Tony Danza is an American actor, best known for starring on beloved television series such as "Taxi" and "Who's the Boss?". Born in Brooklyn, New York, Danza grew up in Malverne, Long Island and received a wrestling scholarship to the University of Dubuque in Iowa, where he earned a degree in history education.
Before finding a teaching job, Danza earned a living as a professional boxer and envisioned himself as the next Rocky Graziano. He changed his name to "Dangerous" Tony Danza and entered the New York Golden Gloves in 1975. He started his professional boxing career on August 13, 1976, fighting as a middleweight and compiling a record of 9-3 with nine knockout victories, seven in the first round.
During a gym workout, Danza was discovered for the part of Tony Banta on the ABC TV show "Taxi" in 1978. He still hoped to be a world champion and scored knockouts in 1978 and 1979, but when he was unable to secure a title shot, he retired from boxing and dedicated himself to his acting career.
Danza received an Emmy nomination for a guest-starring role in "The Practice" and acclaim for his performance in the Broadway revival of "The Iceman Cometh". He also starred in the comedy series "Hudson Street" and "The Tony Danza Show", for which he was executive producer.
In addition to his television credits, Danza has appeared in numerous films, including "Angels in the Outfield", "She's Out of Control", "A Brooklyn State of Mind", and "Glam". He also wrote, directed, and starred in the short film "Mamamia".
Danza has explored his love for the stage, starring in Broadway productions such as "The Producers" and "A View from the Bridge". He has also received critical acclaim for his performances in the pre-Broadway run of "Honeymoon in Vegas" and his song-and-dance stage show.
In 2013, Danza returned to the big screen and received great buzz and fantastic reviews for his performance as Joseph Gordon-Levitt's character's father in Gordon-Levitt's directorial debut, "Don Jon".
Danza has also written a book, "I'd Like to Apologize to Every Teacher I Ever Had: My Year as a Rookie Teacher at Northeast High", which premiered on the New York Times Best Sellers list at number 16 and stayed on the list for two months.
