Danny DeVito has built a remarkable and diverse body of work as an actor, producer, and director, spanning the stage, television, and film. Born Daniel Michael DeVito Jr. on November 17, 1944, in Neptune, New Jersey, to Italian-American parents, he grew up in Asbury Park.
His parents sent him to private schools, and he attended Our Lady of Mount Carmel grammar school and Oratory Prep School. After graduating in 1962, he worked as a cosmetician at his sister's beauty salon before enrolling in the New York American Academy of Dramatic Arts to learn more about cosmetology. While there, he fell in love with acting and decided to pursue an acting career.
At the National Playwrights Conference in Waterford, Connecticut, he met aspiring actor Michael Douglas and actress Rhea Perlman, whom he later married in 1982 and had three children with. In 1968, he landed his first film role in the obscure Dreams of Glass (1970),but he became discouraged with the industry and focused on stage productions.
He made his Off-Broadway debut in 1969 in "The Man With the Flower in His Mouth" and followed this up with roles in "The Shrinking Bride" and "Lady Liberty." In 1975, he was approached by director Milos Forman and Michael Douglas to appear in the film version of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975),which starred Jack Nicholson in the leading role. The movie became a huge hit, but it did little to help DeVito's career.
His big break came in 1978 when he auditioned for a role on the ABC sitcom pilot Taxi (1978),which centered around taxi cab drivers at a New York City garage. He auditioned for the role of dispatcher Louie DePalma and, after initially being told he needed to show more attitude, slammed down the script and yelled, "Who wrote this s**t?" The producers, realizing he was perfect for the part, brought him on board.
The show was a huge success, running from 1978 to 1983, and DeVito's portrayal of Louie DePalma became one of the most memorable (and reviled) characters in television history. He won an Emmy award and was nominated three other times for his performance.
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, DeVito 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, he 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, he co-founded Jersey Films, which has produced many popular films and TV shows.
DeVito has many directing credits to his name, 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).
Today, he continues to work with many of today's top talents as an actor, director, and producer.
