Hollywood Reacts to the Death of Comic Legend Don Rickles

Rebecca Detken
·Managing Editor, Yahoo Celebrity
Rest in peace, Don Rickles. (Photo: Mark Mainz/Getty Images for AFI)
Rest in peace, Don Rickles. (Photo: Mark Mainz/Getty Images for AFI)

Legendary comedian Don Rickles died Thursday morning at his home in Los Angeles from kidney failure. He was 90. Revered as the king of the insult comics, “Mr. Warmth,” as he was sarcastically nicknamed, was beloved by Hollywood.

“He was called ‘The Merchant of Venom,’ but in truth, he was one of the kindest, caring, and most sensitive human beings we have ever known,” his friends Bob and Ginnie Newhart said in a joint statement. “We are devastated and our world will never be the same. We were totally unprepared for this.”

David Letterman said of the late comic, “Don coming on our show was always a highlight for me. Just endless mischief and nonsense, and a guy who would make the audience go completely crazy. Such a professional, such a gentleman. I already miss him.”

Check out the many other tributes rolling in on social media from Rickles’s fellow comedians on as well as other people in the biz.

RIP Don.

A post shared by @amyschumer on Apr 6, 2017 at 11:30am PDT

Don Rickles is gone at 90 years young. He was quite literally one of the funniest people to walk the planet. Rickles guested on The Tonight Show hundreds of times including guest hosting it! I would watch him as a kid crack the audience up and I was laughing along with him. When you watched him you felt like you knew him and he was talking to you. I admire the man and his career. I was also lucky enough to have him pinch my cheek once and tell me I was blocking the hallway (before nailing me with a few more zingers) with a giant smile on his face. My condolences to his family, friends & fans. I'm proud to be a comedian and will be dedicating mu performance tonight to a man that inspired me and so many others.

A post shared by Dane Cook (@danecook) on Apr 6, 2017 at 11:14am PDT

One of the first comedy shows I ever saw as a little kid was Don Rickles at the Westbury Music Fair. I snuck down to the front row and he decimated me. Later in life Me and my best pals ate some mushrooms and saw him open up for Frank Sinatra at the Greek. Nobody has ever been funnier or sweeter. What an amazing long very happy life. So many laughs.

A post shared by Judd Apatow (@juddapatow) on Apr 6, 2017 at 1:52pm PDT

There aren't many people who I've met who have literally stopped me cold due to being starstruck. #donrickles was one of those people. His comedy has been a staple in my family for three generations. His legendary antics and his status as one of the last living true Hollywood legends made me enormously grateful to be able to sit by his side just a few short months ago. I feel blessed for the limited time I got to chat with him and thank him for being so hugely influential in my life. And in what seems like an eerie coincidence, out of the blue, my daughters, wife and I watched Toy Story on the way to the airport yesterday in the car. It is but a brief reminder that his work will continue to live on and touch and entertain my children and their children for years to come. Thank you Mr. Rickles for one taking us all on one hell of a ride. #RIP

A post shared by Josh Gad (@joshgad) on Apr 6, 2017 at 11:30am PDT


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