Actor

Rodney Dangerfield

Acting

Career Snapshot

Explained

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Acting credits

Established

Large and steady acting portfolio.

TMDB popularity

1.2

Low visibility

TMDB internal trend index. Higher usually means more searches and page activity now.

Movies: 41Series: 19Crew credits: 18

TMDB ID: 3198

IMDb ID: nm0001098

Known for: Acting

Born: November 22, 1921

Died: October 5, 2004

Age: 82

Place of birth: Deer Park, New York, USA

Gender: Male

Adult content flag: No

Career span: 1948 - 2023

Years active: 76

Average TMDB rating: 6.28

Wikidata: Q436386

Also known as

Jacob Cohen • رادنی دنجرفیلد

Other jobs

Writer (12)Executive Producer (2)Screenplay (2)Additional Writing (1)Story (1)

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Biography

Jack Roy (born Jacob Rodney Cohen; November 22, 1921 – October 5, 2004), better known by the pseudonym Rodney Dangerfield, was an American stand-up comedian, actor, screenwriter, and producer. He was known for his self-deprecating one-liner humor, his catchphrase "I don't get no respect!" and his monologues on that theme. He began his career working as a stand-up comic at the Fantasy Lounge in New York City. His act grew in popularity as he became a mainstay on late-night talk shows throughout the 1960s and 1970s, eventually developing into a headlining act on the Las Vegas casino circuit. His catchphrase "I don't get no respect!" came from an attempt to improve one of his stand-up jokes. "I played hide and seek; they wouldn't even look for me." He thought the joke would be stronger if it used the format: "I was so ..." beginning ("I was so poor," "He was so ugly," "She was so stupid," etc.).[clarification needed] He tried "I get no respect," and got a much better response from the audience; it became a permanent feature of his act and comedic persona. He appeared in a few bit parts in films, such as The Projectionist, throughout the 1970s, but his breakout film role came in 1980 as a boorish nouveau riche golfer in the ensemble comedy Caddyshack, which was followed by two additional successful films in which he starred: 1983's Easy Money and 1986's Back to School. Additional film work kept him busy through the rest of his life, mostly in comedies, but with a rare dramatic role in 1994's Natural Born Killers as an abusive father.