Danny DeVito(I)
- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Danny DeVito has amassed a formidable and versatile body of work as an
actor, producer and director that spans the stage, television and film.
Daniel Michael DeVito Jr. was born on November 17, 1944, in Neptune,
New Jersey, to Italian-American parents. His mother, Julia (Moccello),
was a homemaker. His father, Daniel, Sr., was a small business owner
whose ventures included a dry cleaning shop, a dairy outlet, a diner,
and a pool hall.
While growing up in Asbury Park, his parents sent him to private
schools. He attended Our Lady of Mount Carmel grammar school and
Oratory Prep School. Following graduation in 1962, he took a job as a
cosmetician at his sister's beauty salon. A year later, he enrolled at
New York's American Academy of Dramatic Arts so he could learn more
about cosmetology. While at the academy, he fell in love with acting
and decided to further pursue an acting career. During this time, he
met another aspiring actor
Michael Douglas at the National
Playwrights Conference in Waterford, Connecticut. The two would later
go on to collaborate on numerous projects. Soon after he also met an
actress named Rhea Perlman. The two fell in
love and moved in together. They were married in 1982 and had three
children together.
In 1968, Danny landed his first part in a movie when he appeared as a
thug in the obscure
Dreams of Glass (1970). Despite
this minor triumph, Danny became discouraged with the film industry and
decided to focus on stage productions. He made his Off-Broadway debut
in 1969 in "The Man With the Flower in His Mouth." He followed this up
with stage roles in "The Shrinking Bride," and "Lady Liberty." In 1975,
he was approached by director Milos Forman
and Michael Douglas about
appearing in the film version of
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975),
which would star Jack Nicholson
in the leading role. With box office success almost guaranteed and a
chance for national exposure, Danny agreed to the role. The movie
became a huge hit, both critically and financially, and still ranks
today as one the greatest movies of all time. Unfortunately, the movie
did very little to help Danny's career. In the years following, he was
relegated to small movie roles and guest appearances on television
shows. His big break came in 1978 when he auditioned for a role on an
ABC sitcom pilot called Taxi (1978),
which centered around taxi cab drivers at a New York City garage. Danny
auditioned for the role of dispatcher Louie DePalma. At the audition,
the producers told Danny that he needed to show more attitude in order
to get the part. He then slammed down the script and yelled, "Who wrote
this sh**?" The producers, realizing he was perfect for the part,
brought him on board. The show was a huge success, running from 1978 to
1983.
Louie DePalma, played flawlessly by Danny, became one of the most
memorable (and reviled) characters in television history. While he was
universally hated by TV viewers, he was well-praised by critics,
winning an Emmy award and being nominated three other times. Throughout
the 1980s and 1990s, Danny maintained his status as a great character
actor with memorable roles in movies like
Romancing the Stone (1984),
Ruthless People (1986),
Throw Momma from the Train (1987)
and Twins (1988). He also had a great deal
of success behind the camera, directing movies like
The War of the Roses (1989)
and Hoffa (1992). In 1992, Danny was
introduced to a new generation of moviegoers when he was given the role
of The Penguin/Oswald Cobblepot in
Tim Burton's highly successful
Batman Returns (1992). This earned
him a nomination for Best Villain at the MTV Movie Awards. That same
year, along with his wife
Rhea Perlman, Danny co-founded Jersey
Films, which has produced many popular films and TV shows, including
Pulp Fiction (1994),
Get Shorty (1995),
Man on the Moon (1999) and
Erin Brockovich (2000). DeVito
has many directing credits to his name as well, including
Throw Momma from the Train (1987),
The War of the Roses (1989),
Hoffa (1992),
Death to Smoochy (2002) and the
upcoming St. Sebastian.
In 2006, he returned to series television in the FX comedy series
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2005).
With a prominent role in a hit series, Devito's comic talents were now
on display for a new generation of television viewers. In 2012, he
provided the title voice role in Dr. Seuss'
The Lorax (2012).
These days, he continues to work with many of today's top talents as an
actor, director and producer.
actor, producer and director that spans the stage, television and film.
Daniel Michael DeVito Jr. was born on November 17, 1944, in Neptune,
New Jersey, to Italian-American parents. His mother, Julia (Moccello),
was a homemaker. His father, Daniel, Sr., was a small business owner
whose ventures included a dry cleaning shop, a dairy outlet, a diner,
and a pool hall.
While growing up in Asbury Park, his parents sent him to private
schools. He attended Our Lady of Mount Carmel grammar school and
Oratory Prep School. Following graduation in 1962, he took a job as a
cosmetician at his sister's beauty salon. A year later, he enrolled at
New York's American Academy of Dramatic Arts so he could learn more
about cosmetology. While at the academy, he fell in love with acting
and decided to further pursue an acting career. During this time, he
met another aspiring actor
Michael Douglas at the National
Playwrights Conference in Waterford, Connecticut. The two would later
go on to collaborate on numerous projects. Soon after he also met an
actress named Rhea Perlman. The two fell in
love and moved in together. They were married in 1982 and had three
children together.
In 1968, Danny landed his first part in a movie when he appeared as a
thug in the obscure
Dreams of Glass (1970). Despite
this minor triumph, Danny became discouraged with the film industry and
decided to focus on stage productions. He made his Off-Broadway debut
in 1969 in "The Man With the Flower in His Mouth." He followed this up
with stage roles in "The Shrinking Bride," and "Lady Liberty." In 1975,
he was approached by director Milos Forman
and Michael Douglas about
appearing in the film version of
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975),
which would star Jack Nicholson
in the leading role. With box office success almost guaranteed and a
chance for national exposure, Danny agreed to the role. The movie
became a huge hit, both critically and financially, and still ranks
today as one the greatest movies of all time. Unfortunately, the movie
did very little to help Danny's career. In the years following, he was
relegated to small movie roles and guest appearances on television
shows. His big break came in 1978 when he auditioned for a role on an
ABC sitcom pilot called Taxi (1978),
which centered around taxi cab drivers at a New York City garage. Danny
auditioned for the role of dispatcher Louie DePalma. At the audition,
the producers told Danny that he needed to show more attitude in order
to get the part. He then slammed down the script and yelled, "Who wrote
this sh**?" The producers, realizing he was perfect for the part,
brought him on board. The show was a huge success, running from 1978 to
1983.
Louie DePalma, played flawlessly by Danny, became one of the most
memorable (and reviled) characters in television history. While he was
universally hated by TV viewers, he was well-praised by critics,
winning an Emmy award and being nominated three other times. Throughout
the 1980s and 1990s, Danny maintained his status as a great character
actor with memorable roles in movies like
Romancing the Stone (1984),
Ruthless People (1986),
Throw Momma from the Train (1987)
and Twins (1988). He also had a great deal
of success behind the camera, directing movies like
The War of the Roses (1989)
and Hoffa (1992). In 1992, Danny was
introduced to a new generation of moviegoers when he was given the role
of The Penguin/Oswald Cobblepot in
Tim Burton's highly successful
Batman Returns (1992). This earned
him a nomination for Best Villain at the MTV Movie Awards. That same
year, along with his wife
Rhea Perlman, Danny co-founded Jersey
Films, which has produced many popular films and TV shows, including
Pulp Fiction (1994),
Get Shorty (1995),
Man on the Moon (1999) and
Erin Brockovich (2000). DeVito
has many directing credits to his name as well, including
Throw Momma from the Train (1987),
The War of the Roses (1989),
Hoffa (1992),
Death to Smoochy (2002) and the
upcoming St. Sebastian.
In 2006, he returned to series television in the FX comedy series
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2005).
With a prominent role in a hit series, Devito's comic talents were now
on display for a new generation of television viewers. In 2012, he
provided the title voice role in Dr. Seuss'
The Lorax (2012).
These days, he continues to work with many of today's top talents as an
actor, director and producer.