Jacob Rodney Cohen

Rodney Dangerfield (November 22, 1921 - October 5, 2004), born Jacob Cohen, 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 as a stand-up comic at the Fantasy Lounge in New York City and 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 breakout film role came as a boorish nouveau riche golfer in the ensemble sports comedy Caddyshack (1980). He subsequently starred in comedy films including Easy Money (1983), Back to School (1986), Rover Dangerfield (1991), Ladybugs (1992) and Meet Wally Sparks (1997), and took a rare dramatic role as an abusive father in Oliver Stone's Natural Born Killers (1994). Over his career he released seven comedy albums, including No Respect (1980), which won the Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album, and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2002.

Born on Long Island in Babylon, New York, he was the son of Jewish parents Dorothy Teitelbaum and vaudevillian performer Phillip Cohen, whose stage name was Phil Roy. He attended Richmond Hill High School, graduating in 1939. At 19 he legally changed his name to Jack Roy, and the stage name Rodney Dangerfield was later devised by club owner George McFadden. He reached national prominence on The Ed Sullivan Show in March 1967, appeared on The Tonight Show more than 70 times, and in 1969 built the Dangerfield's comedy club in New York City. He died in 2004 following a month in a coma due to complications from heart valve surgery.