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==Early life==
Rodney Dangerfield was born Jacob Cohen<ref name="Dangerfield sweat">{{cite web|url=https://www.today.com/popculture/rodney-dangerfields-widow-keeps-bottle-his-sweat-refrigerator-2D11641666| title=Rodney Dangerfield's widow keeps bottle of his sweat in the refrigerator| last= Abramovitch|first=Seth|date=October 14, 2016|work=[[Today (American TV program)|Today]] |access-date=August 2, 2018}}</ref> in the [[Babylon (village), New York|Village of Babylon, New York]], on November 22, 1921.<ref name=NYT>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/06/arts/06dangerfield.html|title=Rodney Dangerfield, Comic Seeking Respect, Dies at 82|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=October 6, 2004}}</ref> He was the son of [[Jews|Jewish]] parents Dorothy "Dotty" Teitelbaum and the [[Vaudeville|vaudevillian]] performer Phillip Cohen, whose stage name was Phil Roy. His mother was born in
Cohen's mother was reportedly emotionally distant for most of his childhood and did not show signs of affection towards her son.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Strange, unhappy life of Rodney Dangerfield | work= The Spokesman-Review| url= https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2004/jul/18/strange-unhappy-life-of-rodney-dangerfield/|access-date= 2021-03-09| via=spokesman.com}}</ref> In an interview with [[Howard Stern]] on May 25, 2004, Dangerfield told Stern that he had been molested by a man in his neighborhood. The man would pay Rodney a nickel and kiss him for five minutes.<ref>{{Citation|title=Rodney Dangerfield (05/25/04)|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAssKun1KZk| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624212344/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAssKun1KZk| archive-date=2021-06-24 | url-status= dead|language=en|access-date=2021-03-09}}</ref>
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Dangerfield came to realize that what he lacked was an "image", a well-defined on-stage persona that audiences could relate to, one that would distinguish him from other comics. After being shunned by some premier comedy venues, he returned home where he began developing a character for whom nothing goes right.
Roy took the name Rodney Dangerfield from an episode by [[Jack Benny]] on his radio program in a 1941 broadcast.<ref>{{Citation |title=Jack Benny - JB 1941-12-21 The Christmas tree | date=2 January 2018 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CV0VhpPo0y8 |access-date=2023-03-24 |language=en}}</ref> The name was referenced as an actor who Jack had invited to his upcoming Christmas Party, but [[Mary Livingstone]] had never heard of him. The name surfaces again in the December 15, 1946, episode as a "movie star" on Jack's Christmas Card list.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTysLG6zCDQ | title=Jack Benny - JB 1946-12-15 Exchanging Shoelaces | website=[[YouTube]] | date=7 January 2018 }}</ref> The name was also used by [[Ricky Nelson]] in a 1962 television episode of [[The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet|''The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet'']], as a phony name for a blind date.<ref>{{Citation |title=Ricky Nelson is Rodney Dangerfield | date=24 May 2023 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJkLBO2AbjQ |access-date=2024-02-14 |language=en}}</ref>
===Career surge===
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==Personal life==
Dangerfield was married twice to Joyce Indig, a singer. They married on October 3, 1951, divorced in 1961, remarried in 1963, and divorced again in 1970, although Rodney lived largely separated from his family.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.biography.com/performer/rodney-dangerfield|title=Rodney Dangerfield|website=Biography.com|access-date=21 August 2019}}</ref> Together, the couple had two children: son Brian Roy (born 1960) and daughter Melanie Roy-Friedman, born after her parents remarried. From 1993 until his death, Dangerfield was married to Joan Child, whom he met
At the time of a ''[[People (magazine)|People]]'' magazine article on Dangerfield in 1980, he was sharing an apartment on [[Manhattan]]'s [[Upper East Side]] with a housekeeper, his poodle Keno, and his closest friend of 30 years, Joe Ancis, whom Dangerfield called "the funniest man in the world";<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Durkee|first=Culter|title=Rodney Dangerfield Has Known Worse—It's Usually An Albatross|date=October 6, 1980|magazine=[[People (magazine)|People]]|url=http://people.com/archive/rodney-dangerfield-has-known-worse-its-usually-an-albatross-vol-14-no-14|access-date=August 15, 2017}}</ref> Ancis was also a friend of and major influence on [[Lenny Bruce]].<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Fong-Torres|first=Ben|title=Rodney Dangerfield: He Whines That We May Laugh|date=September 18, 1980|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/features/rodney-dangerfield-he-whines-that-we-may-laugh-19800918|access-date=August 15, 2017}}</ref> Ancis, who [[Roseanne Barr]] described as "too psychologically damaged to be able to live in a germ-infested world on his own", lived with Dangerfield until Ancis's death in 2001.<ref name="Indeterminate"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-oct-10-oe-barr10-story.html|title=In a City Full of Beautiful People, Dangerfield Could Stop Traffic|website=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=October 10, 2004}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/12/11/classified/paid-notice-deaths-ancis-joe.html|title = Paid Notice: Deaths ANCIS, JOE|newspaper = The New York Times|date = December 11, 2001}}</ref>
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Dangerfield resented being confused with his on-stage persona. Although his wife Joan described him as "classy, gentlemanly, sensitive and intelligent,"<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/_/id/6054693/rodneydangerfield?pageid=rs.Artistcage&pageregion=triple3&rnd=1096316510181&has-player=true|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041014084640/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/_/id/6054693/rodneydangerfield?pageid=rs.Artistcage&pageregion=triple3&rnd=1096316510181&has-player=true|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 14, 2004|title=Gone to Pot|last=Hedegaard |first=Erik|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=May 19, 2004|access-date=May 21, 2007}}</ref> he was often treated like the loser he played and documented this in his 2004 autobiography, ''It's Not Easy Bein' Me: A Lifetime of No Respect but Plenty of Sex and Drugs''. In this work, he also discussed being a [[Cannabis (drug)|marijuana]] smoker; the book's original title was ''My Love Affair with Marijuana''.<ref>{{cite news|last=Pearlman|first=Jeff|date=July 18, 2004|title=Dangerfield is no laughing matter|newspaper=[[The San Diego Union-Tribune]]|url=http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20040718/news_1a18rodney.html|access-date=September 14, 2006|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120909071121/http://www.utsandiego.com/uniontrib/20040718/news_1a18rodney.html|archive-date=September 9, 2012|url-status=live}}</ref>
Although [[Jewish]], Dangerfield referred to himself as an [[atheist]] during an interview with [[Howard Stern]] on May 25, 2004, about four months before his death. Dangerfield added during the interview that he was a "logical" atheist, adding: "We're gorillas - does a gorilla come back?" In the same interview, he lamented that he "suffered greatly for being a perfectionist"; he also said "My mother never hugged me, kissed me, nothing, okay? Other kids would go to sleep listening to a [[fairy tale]]. I went to sleep with a fight downstairs, listening to a guy yelling 'Enough! Enough!'"<ref>{{Citation |title=Rodney Dangerfield Stops By The Show | date=23 September 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUlpgCJYTFM?t=1360 |access-date=2023-07-12 |language=en}}</ref>
==Later years and death==
[[File:RodneyDangerfieldGravestoneJuly2007.jpg|thumb|right|Dangerfield's headstone at [[Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park and Mortuary]]]]
On November 22, 2001 (his 80th birthday), Dangerfield suffered a [[Transient ischemic attack|mild stroke]] while doing stand-up on ''[[The Tonight Show with Jay Leno|The Tonight Show]]''. While Dangerfield was performing, host [[Jay Leno]] noticed something was wrong with Dangerfield's movements and asked his producer to call the paramedics.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://people.com/health/jay-leno-on-high-cholesterol-risks/ | work=People (magazine) | title=Jay Leno Speaks Out About His Battle With High Cholesterol | date=March 12, 2019}}</ref> During Dangerfield's hospital stay, the staff were reportedly upset that he smoked [[Cannabis (drug)|marijuana]] in his room.<ref name=Brownfield>{{cite news|title=Comic genius Dangerfield still cutting jokes to thwart boredom|first=Paul |last=Brownfield |agency=Los Angeles Times|work=Journal - Gazette|location=Ft. Wayne, Indiana|date=December 21, 2002|page=3.D}}</ref> Dangerfield returned to the ''Tonight Show'' a year later, performing on his 81st birthday.<ref name=Brownfield/>
On April 8, 2003, Dangerfield underwent [[brain surgery]] to improve blood flow in preparation for [[heart valve]]-replacement surgery on a later date.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.eonline.com/news/44934/dangerfield-undergoes-brain-surgery|title=Dangerfield Undergoes Brain Surgery|date=April 8, 2003|website=E! Online|access-date=21 August 2019}}</ref> The heart surgery took place on August 24, 2004.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.foxnews.com/story/rodney-dangerfield-to-have-heart-surgery|title=Rodney Dangerfield to Have Heart Surgery|date=March 25, 2015|website=Associated Press|access-date=21 August 2019}}</ref> Upon entering the [[Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center|University of California, Los Angeles Medical Center]], he uttered another characteristic one-liner when asked how long he would be hospitalized: "If all goes well, about a week. If not, about an hour and a half."<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=07SShhi-hHcC&pg=PT501|title= Funniest Thing You Never Said 2|editor=Rosemarie Jarski|publisher=Ebury Press|year=2010|page=501|isbn= 978-0091924515}}</ref>
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==Legacy==
[[UCLA]]'s Division of [[Neurosurgery]] named a suite of operating rooms after him and gave him the "Rodney Respect Award", which his widow presented to [[Jay Leno]] on October 20, 2005. It was presented on behalf of the [[David Geffen School of Medicine]]/Division of Neurosurgery at UCLA at their 2005 Visionary Ball.<ref>{{cite press release | url=http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/article/7483:University | title=Neurosurgery Division to Present Jay Leno With Rodney Dangerfield Legacy Aw | publisher=[[Regents of the University of California]] | date=September 14, 2005 | access-date=November 1, 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120305184848/http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/article/7483:University | archive-date=March 5, 2012 | url-status=dead | df=mdy-all }}</ref> Other recipients of the "Rodney Respect Award" include [[Tim Allen]] (2007),<ref>{{cite news| url= https://variety.com/2007/voices/columns/rodneys-respect-726/ | title=Rodney's Respected by Tim | date=September 4, 2007}}</ref> [[Jim Carrey]] (2009), [[Louie Anderson]] (2010),<ref>{{cite news | url=http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-504660 | work=CNN | title=Louie Anderson Illuminates The Night | date=October 19, 2010 | access-date=November 5, 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150219210425/http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-504660 | archive-date=February 19, 2015 | url-status=dead | df=mdy-all }}</ref> [[Bob Saget]] (2011), [[Chelsea Handler]] (2012),<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.bennettawards.com/project-highlights/2014/5/16/comedian-chelsea-handler-receives-bennett-custom-recognition-award | work=Bennett Awards | title=Comedian Chelsea Handler Receives Bennett Custom Recognition Award | date=February 26, 2013 | access-date=June 25, 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151006031822/http://www.bennettawards.com/project-highlights/2014/5/16/comedian-chelsea-handler-receives-bennett-custom-recognition-award | archive-date=October 6, 2015 | url-status=dead | df=mdy-all }}</ref> [[Chuck Lorre]] (2013),<ref>{{cite magazine |last= Stedman |first= Alex |date= October 25, 2013 |title= Chuck Lorre, Steve Tisch, William Friedkin Honored at UCLA Visionary Ball |url=https://variety.com/2013/scene/news/chuck-lorre-steve-tisch-william-friedkin-honored-at-ucla-visionary-ball-1200761037 |magazine= [[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |access-date= September 13, 2019}}</ref> [[Kelsey Grammer]] (2014),<ref>{{cite web |title=Kelsey Grammer To Be Honored At UCLA Visionary Ball |url=https://www.looktothestars.org/news/12623-kelsey-grammer-to-be-honored-at-ucla-visionary-ball |website=Look to the Stars |access-date=September 13, 2019 |date=September 24, 2014 }}</ref> [[Brad Garrett]] (2015),<ref>{{cite web |title=Past Honorees |url=http://neurosurgery.ucla.edu/visionary-ball/past-honorees |website=[[UCLA Health]] |access-date=September 13, 2019}}</ref> [[Jon Lovitz]] (2016),<ref>{{cite web |title=Jon Lovitz To Be Honored At UCLA Department Of Neurosurgery 2016 Visionary Ball |url=https://www.looktothestars.org/news/15915-jon-lovitz-to-be-honored-at-ucla-department-of-neurosurgery-2016-visionary-ball |website=Look to the Stars |access-date=September 13, 2019 |date=October 24, 2016 }}</ref>
In memoriam, ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' ran a short sketch of Dangerfield (played by [[Darrell Hammond]]) at the gates of heaven. [[Saint Peter]] mentions that he heard Dangerfield got no respect in life, which prompts Dangerfield to spew an entire string of his famous one-liners. After he's done, he asks why Saint Peter was so interested. Saint Peter replies, "I just wanted to hear those jokes one more time" and waves him into heaven, prompting Dangerfield to joyfully declare: "Finally! A little respect!"<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://snltranscripts.jt.org/04/04bdangerfield.phtml|title=SNL Transcripts: Queen Latifah: 10/09/04: Dangerfield Tribute|date=October 8, 2018|website=SNL Transcripts Tonight}}</ref>
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* {{Official website|http://rodney.com/}}
* {{IMDb name|1098}}
* [http://classicshowbiz.blogspot.com/2012/09/an-interview-with-stanley-dean-part-one.html Interview about how Jack Roy became Rodney Dangerfield]
* [http://www.oldkewgardens.com/ss-lefferts-1005.html Article about Dangerfield] from a Kew Gardens website
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[[Category:21st-century atheists]]
[[Category:American atheists]]
[[Category:American comedy actors]]
[[Category:American male comedians]]
[[Category:American male film actors]]
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