Rodney Dangerfield Biography (1922?-)

Original name, Jacob Cohen; name legally changed to Rodney Dangerfield; bornNovember 22, 1922 (some sources cite 1921), in Babylon, NY; married Joyce Indig (a singer), 1949 (divorced, 1961); married Joan Child (an owner of a floral business), December 26, 1993; children: (first marriage) Brian, Melanie. Addresses: Office: Dangerfield's, 1118 First Ave., New York, NY.; Agent:Harry Gold, Gold Liedtke Associates, 3500 West Olive Ave., Suite 1400, Burbank, CA 91505; (voice work) Cunningham/Escott/Dipene and Associates, 10635 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 140, Los Angeles, CA 90025.

Nationality
American
Gender
Male
Occupation
Comedian, actor, writer, producer
Birth Details
November 22, 1922?
Babylon, New York, United States

Famous Works

  • CREDITS
  • Film Appearances
  • Renaldi/The Bat, The Projectionist, Ted Maron, 1971
  • Al Czervik, Caddyshack, Warner Bros., 1980
  • Monty Capoletti, Easy Money, Orion, 1983
  • Thornton Melon, Back to School, Orion, 1986
  • Loan broker, Moving, Warner Bros., 1988
  • Voice of title character, Rover Dangerfield (animated), Warner Bros., 1991
  • Chester Lee, Ladybugs, Paramount, 1992
  • Ed Wilson, Natural Born Killers, Warner Bros., 1994
  • Himself, Casper, 1995
  • Title role, Meet Wally Sparks, Trimark Pictures, 1997
  • Mayor Johnny Hunt, Casper: A Spirited Beginning (also known as Casper: The Beginning and Casper II: Ghost Central Station), Twentieth Century-Fox Home Entertainment, 1997
  • The Rodfather, The Godson, Sterling Home Entertainment, 1998
  • Voice of Bandit the rabbit, Rusty: The Great Rescue (also known asRusty: A Dog's Tale), 1998
  • Crew member below deck, Pirates: 3D Show, Busch Entertainment/Renaissance Entertainment, 1999
  • Monte Peterson, My 5 Wives, Artisan Entertainment, 2000
  • Lucifer, Little Nicky, New Line Cinema, 2000
  • G-d, Everything's George, Sierra Mar Productions, 2000
  • Himself (in archive footage), Pornstar: The Legend of Ron Jeremy,Maelstrom Entertainment, 2001
  • Lupo, The 4th Tenor, Imageworks Entertainment International, 2002
  • Jake Puloski, Back by Midnight, 2002
  • Film Work
  • Executive producer, Rover Dangerfield (animated), Warner Bros., 1991
  • Producer, Meet Wally Sparks, Trimark Pictures, 1997
  • Producer, My 5 Wives, Artisan Entertainment, 2000
  • Coproducer, The 4th Tenor, Imageworks Entertainment International,2002
  • Television Appearances
  • Specials
  • The Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World of the Super Bowl, NBC, 1977
  • Happy Birthday, Las Vegas, 1977
  • The Robert Klein Show, NBC, 1981
  • Host, The Rodney Dangerfield Special: It's Not Easy Bein' Me (alsoknown as The Rodney Dangerfield Show: It's Not Easy Bein' Me), ABC, 1982
  • Host, The Rodney Dangerfield Special: I Can't Take It No More (also known as The Rodney Dangerfield Show: I Can't Take It No More), ABC,1983
  • The Making of "Easy Money," 1983
  • Himself (in archival footage), The Great Standups (also known as The Great Standups: Sixty Years of Laughter), 1984
  • The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson: 23rd Anniversary, NBC, 1985
  • Host, Rodney Dangerfield: Exposed, ABC, 1985
  • Rodney Dangerfield Hosts the 9th Annual Young Comedians Show, HBO,1985
  • "Rodney Dangerfield: It's Not Easy Bein' Me," On Location, HBO, 1986
  • Host, Will Rogers: Look Back in Laughter (also known as Will Rogers: An American Hero), HBO, 1987
  • "Rodney Dangerfield: Nothin' Goes Right" (also known as "Nothin' Goes Right" and "Rodney Dangerfield: Nothin' Is Easy"), On Location, HBO, 1988
  • "Rodney Dangerfield `Opening Night at Rodney's Place,'" On Location, HBO, 1989
  • Time Warner Presents the Earth Day Special, ABC, 1990
  • "Rodney Dangerfield's The Really Big Show," HBO Comedy Hour, HBO,1991
  • It's Lonely at the Top, 1992
  • A Tribute to Sam Kinison, Fox, 1993
  • A Comedy Salute to Andy Kaufman, NBC, 1995
  • The Life and Death of Sam Kinison: The E! True Hollywood Story, E!Entertainment Television, 1996
  • Jim Carrey: The Joker's Wild, Arts and Entertainment, 1996
  • Steve Allen's 75th Birthday Celebration, PBS, 1997
  • Rodney Dangerfield's 75th Birthday Toast, HBO, 1997
  • Vendor, Sea World and Busch Gardens Adventures: Alien Vacation!, CBS, 1997
  • Himself (in archive footage), A Really Big Show: Ed Sullivan's 50th Anniversary, 1998
  • Sam Kinison: Why Did We Laugh?, Comedy Central, 1999
  • Comedy Central Presents Behind-the-Scenes at the American Comedy Awards, Comedy Central, 1999
  • Episodic
  • The Ed Sullivan Show, multiple appearances, CBS, between 1967 and1971
  • On Broadway Tonight, CBS, 1964
  • Guest panelist, The Hollywood Squares, 1978
  • "The Day the Gambling Stopped," Vegas, ABC, 1980
  • Host, Saturday Night Live (also known as NBC's Saturday Night, Saturday Night, and SNL), NBC, 1980
  • Late Night with David Letterman, 1986
  • The Jerry Springer Show, syndicated, 1991
  • Voice of Larry Burns, "Burns Baby Burns," The Simpsons (animated),Fox, 1996
  • Artie, "Cold Turkey," Suddenly Susan, NBC, 1996
  • Himself, "Kept Man," The Single Guy, NBC, 1996
  • Saturday Night Live (also known as NBC's Saturday Night, Saturday Night, and SNL), NBC, 1996
  • Saturday Night Special, 1996
  • Host, Mad TV, 1996
  • Himself, "Mercy Killing," Night Stand, 1997
  • Himself, "Thanksgiving," Home Improvement, ABC, 1997
  • "Day Planner," Dr. Katz: Professional Therapist, 1997
  • The Howard Stern Show, 1997
  • Penn and Teller's Sin City Spectacular (also known as Sin CitySpectacular), FX, 1998
  • The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, 2001
  • Dangerfield made more than seventy appearances on The Tonight Show, NBC; also appeared in episodes of In Living Color, The Late LateShow with Craig Kilborn, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, This IsYour Life, Toast of the Town, and What's My Line.
  • Series
  • The Dean Martin Show (also known as The Dean Martin Comedy Hour), NBC, 1972-1973
  • Pilots
  • Manager, Benny and Barney: Las Vegas Undercover (also known as Benny and Barney, the Aristocrats and Las Vegas Undercover), NBC,1977
  • Where's Rodney? (also known as Oh, Rodney, Rodney Jr., and Young Rodney), NBC, 1990
  • Awards Presentations
  • The 59th Annual Academy Awards Presentation, ABC, 1987
  • The 9th Annual American Comedy Awards, ABC, 1995
  • The 10th Annual American Comedy Awards, ABC, 1996
  • Television Work
  • Specials
  • Executive producer, Rodney Dangerfield Hosts the 9th Annual Young Comedians Special, HBO, 1985
  • Executive producer, "Rodney Dangerfield's The Really Big Show," HBO Comedy Hour, HBO, 1991
  • Producer, It's Lonely at the Top, 1992
  • Executive producer, Rodney Dangerfield's 75th Birthday Toast, HBO,1997
  • Stage Appearances
  • Rodney Dangerfield on Broadway!, Mark Hellinger Theatre, New YorkCity, 1988
  • RECORDINGS
  • Albums
  • I Don't Get No Respect, Bell, 1980
  • Rappin' Rodney, RCA Victor, 1983
  • Easy Money (soundtrack recording), Columbia, 1983
  • What's in a Name, MCA Special Products, 1988
  • Rodney Dangerfield--The Loser, Decca, 1990
  • Videos
  • Rodney, Guide to Golf Style and Etiquette, 1995
  • Adam Sandler Goes to Hell, New Line Home Video, 2001
  • Appeared in the music video "Tell Her about It" by Billy Joel.
  • WRITINGS
  • Screenplays
  • Easy Money, Orion, 1983
  • Rover Dangerfield (animated), Warner Bros., 1991
  • (With Harry Basil) Meet Wally Sparks, Trimark Pictures, 1997
  • My 5 Wives, Artisan Entertainment, 2000
  • The 4th Tenor, Imageworks Entertainment International, 2002
  • Film Music
  • (With Billy Tragesser) Rover Dangerfield (animated), Warner Bros.,1991
  • Television Specials
  • The Rodney Dangerfield Special: It's Not Easy Bein' Me (also knownas The Rodney Dangerfield Show: It's Not Easy Bein' Me), ABC, 1982
  • The Rodney Dangerfield Special: I Can't Take It No More (also known as The Rodney Dangerfield Show: I Can't Take It No More), ABC, 1983
  • Rodney Dangerfield: Exposed, ABC, 1985
  • "Rodney Dangerfield: It's Not Easy Bein' Me," On Location, HBO, 1986
  • "Rodney Dangerfield: Nothin' Goes Right" (also known as "Nothin' Goes Right" and "Rodney Dangerfield: Nothin' Is Easy"), On Location, HBO, 1988
  • "Rodney Dangerfield's The Really Big Show," HBO Comedy Hour, HBO,1991
  • It's Lonely at the Top, 1992
  • Rodney Dangerfield's 75th Birthday Toast, HBO, 1997
  • Videos
  • Guide to Golf Style and Etiquette, 1995
  • Books
  • I Couldn't Stand My Wife's Cooking so I Opened a Restaurant, Jonathan David, 1972
  • I Don't Get No Respect, Price, Stern (Los Angeles), 1973

Further Reference

ADAPTATIONS

  • The film Back to School, released by Orion in 1986, was based on astory by Dangerfield, Greg Fields, and Dennis Snee.
OTHER SOURCES
    Periodicals
    • Esquire, May, 1992, p. 49; October, 2000, pp. 174-75
    • People Weekly, January 27, 1997, p. 37; December 24, 2001, p. 15
    • Time Out New York, February 6, 1997
    Electronic
    • Rodney Dangerfield, http://www.rodney.com, December 23, 2002