Rodney Dangerfield Got No Respect From the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Rodney Dangerfield’s whole act is predicated on the idea that he gets no respect, which obviously wasn’t true. Dangerfield was a beloved comedian, a successful film actor and a one-time board game star.
But Dangerfield’s comedy catchphrase became depressingly accurate during his dealings with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. In 1994, the Back to School star applied to become a member of the Academy, after his name was submitted by actor and friend Leonard Gaines. When others expressed surprise at the idea of making Dangerfield a member of the Academy, Gaines believed that he was “doing the Academy a favor” by inviting a huge star like Dangerfield.
Don't Miss
As the L.A. Times pointed out at the time, Dangerfield met the criteria to join, with “major parts in at least three theatrical releases to his credit.” He also presented an award at the 1987 Oscars and killed.
On top of all that, in ‘94, it was rumored that Dangerfield might actually earn a Best Supporting Actor nomination for his dramatic turn in Oliver Stone’s Natural Born Killers.
But the Academy rejected his application. A letter signed by Planet of the Apes star Roddy McDowall, who was the chair of the Actors Branch Executive Committee, claimed that Dangerfield lacked “enough of the kind of roles that allow a performer to demonstrate the mastery of the craft.” To be fair this was before the release of Meet Wally Sparks.
“This is ridiculous — especially since thousands of Academy members haven’t done any movies, to speak of,” Dangerfield protested. “People still quote lines from Caddyshack, which I did in 1980. Back to School, which I starred in, took in (nearly) $100 million.”
He also suggested that the Academy may have been biased against him because of his appearance in Stone’s controversial film: “Oliver Stone — who told me he loved my work — cast me as the father from hell, a guy who molests his daughter. Maybe the character, which I wrote myself, was so distasteful that it turned the Academy off. Certain people — Roddy McDowall included — sometimes let emotion overrule their intelligence.”
Plus, in addition to his film work, Dangerfield’s entire public persona was, itself, an act. “That’s not me up there,” the comedian argued. “Even as a stand-up, I’m acting. But like Charlie Chaplin who was forever ‘The Tramp,’ I’m locked into an image — the ‘nobody.’ When I was performing at a New York club, a patron asked me for an autograph —and more butter.”
The news provoked a fan backlash, which eventually persuaded the Academy to change their minds and send Dangerfield an invitation. But this time, he turned them down. “They don’t even apologize or nothing,” Dangerfield explained. “They give no respect at all — pardon the pun — to comedy.”
Well, he was right about that.
