Legendary US comedian Don Rickles has died at the age of 90.
The star’s voice was known to millions over the world, having brought the character of Mr Potato Head to life in the ‘Toy Story’ trilogy.
His publicist confirmed news of his death (via Variety) on Thursday (6 April), revealing he suffered kidney failure at his Los Angeles home earlier that morning.
Don rose to fame after working the stand-up circuit during the 60s, and went on to become a frequent guest on ‘The Tonight Show’ and ‘The Dean Martin Show’.
He’d previously appeared in a slew of US TV shows, including ‘Get Smart’, ‘The Munsters’, ‘The Addams Family’ and ‘Gilligan’s Island’.
Don was often referred to as ‘the father of insult comedy’, often poking fun at Hollywood greats like Frank Sinatra in his famous roasts.
In 1995, he starred in the first ‘Toy Story’ film, voicing Mr Potato Head, and returned for the sequels in 1999 and 2010.
He had been expected to reprise the role for the upcoming ‘Toy Story 4’, which is slated for release in 2019.
US chat show host Jimmy Kimmel paid an emotional tribute to Don on Thursday’s episode, when in his opening monologue, Jimmy warned his audience that “it’s not going to be our usual show tonight.”
He the world had lost “someone that we and I love very much”, adding: “There’ll never be another Don Rickles, he’s probably the greatest talk show guest of all time.”
Don is survived by his wife of 52 years, Barbara, and his daughter, Mindy Mann.
