Donald Jay Rickles was an American stand-up comedian and actor whose legendary career spanned more than six decades, earning him the title "Mr. Warmth" for his trademark insult comedy. Born on May 8, 1926, in Queens, New York, he became one of the most recognizable and beloved entertainers of his era, known for his quick wit and his willingness to poke fun at everyone from audience members to A-list celebrities.

After serving in the United States Navy during World War II, Rickles began performing stand-up comedy in the nightclubs of New York and Miami Beach. His big break came in the late 1950s when Frank Sinatra caught his act and became a devoted fan and friend, helping to launch Rickles into the spotlight. This friendship also made him a peripheral member of the famed Rat Pack, and he became a regular headline performer at Las Vegas hotel-casinos, where his insult-based comedy thrived.

Rickles built a substantial acting career alongside his stand-up work. His early film roles included Run Silent, Run Deep in 1958, Enter Laughing in 1967, and Kelly's Heroes in 1970. He later appeared in Casino in 1995. On television, he starred in three eponymous programs: an ABC variety series titled The Don Rickles Show in 1968, a CBS sitcom identically titled The Don Rickles Show in 1972, and the NBC sitcom C.P.O. Sharkey, which ran from 1976 to 1978.

He received widespread exposure as a frequent guest on talk and variety shows, including The Dean Martin Show, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, and Late Show with David Letterman. In 1995, he began voicing Mr. Potato Head in the Toy Story franchise, a role he reprised in the second and third films, with unused archival audio later reused in Toy Story 4 in 2019.

Rickles won a Primetime Emmy Award for the 2006 documentary film Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project. In 2014, he was honored by fellow comedians in a show at the Apollo Theater, which was taped and released on Spike TV as Don Rickles: One Night Only. He was married to Barbara Sklar, with whom he had two children. Don Rickles passed away on April 6, 2017, leaving behind a legacy as one of the most influential and enduring figures in the history of American comedy.