Don Rickles Dead: Comedians Pay Tribute on Twitter

(Photo by Mark Mainz/Getty Images for AFI)

Don Rickles’ death on Thursday has left the comedy world with a big hole to fill. For now though, comedians are remembering him as he would like to be remembered: with jokes.

Rickles died on Thursday at age 90, just a month before he was to turn 91. His representative said he died of kidney failure.

“A God died today. Don Rickles, we did not want to ever lose you. Never,” Tom Hanks wrote on Twitter.

Although Jerry Seinfeld hasn’t commented on Twitter yet, in 2014, he said Rickles was on his Mount Rushmore of Comedy during a 2014 tribute to Rickles. Seinfeld also included Rickles in his Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee series.

“He was called ‘The Merchant of Venom,’ but in truth, he was one of the kindest, caring, and most sensitive human beings we have ever known. We are devastated and our world will never be the same. We were totally unprepared for this,” Bob Newhart and his wife, Ginnie, told Variety.

“Don coming on our show was always a highlight for me. Just endless mischief and nonsense, and a guy who would make the audience go completely crazy. Such a professional, such a gentleman. I already miss him,” David Letterman told Variety.

Here’s a look at how comedians and celebrities around the world are reacting to Rickles’ death. This post will be updated as more tweets come in.

Patton Oswalt:

https://twitter.com/pattonoswalt/status/850048741759373312

https://twitter.com/pattonoswalt/status/850054016016932864

Lewis Black:

https://twitter.com/TheLewisBlack/status/850058231946903552

Jimmy Kimmel:

https://twitter.com/jimmykimmel/status/850047017132969985

George Takei:

https://twitter.com/GeorgeTakei/status/850051501515046912

Larry King, who was friends with Rickles for nearly 60 years:

https://twitter.com/kingsthings/status/850059118186340352

Bob Sagat called Rickles his “dad”:

https://twitter.com/bobsaget/status/850056919297400832

Barbara Eden of I Dream of Jeannie fame:

https://twitter.com/Barbara_Eden/status/850056099441115138

Billy Crystal:

https://twitter.com/BillyCrystal/status/850049358590386176

Jim Carey:

https://twitter.com/JimCarrey/status/850054206647959553

Gilbert Gottfried:

https://twitter.com/RealGilbert/status/850055533855997952

Bill Eichner:

https://twitter.com/billyeichner/status/850048269841555456

Jeff Ross called him the “greatest of all time”:

https://twitter.com/realjeffreyross/status/850045832631943168

Jim Gaffigan simply called him a “legend”:

https://twitter.com/JimGaffigan/status/850049874317934594

Craig Ferguson:

https://twitter.com/CraigyFerg/status/850052036544536576

Dane Cook called him “one of the funniest ever”:

https://twitter.com/DaneCook/status/850046935197024256

John Hodgman recalled a time Rickles was on The Daily Show:

https://twitter.com/hodgman/status/850048971712102401

Michael McKean:

https://twitter.com/MJMcKean/status/850049609342881793

Jim Norton posted a photo of himself with Rickles:

https://twitter.com/JimNorton/status/850051057765974016

Marc Maron:

https://twitter.com/marcmaron/status/850053377803247616

Jay Mohr recalled that time he spoke with Rickles on a plane:

https://twitter.com/jaymohr37/status/850053646033141760

LeVar Burton:

https://twitter.com/levarburton/status/850052380406161408

Tom Hanks:

https://twitter.com/tomhanks/status/850060739092107264

Barbra Streisand:

https://twitter.com/BarbraStreisand/status/850064798469500928

Lee Unrich, the director of Toy Story 4:

https://twitter.com/leeunkrich/status/850074379392139264

Mel Brooks:

https://twitter.com/MelBrooks/status/850098404948492288