Bonnie Hunt
Hunt at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival
Born	Bonnie Lynne Hunt (1961-09-22) September 22, 1961 (age 50)[1] Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Occupation	Actress, comedienne, writer, director, presenter, producer, talk show host
Years active	1984–present
Spouse	John Murphy (m. 1988–2006) «start: (1988)–end+1: (2007)»"Marriage: John Murphy to Bonnie Hunt" Location: (linkback:http://en-wiki.pop.wn.com/index.php/Bonnie_Hunt)

Bonnie Lynne Hunt (born September 22, 1961) is an American actress, comedian, writer, director, television producer and daytime television host.

Early life[link]

Hunt, who was born in Chicago, Illinois, is the daughter of Alice E. (née Jatczak), a homemaker, and Robert Edward Hunt, an electrician.^[2] Her mother is of Polish descent and her father was of Irish and Belgian ancestry.^[3][4][5] She was raised in a large Catholic family,^[4] and has three older brothers, Patrick, Kevin, and Tom, two older sisters, Cathy and Carol, and one younger sister, Mary. Hunt was educated in Catholic schools and attended St. Ferdinand Grammar School and Notre Dame High School for Girls in Chicago.

In 1982, Hunt worked as an oncology nurse at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. In 1984, she co-founded An Impulsive Thing, an improvisational comedy troupe, with Holly Wortell, Andy Miller and John Gripentrog. Hunt also performed as a member of Chicago's world-famous The Second City, joining in 1986.

Career[link]

In 1990, Hunt played a role on the NBC show Grand, a comedy that lasted a season and a half. Hunt refused to become a cast member of Saturday Night Live because the show's producers generally frowned on her preferred improvisational style.^[6] In 1992, she turned down a higher-paying role on Designing Women^[6] to co-star in Davis Rules with Jonathan Winters, Randy Quaid, and Audrey Meadows.

In 1993, Hunt teamed with good friend David Letterman to produce The Building, a short-lived sitcom that was modeled after early-1950s television shows. The show was also filmed live; mistakes, accidents, and forgotten lines were often left in the aired episode. Hunt and Letterman re-teamed in 1995 with The Bonnie Hunt Show (later retitled Bonnie), which featured many of the same cast members as The Building and the same loose style. The show was praised by critics but was canceled after 11 of the 13 episodes produced were aired. In 2002, Hunt returned to television with Life with Bonnie, a show known for clean and offbeat humor. Her role on that show earned her a 2004 Emmy nomination, her first. Despite fair ratings, the show was canceled in its second season. Hunt announced on Live with Regis and Kelly that ABC had offered her another sitcom, in which she would have played a divorced detective. This pilot, Let Go (also known as Crimes and Dating), was not picked up for the fall 2006 schedule.

Hunt co-wrote, directed, and co-starred in the 2000 film Return to Me, a romantic comedy starring David Duchovny and Minnie Driver. It was filmed in her Chicago neighborhood and included bit parts for a number of her relatives. The film, which received a positive reception from critics,^[7] was largely influenced by Hunt's blue-collar Catholic upbringing in Chicago.^[8]

Hunt starred as Alice Newton opposite Charles Grodin in the popular children's films Beethoven and Beethoven's 2nd. She played opposite Robin Williams in Jumanji as well as opposite Steve Martin in Cheaper by the Dozen and its sequel. She played the sister of Renée Zellweger in the movie Jerry Maguire and Jan Edgecomb opposite Tom Hanks in the film adaptation of the Stephen King novel The Green Mile. Also, she played the biological mother, Grace Bellamy, of Mark Austin (played by Kip Pardue) in Loggerheads, a 2005 independent film written and directed by Tim Kirkman. She has provided her voice for a total of four Pixar films: A Bug's Life as Rosie the black widow spider; Monsters, Inc. as training supervisor Mrs. Flint; Cars as the heroine Sally Carrera; and Toy Story 3 as Dolly. In addition, Hunt received a writing credit on the film Cars, and reprised her role in the sequel Cars 2.

[edit] The Bonnie Hunt Show

In 2007 Bonnie Hunt taped a pilot episode for Telepictures. The pilot was approved and the talk show was created. The Bonnie Hunt Show premiered on Monday, September 8, 2008. The show's set design was a tribute to Dean Martin and on the walls are pictures of historic television personalities as well as Hunt's family members. The show was inspired by the format of Live with Regis and Kelly with the host and guests often interacting with the audience. Many of show's staffers were longtime friends of Hunt's from Chicago. The show typically started with an opening monologue followed by guest interviews and games played with the audience. Hunt's mother Alice often appeared in webcasts from her home in Chicago. A characteristic of the show was Hunt's over-the-top faux indignation at non-PG language after which she would enjoy the double-entendre drenched material she had pretended to poo-poo. The Bonnie Hunt Show taped in Culver City, California and was viewed in 17 of the top 20 US television markets in the United States. In its first year, the show was nominated for three Daytime Emmy Awards: for opening theme, hairstyle, and makeup. It won the Gracie Award for "Outstanding Talk Show" in 2009. In 2010, Hunt was nominated for "Outstanding Talk Show Host" at the Daytime Emmy Awards. The final episode aired Wednesday, May 26, 2010.

Personal life[link]

Hunt married investment banker John Murphy in 1988. However, during her June 6, 2006, appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman, she mentioned that she was single again. She has no children.

Hunt's hometown is Chicago^[9] and she is a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan, having not missed an Opening Day at Wrigley Field since 1977. She is also a supporter of the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation, of which she is an honorary board member.^[10]

Filmography[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Bonnie Hunt

• Bonnie Hunt at the Internet Movie Database

Jim Parsons
Parsons at Comic Con in 2009
Born	James Joseph Parsons (1973-03-24) March 24, 1973 (age 39) Houston, Texas, U.S.
Alma mater	University of Houston (BA) University of San Diego (MA)
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1994–present

James Joseph "Jim" Parsons (born March 24, 1973) is an American television and film actor. He is best known for playing Sheldon Cooper on the CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory, with his performance often cited as a significant reason for the program's success.^[1][2][3] He has received several awards for his performance, including the Television Critics Association award for the highest individual achievements in comedy,^[4] the National Association of Broadcasters Television Chairman's Award for a significant breakthrough in a specific art discipline,^[5] two consecutive Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series^[6] and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Television Series Musical or Comedy.

Early life[link]

Parsons was born and raised in Houston, Texas, the older of two children.^[7] After playing the role of the Kola-Kola bird in a school production of The Elephant's Child at age six, Parsons was determined to become an actor.^[7][8] The young Parsons was heavily influenced by sitcoms, particularly Three's Company, Family Ties, and The Cosby Show.^[9] He attended Klein Oak High School in Spring, Texas, a northern suburb of Houston. Parsons points to a role in Noises Off during his junior year as the first time "I fully connected with the role I was playing and started to truly understand what it meant to be honest on stage".^[7]

After graduating from high school, Parsons received an undergraduate degree from the University of Houston. He was prolific during this time, appearing in 17 plays in 3 years. He was a founding member of Infernal Bridegroom Productions, and regularly appeared at the Stages Repertory Theatre.^[10] Parsons enrolled in graduate school at the University of San Diego in 1999.^[10] He was one of seven students accepted into a special two-year course in classical theater, taught in partnership with the Old Globe Theater. Program director Rick Seer recalled having reservations about admitting Parsons, saying, "Jim is a very specific personality. He's thoroughly original, which is one reason he's been so successful. But we worried, ‘Does that adapt itself to classical theater, does that adapt itself to the kind of training that we're doing?' But we decided that he was so talented that we would give him a try and see how it worked out."^[11] Parsons enjoyed school, and told an interviewer that he would have pursued a doctorate in acting if possible: "school was so safe!...you frequently would surprise yourself by what you were capable of, and you were not surprised by some things."^[12] Parsons graduated in 2001^[11] and moved to New York.^[10]

Career[link]

In New York, Parsons worked in Off-Broadway productions and made several television appearances. In a much-discussed 2003 Quiznos commercial, Parsons played a man who had been raised by wolves and continued to nurse from his wolf "mother".^[10] He had a recurring role on the television show Judging Amy^[13] and appeared on the television series Ed.^[10] Parsons also had minor roles in several movies, including Garden State and School for Scoundrels.^[14]

Parsons has estimated that he auditioned for between 15 and 30 television pilots, but on many of the occasions when he was cast, the show failed to find a television network willing to purchase it.^[10] The exception came with The Big Bang Theory. After reading the pilot script, Parsons felt that the role of Sheldon Cooper would be a very good fit for him.^[7] Although he did not feel any sort of relationship with the character, he was enchanted by the dialogue structure, the way the writers "brilliantly use those words that most of us don't recognize to create that rhythm. And the rhythm got me. It was the chance to dance through that dialogue, and in a lot of ways still is."^[9]

In his audition, Parsons so impressed series creator Chuck Lorre that Lorre insisted on a second audition to see if Parsons could replicate the performance.^[10] Parsons was cast as Sheldon Cooper, a genius physicist with nonexistent social skills who interacts with his other nerdy friends and the attractive waitress who lives across the hall.^[10] The role requires Parsons to "rattle off line after line of tightly composed, rhythmic dialogue, and then do something with his face or body during the silence that follows."^[10] Parsons credits his University of San Diego training with giving him the tools to break down Sheldon's lines.^[7]

Television critic Andrew Dansby compares Parsons' physical comedy to that of Buster Keaton and other silent film stars. Lorre praises Parsons' instincts, saying that "You can't teach that."^[10] Lorre describes Parsons' "great sense of control over every part of his body, the way he walks, holds his hands, cocks his head, the facial tics" as "inspired".^[14] Reviewer Lewis Beale describes Parsons' performance as "so spot-on, it seems as if the character and the actor are the same person."^[9] Parsons admits that the work is "more effort than I ever thought a sitcom would take. And that's really the fun of it."^[9]

In August 2009, Parsons won the Television Critics Association award for individual achievement in comedy, beating Alec Baldwin, Tina Fey, Steve Carrell, and Neil Patrick Harris.^[9][15] He was nominated for Emmy awards in 2009 and 2010, winning in 2010 for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series.^[16] In September 2010, Parsons and costars Johnny Galecki and Kaley Cuoco signed new contracts, guaranteeing each of them $200,000 per episode for the fourth season of The Big Bang Theory, with substantial raises for each of the next three seasons. The three were also promised a percentage of the show's earnings.^[17] In January 2011, he won the Golden Globe award for Best Actor in a Television Series – Comedy (the award was presented by co-star Cuoco).

In 2011, Parsons appeared with Jack Black, Owen Wilson, Steve Martin, and Rashida Jones in the comedy film The Big Year. It was released in October.^[18] That same year, he appeared as the human alter ego of Walter, the newest Muppet introduced in The Muppets.^[19]

On May 18 2012, Parsons began appearing on Broadway as Elwood P. Dowd in a revival of Harvey.^[20][21]

Personal life[link]

Parsons lives in Los Angeles.^[22] In an interview for a New York Times article in May 2012, he said he is gay, having been in a relationship for ten years.^[23][24]

Stage appearances[link]

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (July 2011)

• The Balcony
• Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead (1994) .... Rosencrantz
• La Ronde (1995)
• Endgame (1995) .... Clov (Infernal Bridegroom Productions)^[25]
• Marat/Sade (1995) (Infernal Bridegroom Productions)^[25]
• Guys and Dolls (1996) .... Rusty Charlie (Infernal Bridegroom Productions)^[25]
• Eddie Goes to Poetry City (1996) .... Eddie (New York Theatre)
• Jack and the Future Is In Eggs (1996) .... Father Jack
• Othello (1996) (Infernal Bridegroom Productions)^[25]
• Suicide in B-flat (1996) (Infernal Bridegroom Productions)^[25]
• Woyzeck (1996) .... Doctor / Horse's Head (Infernal Bridegroom Productions)^[25]
• The Cherry Orchard (1997) .... Yasha, a young man servant (Infernal Bridegroom Productions)^[25]
• Chili Queen (1997) .... Buddy (Stages Repertory Theatre, World Premiere)^[25]
• Camino Real (1997) .... Baron (Infernal Bridegroom Productions)^[25]
• Last Rites (1997) .... Tiger Clean (Infernal Bridegroom Productions, World Premiere)^[25]
• Threepenny Opera (1998) .... MacHeath (Infernal Bridegroom Productions)^[25]
• Below the Belt (1998) .... Dobbitt
• In the Jungle of the Cities (1998) .... J. Finnay (Infernal Bridegroom Productions)^[25]
• Tamalalia 3: The Cocktail Party (1998) .... Psychotic psychiatrist (Infernal Bridegroom Productions, World Premiere)^[25]
• King Ubu is King (1998) .... Tom, Mister Nice Guy (Infernal Bridegroom Productions, World Premiere)^[25]
• The Pitchfork Disney (1998) .... Presley Stray (Stages Repertory Theatre)
• Marie and Bruce (1999) .... Herb / Fred / Waiter (Infernal Bridegroom Productions)^[25]
• Tamalalia 4: The Camp-Out (1999) (Infernal Bridegroom Productions, World Premiere)^[25]
• Da (2001) (Old Globe Theatre)^[26]
• What Happened Was (2002) .... Jackie (The Paradise Theatre)
• The Castle (2002) .... Jeremiah (Manhattan Ensemble Theatre)^[27]
• Tartuffe (2002) .... Valère (La Jolla Playhouse)^[28]
• The Love for Three Oranges (Gozzi) (2004) .... Prince Tartaglia (La Jolla Playhouse)^[29]
• The Normal Heart (2011) .... Tommy Boatwright (John Golden Theatre)^[30]

Filmography[link]

Film[link]

Television[link]

Music videos[link]

Awards and nominations[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Find more about Jim Parsons on Wikipedia's sister projects:
	Images and media from Commons

• Jim Parsons at the Internet Movie Database
• Jim Parsons at AllRovi
• CBS Biography
• Movieline interviews Big Bang Theory's Jim Parsons On Learning Lines, Emmy Nods and Cast Ping Pong Deathmatches
• Fresh Air Interview: Jim Parsons On The Science Of Sheldon, 'Big Bang'

Joshua Jackson
Jackson at the San Diego Comic-Con International in July, 2010
Born	Joshua Carter Jackson (1978-06-11) June 11, 1978 (age 34) Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1990–present
Partner	Diane Kruger (2006–present)

Joshua Carter Jackson (born June 11, 1978) is a Canadian American actor. He has appeared in primetime television and in over 32 film roles. He is best known for playing Charlie Conway in The Mighty Ducks film series, Pacey Witter on Dawson's Creek and Peter Bishop in the Fringe TV series.

Early life[link]

Jackson^[1] was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, the son of Fiona Jackson, a casting director, and John Carter.^[2] Jackson's father is from Texas^[3] and his mother is a native of Ballyfermot, Dublin, Ireland, having emigrated to North America in the late 1960s.^[4][5] He was raised Catholic.^[6][7] He has a sister, Aisleagh,^[8] and two half-brothers, Lyman and Jonathan Carter from his father's first marriage. Jackson grew up in California until the age of 8. Not long after his sister was born in California, his parents divorced and Jackson, his mother and sister then moved to Seattle,^[9] where he attended Einstein Middle School in Shoreline, Washington. Shortly thereafter, he moved back to Vancouver with his mother and younger sister. He attended Ideal Mini School and later switched to Kitsilano Secondary School. In an interview with The New York Times, Jackson said he was kicked out of high school once because of The Jon Stewart Show: "[The show] played, at least where I grew up, at 1:30 in the morning, so I would stay up at night to watch Jon Stewart, but then I'd be too tired—or too lazy—to go to school in the morning. So I'd just take the first couple of classes off, 'cause I wanted to be fresh when I got there."^[10] He claims that the first time was because of "attitude" problems and that he "wasn't in the school spirit".

Career[link]

Jackson started acting in Crooked Hearts with a small part he got from his mother. The next year, he played the role of Charlie in a musical version of "Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory". Through the play's casting director, Laura Kennedy, he met William Morris, his agent.^[11] Soon after, Jackson landed the role of Charlie (#96) in The Mighty Ducks series, a part for which Jake Gyllenhaal was also considered^[12] (years later both would also be amongst a small group of actors considered for the role of Bruce Wayne/Batman in Batman Begins, which eventually went to Christian Bale). Jackson went on to appear as Pacey Witter on Dawson's Creek, which ran on the WB network from 1998–2003, and also starred James Van Der Beek, Michelle Williams and Katie Holmes. While the show was on hiatus, he appeared in several movies including The Skulls, The Safety of Objects, The Laramie Project and a short cameo in the remake of Ocean's Eleven where he appears as himself in a poker scene with Brad Pitt, George Clooney and Holly Marie Combs, among others. In 2000, he also guest-starred in Season 12 of The Simpsons, voicing the character of Jesse Grass, a "hunky environmentalist" and love interest for Lisa Simpson in the episode "Lisa the Tree Hugger".

Shortly after Dawson's Creek ended in 2003, Jackson played the lead role in films alongside Dennis Hopper (Americano), Harvey Keitel (Shadows in the Sun), and Donald Sutherland (Aurora Borealis). In 2005, Jackson moved to the UK and made his stage debut on the London West End with Patrick Stewart in David Mamet's two-man play, A Life in the Theatre. The play was a critical and popular success, and ran from February to April of that year. Jackson said that he would consider returning to the stage, to try his hand on Broadway.^[13] His next film role was in the all-star ensemble drama Bobby, directed by Emilio Estevez, Jackson's co-star from The Mighty Ducks. He played a lead role in a US remake of the Asian horror film Shutter. He starred and acted as executive producer in the Canadian independent film One Week, which opened on March 6, 2009.

Jackson plays Peter Bishop in J.J. Abrams' science-fiction series Fringe.^[14] Created by JJ Abrams, Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman.^[15] The series appears on the Fox TV network and was the second-highest rated new show of the 2008–09 season after CBS's The Mentalist. BuddyTV ranked him #9 on its "TV's 100 Sexiest Men of 2010" list^[16] and #19 in 2011.^[17]

Jackson was nominated for Genie Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role for the film One Week.^[18] He then won the award on April 12, 2010.^[19]

He held and hosted Pacey-Con in 2010, directly across the street from the San Diego Comic-Con, sporting a bowling shirt and giving out fan fiction he wrote himself to those waiting in the Comic-Con entrance line. Footage of the event was recorded for a video, entitled 'Pacey-Con', which he was filming for Will Ferrell's Funny or Die celebrity humour website.

Personal life[link]

Jackson has been in a relationship with actress Diane Kruger since 2006 with whom he shares residences in Paris and Vancouver.^[20] He also owns his childhood home in Topanga, California.^[21] Previously he lived in Wilmington, North Carolina, where the television program Dawson's Creek was filmed; and in New York, where Fringe filmed its first season. In 2009, he moved back to Vancouver for the shooting of the second season of Fringe.

Jackson was arrested on November 9, 2002 at a Carolina Hurricanes ice hockey game in Raleigh, North Carolina after an altercation with a security guard. He was charged with assault affray and being intoxicated and disruptive, having 0.14 blood-alcohol content.^[22] Prosecutors agreed to dismiss the assault charge, and Jackson agreed to attend an alcohol education program and perform 24 hours of community service in order to have the remaining charge dropped.^[23]

Filmography[link]

Awards[link]

Genie Awards

• 2010: Won, "Best Actor" – One Week

Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival

• 2005: Won, "Best Actor" – Aurora Borealis

Hollywood Film Festival

• 2006: Won, "Best Ensemble of the Year" – Bobby

Satellite Award

• 2006: Nominated, "Best Actor in a Dramatic Motion Picture" – Aurora Borealis

Screen Actors Guild Awards

• 2007: Nominated, "Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture" – Bobby

Teen Choice Award

• 1999: Won, "Choice TV Actor" – Dawson's Creek
• 2000: Nominated, "Choice Liar in a Film" – The Skulls
• 2000: Won, "Choice TV Actor" – Dawson's Creek
• 2001: Won, "Choice TV Actor" – Dawson's Creek
• 2002: Nominated, "Choice TV Actor" – Dawson's Creek
• 2003: Nominated, "Choice TV Actor" – Dawson's Creek
• 2009: Nominated, "Choice TV Actor" – Fringe

Young Artist Award

• 1993: Nominated, "Outstanding Young Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture" – The Mighty Ducks

Young Hollywood Award

• 2000: Won, "Male Superstar of Tomorrow"

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Joshua Jackson

• Joshua Jackson at the Internet Movie Database
• Joshua Jackson on The Hour with George Stroumboulopoulos

Don Rickles
Rickles on stage at the Tropicana Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City on January 12, 2008
Birth name	Donald Jay Rickles
Born	(1926-05-08) May 8, 1926 (age 86) Queens, New York, U.S.
Medium	Stand-up, Television, Film
Nationality	American
Years active	1948–present
Genres	Improvisational comedy, Observational comedy, Musical comedy, Insult comedy
Subject(s)	United States culture, Racism, Self-deprecation, Everyday life, Religion, Current events
Influences	Milton Berle
Influenced	Jay Leno, David Letterman, Howard Stern, Russell Peters,[1] Dave Attell,[2] Lisa Lampanelli[3] Jerry Seinfeld, Norm Macdonald, Larry the Cable Guy
Spouse	Barbara Sklar (1965–present) (2 children)
Notable works and roles	Hello Dummy! Q M 1/C Ruby in Run Silent, Run Deep Sgt. Crapgame in Kelly's Heroes Billy Sherbert in Casino Mr. Potato Head in the Toy Story franchise

Donald Jay "Don" Rickles (born May 8, 1926)^[4] is an American stand-up comedian and actor. A frequent guest on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, Rickles has acted in comedic and dramatic roles, but is best known as an insult comic.

Early life[link]

Rickles was born in the New York City borough of Queens to Max Rickles, who had emigrated in 1902 with his parents Joseph and Frances Rickles from Kaunas, Lithuania^[5] (then in the Russian Empire), and Etta (Feldman) Rickles, born in New York to immigrant parents from the Austrian Empire.^[6][7][8][9] His family was Jewish and spoke Yiddish at home. Rickles grew up in the Jackson Heights area.^[4]

After graduating from Newtown High School, Rickles enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served during World War II on the USS Cyrene as a seaman first class. He was honorably discharged in 1946. Two years later, he studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and then played bit parts on television. Frustrated by a lack of acting work, Rickles began doing stand-up comedy. He became known as an insult comedian by responding to his hecklers. The audience enjoyed these insults more than his prepared material, and he incorporated them into his act. When he began his career in the early 1950s he started calling ill-mannered members of the audience a "hockey puck".^[10] His style was similar to an older insult comic, "Mr. Warmth" Jack E. Leonard, though Rickles denies that Leonard influenced his style.^[11]

Career[link]

1950s–1960s[link]

While working in a Miami Beach nightclub known as "Murray Franklin's" early in his career, he spotted Frank Sinatra and remarked to him, "I just saw your movie, The Pride and the Passion and I want to tell you, the cannon's acting was great." He added, "Make yourself at home, Frank. Hit somebody!"^[4][12] Sinatra, whose pet name for Rickles was "bullet-head", enjoyed Rickles so much that he encouraged other celebrities to see Rickles' act and be insulted by him. Sinatra's support helped Rickles become a popular headline performer in Las Vegas.^[12]

Rickles earned the nicknames "The Merchant of Venom" and "Mr. Warmth" for his insult comedy, in which he pokes fun at people of all ethnicities and walks of life. When he is introduced to an audience or on a television talk show, Spanish matador music, "La Virgen de la Macarena", will usually be played, subtly foreshadowing that someone is about to be metaphorically gored. Rickles has said, "I always pictured myself facing the audience as the matador."^[11]

In 1958, Rickles made his film debut in a serious part in Run Silent, Run Deep starring Clark Gable and Burt Lancaster. Throughout the 1960s, he appeared frequently on television in sitcoms and dramatic series. Rickles guest-starred in Get Smart as "Sid", an old war buddy of Max who comes to stay with him. In an episode of the 1960s drama series Run for Your Life, Rickles played a distressed comedian whose act culminates when he strangles a patron while imploring the patron to "Laugh!" Rickles took a dramatic turn in the Roger Corman film X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes as a carnival barker out to exploit the title character.^{[citation needed]}

Rickles also appeared in the popular Beach Party film series. He recalled in his memoirs that at a White House dinner, Barbara Bush teased him about his decision to appear in those films, and remarked "Was your career really going that badly?"^{[citation needed]}. Rickles' agent, Jack Gilardi, was married to Annette Funicello when Rickles was cast in the Beach Party films.

As his career progressed, Rickles began appearing more frequently on television talk shows, first appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in 1965. He became a frequent guest and guest host, appearing more than 100 times on The Tonight Show during Carson's era. An early Carson-Rickles Tonight highlight occurred in 1968 when, while two Japanese women treated Carson to a bath and massage by foot, Rickles walked onto the set. At one point, he decided to play massage therapist to the prone and towel-clad Carson. Rickles leaned over and wrapped his arms around Carson, ad-libbing, "I'm so lonely, Johnny!" Carson broke into hysterical laughter, got up, grabbed Rickles, and tossed the suit-clad comedian into the bathtub. Rickles also made frequent appearances on The Dean Martin Show and became a fixture on The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts specials, which continued until 1984.

In 1968, Rickles released a live comedy album, Hello, Dummy!, which reached #54 on Billboard's Hot 100.^[13] The same year he starred in his own variety show on ABC, The Don Rickles Show, with comedy writer Pat McCormick as his sidekick. The show lasted one season. During the 1960s, Rickles made guest appearances on The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Munsters, The Addams Family, The Mothers -in- Law, Gilligan's Island, Get Smart, The Andy Griffith Show and I Dream of Jeannie.

1970s–1980s[link]

This biographical section of an article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (April 2011)

In 1970, Rickles had a notable role as the con man Sgt. Crapgame in the hit film Kelly's Heroes with Clint Eastwood. In 1972, he starred in the sitcom The Don Rickles Show which lasted for thirteen episodes. He also starred in a series of television specials. In his memoir, Rickles acknowledged that a scripted sitcom was not well-suited to his ad-lib style of performing. In 1973 Don Rickles was a popular comedian at The Dean Martin Roasts.

In 1976, he starred in the sitcom C.P.O. Sharkey, which lasted two seasons. The show is primarily remembered for the cigarette box incident when Johnny Carson visited during an episode's taping because he was "incensed" that Rickles broke his cigarette box while Bob Newhart was guest-hosting. The incident was often replayed in Tonight Show retrospectives and was considered a highlight of the 1970s era of the show.

Rickles occasionally appeared as a panelist on Hollywood Squares and was depicted in comic book form by Jack Kirby during his work on the Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen series.

1980s–1990s[link]

In the early 1980s, Rickles began performing with singer Steve Lawrence in concerts in Las Vegas. In 1983, the duo co-hosted the short-lived ABC-TV series Foul-Ups, Bleeps & Blunders, an imitation of NBC's TV's Bloopers & Practical Jokes.

In 1985, when Frank Sinatra was asked to perform at Ronald Reagan's Second Inaugural Ball, he stipulated he would not perform unless Rickles was allowed to perform with him. Rickles considers this performance the highlight of his career.^[14]

In 1990, he appeared in the second season of Tales From the Crypt in the episode "The Ventriloquist's Dummy".

In 1992, he was cast in the film Innocent Blood, directed by John Landis. In his memoir, Rickles wrote that he recalled that Landis was once a "Production Assistant" to director Brian G. Hutton during the filming of Kelly's Heroes. During the filming of Innocent Blood, Rickles would kid Landis by ordering him to get coffee or to run other errands befitting his one-time "gofer" status.

In 1993, Rickles starred in another short-lived sitcom, Daddy Dearest, with comedian Richard Lewis. In 1995, he made a return to film in two high-profile projects: a dramatic role as Robert De Niro's trusted colleague in Martin Scorsese's Casino, and voicing Mr. Potato Head in the Pixar computer-animated film Toy Story. He reprises the latter role in Toy Story 2 and Toy Story 3. In 1998 he portrayed a movie theater manager in Dirty Work, starring Norm Macdonald and Artie Lange. Again in 1998, he was the voice of Cornwall, one of the heads of a two-headed dragon, in the movie "Quest for Camelot".

2000s–present[link]

Rickles continued to be very active on the stand-up comedy scene, and is still a popular performer in Las Vegas.^[15] He has no plans to retire as he recently said in an interview: "I'm in good health. I'm working better than I ever have. The audiences are great. Why should I retire? I'm like a fighter. The bell rings and you come out and fight. My energy comes alive. And I still enjoy it."^[14]

In February 2007, Rickles made a cameo appearance as himself in a strange, recurring dream sequence that was woven through an episode titled "Sub Conscious" of the CBS dramatic series, The Unit.^[16]

Rickles' memoir, titled Rickles' Book, was released on May 8, 2007 by Simon & Schuster. Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project, a documentary about Rickles directed by John Landis, made its debut on HBO on December 2, 2007. Rickles won two Emmys for the documentary, including one for "Individual Performance" besting a number of notable comics, including David Letterman, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert. To this Rickles remarked, "Stephen Colbert's a funny man, but he's too young. He has got plenty of time to win awards, but this may be my last year and I think that I made it count. On second thought it was probably just a mercy award for an old man."^[17]

Rickles reprised the role of Mr. Potato Head in the Toy Story Midway Mania! attraction at Disney California Adventure Park and Disney's Hollywood Studios.^[18] He voiced the character again in Toy Story 3.

In 2009, Rickles appeared on Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List and met Griffin's mother, Maggie, to fulfill one item on Maggie's "bucket list".

In 2010, he appeared in a commercial during Super Bowl XLIV as a talking rose.

On June 27, 2010, he appeared on the 37th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards on CBS TV.

In 2011, Rickles joined Joe Pesci in a Snickers advertisement highlighting the actors known for their "short fuses."^[19] Also in 2011, he made a surprise appearance as the late husband of Elka (Betty White) on the TV Land original comedy Hot in Cleveland -- a "surprise" because Rickles' character was thought to be dead.

Style[link]

It is well known that Rickles has nothing against the people that he insults during his routine, and that it is all just part of the act. Although sarcastically nicknamed "Mr. Warmth" due to his offensive and insensitive stage personality, in reality most know him to be actually quite genial and pleasant. It has been said that being insulted by Rickles is like "wearing a badge of honor".^[20]

When asked by an interviewer if he ever worried that his insult comedy might ever become too offensive, Rickles replied, "You know, every night when I go out on stage to do my comedy routines, there's always one nagging fear in the back of my mind. I'm always afraid that somewhere out there, there is one person in the audience that I'm NOT going to offend!"^{[citation needed]}

Rickles is known for lackadaisically saying the word "anyway" and "let me tell ya this", following most of his comedic insults, in order to appear nonchalant about the comic volley he had just thrown at an audience member, show host, etc. This is widely regarded as one of Rickles' classic comedic tactics that contribute to his impeccable sense of timing.^{[citation needed]}

Personal life[link]

Rickles has been married for more than 45 years to his wife, Barbara, who was raised in Philadelphia. The couple had two children; a daughter Mindy, and a son, producer Larry Rickles, who died in December 2011 at the age of 41.^[21] According to Rickles' memoir, his grandchildren, Ethan and Harrison Mann, are much more impressed by his role as "Mr. Potato Head" than by any of his other achievements. Rickles is a life-long Democrat. However, he performed at the inaugurations of Republican presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush with his friend Frank Sinatra.^[22]

Rickles considers comedian Bob Newhart to be his best friend. Rickles, Newhart, and their wives often vacation together. Rickles and Newhart appeared together on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on January 24, 2005, the Monday following Johnny Carson's death, reminiscing about their many guest appearances on Carson's show, including footage of the "cigarette box incident".^{[citation needed]}

Works[link]

Filmography[link]

• Run Silent, Run Deep (1958)
• The Rabbit Trap (1959)
• The Rat Race (1960)
• X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes (1963)
• Muscle Beach Party (1964)
• Bikini Beach (1964)
• Pajama Party (1964)
• Beach Blanket Bingo (1965)
• Enter Laughing (1967)
• The Money Jungle (1968)
• Where It's At (1969)
• Kelly's Heroes (1970)
• The Love Machine (1971)
• Keaton's Cop (1988)
• Innocent Blood (1992)
• Casino (1995)
• Toy Story (1995) (voice)
• Redux Riding Hood (1997) (short subject) (voice)
• Off the Menu: The Last Days of Chasen's (1997) (documentary)
• Quest for Camelot (1998) (voice)
• Dirty Work (1998)
• Dennis the Menace Strikes Again (1998)
• Toy Story 2 (1999) (voice)
• Goodnight, We Love You (2004) (documentary)
• The J-K Conspiracy (2004) (documentary)
• The Aristocrats (2005) (documentary)
• The Last Laugh (2006) (documentary)
• Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project (2007) (documentary)
• Toy Story 3 (2010) (voice)
• Hawaiian Vacation (2011) (voice)
• Zookeeper (2011) (voice)
• Small Fry (film) (2011) (voice)
• Vacation in India with Amruth raj (2012) (voice)

Selected television work[link]

• The DuPont Show with June Allyson (1959 episode – "No Place to Hide and the 1960 episode – "The Women Who")
• The Twilight Zone (1961 episode – Mr. Dingle, the Strong)
• The Addams Family (1964 episode – Hallowe'en With the Addams Family)
• The Dick Van Dyke Show (1964 episodes - "4 1/2" and "The Alan Brady Show Goes to Jail")
• The Dean Martin Show (1965–1974) (Guest Star)
• Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. (1965) (Guest Star)
• The Andy Griffith Show (1965) (Guest Star)
• F-Troop (1965 episode - The Return of Bald Eagle) (Guest Star)
• The Munsters (1965 episode – Dance With Me, Herman)
• Kibbee Hates Fitch (1965) (unsold pilot)
• Gilligan's Island (1966) (Guest Star)
• The Lucy Show (1967)
• Get Smart (1968 episode – The Little Black Book, Parts I and II)
• Laugh-In (1968–1969)
• The Don Rickles Show (1968–1969)
• The Don Rickles Show (1972)
• The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts (1974–1984)
• C.P.O. Sharkey (1976–1978)
• For the Love of It (1980) (TV movie)
• Foul-Ups, Bleeps & Blunders (1984–1985)
• Don Rickles: Rickles on the Loose (1986) (television special)
• Tales from the Crypt (The Ventriloquist's Dummy) (1990)
• Daddy Dearest (1993)
• Mike & Spike (1995) Episode: "Person To Shoe" as Ace Feathers
• The Larry Sanders Show (1997)
• Muppets Tonight (1997)
• The Bernie Mac Show (2002)
• The Wool Cap (2004) (TV movie)
• The Catch (2005) (unsold pilot)
• Live with Regis and Kelly (2007)
• The Daily Show (2007)
• Jimmy Kimmel Live (2007)
• Late Show with David Letterman (2008)
• The Daily Show (2008)
• Late Night with Conan O'Brien (2008)
• Jimmy Kimmel Live (2009)
• The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (2009)
• Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List (2009)
• Late Show with David Letterman (2009)
• Jimmy Kimmel Live (2009)
• Jimmy Kimmel Live (2010)
• Late Show with David Letterman (2010)
• Tonight Show with Jay Leno (2010)
• The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (2010)
• Jimmy Kimmel Live (2011)
• Late Show with David Letterman (2011)
• Jimmy Kimmel Live (2011)
• The Tonight Show With Jay Leno (2011)
• The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (2011)
• Hot in Cleveland (2011)

Discography[link]

• Hello Dummy! (1968)
• Don Rickles Speaks! (1969)

Books[link]

• Rickles' Book: A Memoir by Don Rickles with David Ritz (Simon & Schuster, 2007), ISBN 978-0-7432-9305-1
• Rickles' Letters by Don Rickles with David Ritz (Simon & Schuster, 2008), ISBN 978-1-4165-9663-9

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Rickles' Book: A Memoir by Don Rickles with David Ritz (Simon & Schuster, 2007), ISBN 978-0-7432-9305-1

External links[link]

Biography portal

• Official website
• Don Rickles at the Internet Movie Database
• Don Rickles at TVGuide.com
• Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project full length feature film at Hulu (link is only accessible from within the United States)
• Don Rickles Mr. Warmth App - iTunes Store

Samuel "Sam" Tsui (Born May 2, 1989^[2]) is a musician and Internet celebrity who rose to fame on YouTube. He is best known for covering and performing songs by popular artists such as Adele and Bruno Mars, as well as original medleys and mashups. Tsui graduated from Yale University in 2011.

Background[link]

According to his profile on The Duke's Men of Yale's official website, Tsui is from Blue Bell, Pennsylvania.^[3] Tsui grew up a street away from Kurt Schneider, his producer and accompanist, with whom he attended Wissahickon High School.^[4][5] He was active in high school musicals, including Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Urinetown, and Miss Saigon. Tsui attended Yale University, where he was a member of Davenport College and The Duke's Men of Yale, an all-male a cappella group. He graduated Magna Cum Laude with a major in classical Greek in 2011. Sam is proficient in the C++ programming language, as stated in an interview on March 5.^[3][6][7].

Career[link]

Collaborations between Sam Tsui and Kurt Hugo Schneider began in high school with an electronic keyboard, primitive recording equipment, and GarageBand. Both attended Yale University, and there a musical partnership developed.^[6] They have produced videos ranging from covers and original medleys to the College Musical online series. As of February 2012, the YouTube channel "KurtHugoSchneider" has garnered over 350 million total views and a million subscribers.^[8] The most viewed video is Just a Dream, with more than forty million views.^[8] His videos have been described by Time as a combination of Glee and Attack of the Clones.^[9]

In December 2010, Tsui made a collaboration with fellow YouTube singer Christina Grimmie, singing Just A Dream. On February 3, 2011, Tsui was featured on Britney Spears' official website, along with his cover of Hold It Against Me.^[10] In March 2011, Tsui, and lyrics from his song "Start Again", were also mentioned in the book "Seeker" by Andy Frankham-Allen published in print format by Hirst Publishing, and in all digital formats by Untreed Reads Publishing.^[11] In November 2011, he had made a mashup base on two songs, "It Will Rain" by Bruno Mars, and "Set Fire to the Rain" by Adele (singer), which have more than 450,000 views.

Sam Tsui was mentioned three times by Tom Hanks when he addressed the class of Yale 2011.^[12]

College Musical[link]

Starting in 2009, Tsui and Schneider have produced a series of episodes of College Musical, a comedy web series parodying the High School Musical film series, with original songs composed by Schneider.^[6] Four episodes have been released, with Tsui playing the lead role of Cooper. Following the popularity of the series, it was announced that a film, currently in production, would be made based on the series.^[6][8]

Television appearances[link]

In November 2009, Tsui appeared on The Bonnie Hunt Show where he was interviewed and performed Whitney Houston's "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)". He also appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show on February 22, 2010 along with his producer, Kurt Schneider.^[7][13] The pair was interviewed, and Tsui performed a medley of Michael Jackson's songs. Tsui also appeared on ABC World News on October 28, 2009, singing The Jackson 5's "I'll Be There".^[14] In November 2009, Tsui appeared on It's On with Alexa Chung, singing Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" for the cast of American television series Glee.^[15][16] On December 2, 2010, Tsui gave an interview on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and performed a mashup of Katy Perry's "Firework" and Bruno Mars' "Grenade" with Schneider.^[17][18]

The Sing-Off[link]

Tsui is currently a Behind-The-Scenes host on NBC's a cappella competition show, The Sing-Off Season 3. He has since gone on to record a "Judges Medley" consisting of Sara Bareilles' "Love Song", Ben Folds' "Gone" and Shawn Stockman's (Boyz II Men) "On Bended Knee" which is free to view on both NBC's website and Tsui's independent YouTube channel, TheSamTsui.

Discography[link]

[edit] The Covers

A digital album, The Covers was released to the iTunes Store on February 9, 2010 by Sh-K-Boom Records.^[5][19]

[edit] DJ Got Us Falling in Love

On October 10, 2010, a mini album was released by Mud Hut Digital. It contains three covers:^[20]

Singles[link]

Tsui has also released twenty-three singles digitally: two original songs under NoodleHouse Records and nineteen covers under Mud Hut Digital.^[21][22]

"Call Me Maybe" (Carly Rae Jepsen cover)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Kurt Schneider's channel on YouTube
• Sam Tsui's channel on YouTube
• Sam Tsui on Facebook
• Sam Tsui at Music-covers