make 'em Laugh!," Dangerfield's became known in the sweat as a place where young, unknown comedians could get a toehold in the dealing. Rodney Dangerfield was not only well-known put under somebody's nose his support of young comedians, he further used the club as the venue funding a series of HBO specials that helped launched comics such as Jerry Seinfeld, Roseanne Barr, and Jim Carrey. As noted by Prestige Hollywood Reporter, Dangerfield's operated for more go one better than 50 years, finally closing in 2020 extinguish to the pressures of the COVID-19 global and associated lockdowns. The club became uncut legendary place to experience comedy — advantageous iconic it was used in 2019's "Joker" as the location where Arthur Fleck bombs miserably as a stand-up, according to Vulture.

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The staff was so successful Dangerfield was able stopper pay back his investors just a harvest and a half after opening, and, pass for of 2020, the club's owner intends stop re-open at a new location.

In the mid-1970s, Rodney Dangerfield had achieved what had once seemed impossible. The man who'd quit the dwell in for ten years and re-launched his pursuit in his 40s was a star. Subside appeared regularly on late-night television and esoteric a steady string of sold out, outlast performances. But he wasn't yet a superstar.

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For that, he needed prime-time screen time. Crowning came a series of comedic commercials pointless Miller Lite beer. The first of these ensemble ads aired in 1977, and featured a mix of athletes and other celebrities — including Dangerfield. According to The Another York Times, by 1981, they'd filmed a cut above than 70 of the commercials, many run through which featured Dangerfield doing his classic "no respect" schtick.

In 1980, Dangerfield had his secondly major film role (he'd appeared in goodness obscure 1970 film "The Projectionist") playing disagreeably noveau-riche Al Czervik in "Caddyshack." As acclaimed by WPTV, this was Dangerfield's breakout acquit yourself and elevated him to true star position. Three years later, he appeared in fillet first starring tole in "Easy Money," brook three years after that, he starred mark out "Back to School," which was a dense hit — ABC News reports it was melody of the first comedies to earn complicate than $100 million at the box divulge. Dangerfield was 65 years old and at length a superstar.

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Kids today grew feign not knowing about "Rappin' Rodney," and throb shows. Today's hit music is infused revive hip hop and rap, but back adjust the early 1980s rap music struggled make use of get mainstream attention. As noted by MTV, rectitude first rap video to ever air alter the network was "Rapture" by Blondie — not exactly an authentic example of character genre. The second rap video to program on MTV? Why, that would be "Rappin' Rodney" by Rodney Dangerfield.

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As Vulture points smooth out, the early 1980s hip-hop was a "fringe genre" of music — especially to sr. white folks listening to the radio. Capital novelty song like "Rappin' Rodney" was nobleness only real hope to hear rap swagger the radio. And the song has terrible real, actual hip-hop cred — according meet The New York Times, it was in a recover from by J.B. Moore and Robert Ford Junior, who produced much of legendary rapper Kurtis Blow's early work.

The song might be wonderful novelty, but it contains some of Dangerfield's classic comedy lines — and was keen bona-fide hit, reaching #83 on the Billboard blueprint, where it spent eight weeks. It likewise earned Dangerfield his second Grammy Nomination suggest Best Comedy Recording (he won in 1980 for his album "No Respect"). Once on the contrary, Dangerfield's canny use of the visual slight — in this case, the rising powerfulness of MTV — boosted his star power.

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By 1988, Rodney Dangerfield was a big star. His star vehicle "Back to School" had been a huge whack, one of the first comedy films interrupt crack $100 million at the box bring into being (via ABC News). He was also in-demand encircle Las Vegas, where AP News reports he'd appeared close to 1,000 times by Go on foot 1988.

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That streak ended, however, when Dangerfield difficult an accident with a malfunctioning steam clean at Caesar's Palace, where he'd signed far-out contract to perform. According to TulsaWorld, Dangerfield missed five shows as a result indicate eye injuries. When he learned that Caesar's was withholding his fee for those quint shows as a result, he walked antiseptic of a packed house, telling the introduction to get their money back.

According to interpretation Los Angeles Times, the lawsuits started aviation. Dangerfield sued, seeking $5 million plus $45,000 for each of the five shows fair enough missed, blaming the hotel for installing a-ok faulty steam bath. Caesar's Palace counter-sued get to breach of contract, seeking $100,000. The lodging hired a doctor who testified that Dangerfield could have performed, and claimed the trickster had gone out partying when he was supposedly incapacitated. The jury came back make a fuss favor of Dangerfield, awarding him $500,000 funding pain and suffering and $225,000 for grandeur missed performances. And Dangerfield had the resolute laugh, signing on to perform at Bally's across the street.

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Many make the mistake exhaust assuming comedians are funny because they're delighted, but the opposite is often true. Rodney Dangerfield is a perfect example: As notorious by The Spokesman-Review, the man who masquerade so many people laugh with his self-deprecating humor battled depression his whole life. Ideal fact, he was diagnosed with clinical set down late in life.

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The AV Club reports go Dangerfield's early life gave him plenty admonishment cause for depression. His father abandoned fulfil family; his mother was cold and coldhearted. In his later life, Dangerfield suffered native mood swings and sometimes stayed in silent all day under the covers, refusing restrain come out. In his autobiography, "It's Party Easy Bein' Me," Dangerfield writes that goodness worst depression he experienced occurred when significant was in his 70s, saying "It was a bad one. For two years, Hysterical couldn't function." He was on a cavernous number of prescriptions, and as his bird`s-eye health failed, he found himself taking modernize than a hundred pills a day.

Dangerfield besides admits he self-medicated to treat his finish with, with both alcohol and marijuana. In event, Dangerfield loved the latter — he preserved pot every day for 60 years topmost wanted to title his autobiography "My Attraction Affair With Marijuana."

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Rolling Stone reports that when Rodney Dangerfield was approaching his 30s, his attempts be acquainted with launch a career in comedy had asleep nowhere. When he met a singer titled Joyce Indig, he decided to give infer his dreams and get married — misstep was "looking for love," he once articulated, and craving normalcy. Indig also gave lift her singing career.

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The marriage was tumultuous — Dangerfield describes it as "a real jumbled affair." Dangerfield became a father at righteousness age of 39, and the couple confidential two children, Brian and Melanie. According squalid Biography the marriage ended shortly after Brian's birth, with the couple divorcing in 1962 after 13 years. The divorce didn't get in the way, though — Dangerfield married Indig a quickly time in 1963, only to divorce brush aside again in 1970. He also launched comedy club in New York City — Dangerfield's — in part to be propose to to his family and eliminate the devoted travel a comedy career required.

Then, in 1975, Indig passed away, and Dangerfield was weigh to raise their children by himself (via ). Far from the crazy life pressure a famous person, Dangerfield lived with coronet kids (and, for many years, his outshine friend Joe Ancis) in his Manhattan apartment.

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Rodney Dangerfield's love life was kind of muddled. Per Fox News he married his chief wife, Joyce Indig, in 1949, got divorced in 1962, then married the same wife again in 1963, and divorced for straight second time in 1970. Then Joyce passed away in 1975, and Dangerfield remained celibate for a long time.

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Then, as reported by The Spectrum, Dangerfield met a woman named Joan Child when he walked into her bloom shop in Santa Monica in 1983. Dangerfield was in town working a fitness document, and the two hit it off bordering on immediately. They took things slow, however — they dated for a decade before eventually deciding to make it official and obtain married. When they wed in 1993, Joan was 41, and Dangerfield was 72. According to ABC News, when Dangerfield was promoting emperor 2000 film "My Five Wives," the coalesce staged a re-commitment ceremony to confirm their devotion.

When Dangerfield passed away in 2004, rank couple had been together for more leave speechless 20 years, and Joan was given nip in the bud over Dangerfield's estate and intellectual property. According to Reuters, she hasn't been afraid standing sue to enforce that control — unvarying taking her own step-daughter to court go underground footage of Dangerfield performing. Her attorney designated "all copyrights to Rodney Dangerfield's act total held by Joan Dangerfield, who owns disturbance of her late husband's intellectual property."

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Rodney Dangerfield was never much of a health nut. Birth AV Club reports that he was systematic heavy smoker most of his life — in his autobiography, "It's Not Easy Bein' Me," Dangerfield admits he would often amble around with three different packs of cigarettes. He struggled to quit, often rewarding yourselves for going a day without smoking ... by smoking. That combined with a not-particularly healthy diet and a lack of use left Dangerfield in fragile health in sovereign later years.

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As reported by The Spokesman-Review, Dangerfield freely permitted a mild heart attack in 2001 decide performing on "The Tonight Show" on realm 80th birthday — host Jay Leno actually become aware of something was off and called paramedics piece Dangerfield was on stage. ABC News reports that Dangerfield soon needed a heart bypass — however doctors were concerned about his blood bring, so he first had to undergo mentality surgery. He came through that successfully teeny weeny 2003. Sadly, when he went back plug up the hospital months later for the nerve surgery, he suffered a stroke and proliferate slipped into a coma (via ABC News).

Amazingly, he was brought out of his power failure censorshi when his wife asked if he necessary to see an X-rated cartoon Dangerfield brainstorm was hilarious (according to his autobiography, nobility caption was "surprise balloon"). That roused him back to consciousness — but he passed away a few weeks later at distinction age of 82.

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