Rodney Dangerfield, born Jacob Cohen, started his comedy career early. And though he began writing jokes at 15 and performing before he was 20, he still struggled for 10 years under the stage name "Jack Roy." By the 1950s, Rodney had become a aluminum siding salesman, married and with two kids, living in New Jersey.

At the age of 40, Rodney decided to relaunch his stand-up career, this time under the name Rodney Dangerfield. This time he found success, with his persona as a self-deprecating everyman who gets no respect leading to appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show, Tonight Show and Dean Martin Show. Audience could relate to Rodney, right down to the tug on his trademark red tie.