Rodney Dangerfield

Rodney Dangerfield, born Jacob Rodney Cohen, grew up in Long Island and Queens, New York. At age 15, he started to write for stand-up comedians, and he started performing himself at age 20. Despite many years of struggling as a comedian, Dangerfield’s career didn’t take off until 1967, when he was 45 years old. After he was booked on The Ed Sullivan Show as a last-minute replacement, Dangerfield became a hit, and started appearing on other TV shows. Dangerfield’s career peaked in the early 1980s when he starred in several movies, including Caddyshack, Easy Money, and Back to School. Dangerfield died in 2004 at age 82.