Rodney Dangerfield may have overused his “no respect” line a little too much during his time on the screen and stage, because the unconfident joker is now one of the most respected stand-up comedians in the business. Born Jacob Cohen on November 22, 1921 in Long Island, Jacob began an early career of comedy as a young teenager writing jokes for the other comics in the nearby clubs. When he turned 19, Jacob became a comic himself, but struggled financially under the stage name Jack Roy before throwing in the towel nine years later. Jacob returned to the stage in 1960 under the name Rodney Dangerfield (for which he is best known today) and began to headline performances on “The Ed Sullivan Show” and “The Dean Martin Show,” not to mention his seventy appearances on “The Tonight Show.” After getting a divorce from his first wife in the late 60’s, Rodney purchased a Manhattan nightclub that became an important HBO comedy venue for popular up-and-comers like Jerry Seinfeld, Tim Allen and Jeff Foxworthy.
Rodney exploded on to the film scene in 1980 alongside SNL comedians Bill Murray and Chevy Chase in the golf slapstick, “Caddyshack” and released his first comedy album, “No Respect,” which went on to win a Grammy that same year. Rodney continued to appear in numerous film comedies throughout the 80’s and early 90’s, and in 1994 won the lifetime creative achievement award from the American Comedy Association for over thirty years of making fans laugh. Rodney’s autobiography, “It’s Not Easy Bein’ Me: A Lifetime of No Respect but Plenty of Sex and Drugs,” was published in 2004 and documented the comic’s fast-paced lifestyle and numerous heart-related surgeries. The book’s original title was “My Love Affair with Marijuana,” but was later changed to promote better sales. Rodney has been at a high-risk for nearly five years and almost had a major surgery during each of those years. When asked about how long he would be hospitalized upon entering his most recent heart surgery on August 24, 2004, he said: “If all goes well, about a week. If not, about an hour-and-a-half.” Loved by thousands of fans and hated by even more, Rodney Dangerfield has become an influential character in the ever-changing culture of comedy.
Rodney on the Screen
Rodney became one of many comedians to jump from the stage to the big screen in the early 80’s with comedic hits like “Caddyshack,” “Easy Money” and “Back to School.” After releasing two comedy albums (“No Respect” and “What’s In A Name”) and appearing in the soccer film “Ladybugs” ten years later, Rodney continued to produce low-ball, direct-to-video flops like “Meet Wally Sparks,” “My 5 Wives” and “The 4th Tenor,” enjoyable flicks for only those truly hardcore Rodney fans.
A Little Respect From Mr. Dangerfield
On his childhood:
“I was so poor growing up … if I wasn’t a boy, I’d have nothing to play with.”
On random acts of drunkenness:
“You know you’re drunk when you take a leak and your fly isn’t open.”
On acting:
“Acting deals with very delicate emotions. It is not putting up a mask. Each time an actor acts he does not hide; he exposes himself.”