Rodney Dangerfield

Actor, Comedian. Born Jacob Cohen, a native of Long Island, New York, Rodney Dangerfield was fortunate to have two starts in the show business industry. His first was in the 1940s appearing in the “Borscht Belt” resorts in the Catskill Mountains of New York state where he wrote jokes, was a singing waiter and did a stand up act under the name of Jack Roy. He struggled until he decided to leave the business to earn a stable living as aluminum siding salesman and a house painter. He would later return in the 1960s at age 40 as Rodney Dangerfield, and his stand up act took off with various television appearances and comedy albums. The man who was famous for his signature phrase “I can’t get no respect,” he opened up the self-named comedy club “Dangerfield’s” in New York City, New York, where he helped the careers of notable comics such as Jerry Seinfeld, Jim Carrey, Roseanne Barr, Jeff Foxworthy, Tim Allen and Sam Kinison. His movie career was as varied as his comedy act, making his acting debut in the 1971 movie “The Projectionist.” He would later appear in such movies as “Caddyshack,” “Easy Money,” “Back to School,” “Ladybugs,” “Moving,” “The Scout,” and “Meet Wally Sparks.” He took a rare turn at dramatic acting in 1994 that drew positive reviews in “Natural Born Killers” as the abusive father. Over the years, he never lost a blunt and sarcastic appeal for his brand of humor. He was a regular when Johnny Carson hosted “The Tonight Show” and would appear frequently on ‘The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.’ One of his last appearances was in August 2004, just days before his hospitalization for heart valve replacement, on the television show, ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live.’ (bio by: Allcalmap)  Family links:  Parents:  Philip Cohen (____ – 1927)  Dorothy Teitelbaum (____ – 1931)Cause of death: Complications following heart surgery Inscription:There Goes The Neighborhood