Danny DeVito Biography
Summary
"Daniel Michael 'Danny' DeVito, Jr." (born November 17, 1944) is an American actor, director and producer, who first gained prominence for his portrayal of 'Louie De Palma' on the ABC and NBC TV series "Taxi" (1978–1983). Along with wife Rhea Perlman, he founded Jersey Films, a production company famous for producing films such as "Pulp Fiction", "Garden State", and "Freedom Writers", and Jersey Television, most famous for producing the Comedy Central series "Reno 911!" He also currently stars as Frank Reynolds on the FX sitcom "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia".
Early life
DeVito was born in Neptune, New Jersey the son of Julia, a homemaker, and Daniel Michael DeVito, Sr., who owned several small businesses, including a dry cleaning store, a dairy outlet, a luncheonette, and a pool hall. He is of Italian ancestry and was raised as a Catholic and grew up in Asbury Park. He boarded at Oratory Preparatory School, in Summit, New Jersey, graduating in 1961. Danny got most of his training for acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Hollywood California where he graduated in 1966. He married actress Rhea Perlman on January 28, 1982.
Career
As an actor
DeVito played Martini in the movie "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" (reprising his role from the 1971 off-Broadway play). DeVito gained fame in 1978 on the hit TV show "Taxi" as Louie De Palma, the dispatcher for the fictional Sunshine Cab Company. After "Taxi" ended, DeVito continued what became a successful movie career, beginning with a role in 1983's "Terms of Endearment" (in an almost walk-on role) and the comic rogue in the romantic adventure "Romancing the Stone", starring Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner. All three reprised their roles in the 1985 sequel, "The Jewel of the Nile". In 1986, he was in "Ruthless People" with Bette Midler and Judge Reinhold. In 1987, DeVito made his feature directing debut on dark comedy "Throw Momma from the Train", in which he additionally starred, opposite Billy Crystal and Anne Ramsey. Two years later DeVito reunited with Douglas and Turner to direct and star with them in "The War of the Roses".
Other notable work during this time includes "Other People's Money" with legend Gregory Peck, director Barry Levinson's "Tin Men" as a competitive rival salesman to Richard Dreyfuss's character, two co-starring vehicles with Arnold Schwarzenegger, the comedies "Twins" and "Junior", and the villain The Penguin in director Tim Burton's "Batman Returns" (1992). It is said that Jack Nicholson convinced DeVito to play The Penguin since Nicholson enjoyed great success as The Joker in the original "Batman" from 1989. Rather than portraying the villain as a suave and sophisticated gangster as he was in the comics, DeVito portrayed him as a deformed psychopath.
Although generally a comic actor, DeVito expanded into drama with such movies as "Renaissance Man" (1994) as Army Professor Bill Rago; "The Rainmaker," (1997) as Deck Shifflet, a former insurance assessor; "Hoffa" (1992), which he directed and in which he co-starred with Jack Nicholson; "L.A. Confidential" as a sleazy reporter (1997); "The Big Kahuna" as compassionate salesman Phil Cooper (1999); and "Heist" (2001), as a gangster nemesis to Gene Hackman.
DeVito grew up with a great passion for documentaries. And so in 2006, he began a partnership with Morgan Freeman's company ClickStar, where he hosts a documentary channel called Jersey Docs.
As a film and television producer
In addition to acting, DeVito has become a major film and television producer. Through his production company, Jersey Films, he has produced many movies, including "Pulp Fiction", "Get Shorty", "Erin Brockovich" (for which he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture), "Gattaca", and "Garden State". DeVito has also produced the Comedy Central series "Reno 911!"
In 1999, DeVito produced and co-starred in "Man on the Moon", a movie about the unusual life of his former "Taxi" co-star, Andy Kaufman.
As a director
DeVito has directed six motion pictures:
"Throw Momma From the Train" (1987)
"The War of the Roses" (1989)
"Hoffa" (1992)
"Matilda" (1996)
"Death to Smoochy" (2002)
"Duplex" (2003)
His films tend to have a bizarre, neo-surrealistic sensibility and gallows humor, though this was absent in the straightforward "Hoffa" biopic. This approach served him well at times, especially in "The War of the Roses" which was a commercial and critical success, as well as "Matilda" where it matched the style of Roald Dahl's witty story of a young girl and a strict teacher; however his last two films have not been nearly as successful.
Further television and voice over work
In addition to his "Taxi" work, DeVito has voiced Herb Powell, Homer Simpson's half-brother, on two episodes of "The Simpsons". In 1997, he was the voice of the goatman named Philoctetes from the 1997 film "Hercules".
In 1999, DeVito hosted the last "Saturday Night Live" episode before the year 2000.
He earned a 2004 Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series, an episode of "Friends", following four Emmy nominations (including a 1981 win) for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy, for "Taxi". In 2006, DeVito joined the cast of the FX Networks television series "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" as Frank Reynolds.
Personal life
DeVito is married to actress Rhea Perlman. They have three children: Lucy Chet DeVito (born March 1983), Grace Fan DeVito (born March 1985) and Jacob Daniel DeVito (born October 1987). DeVito and his family live in Beverly Hills, California and at a vacation home in Interlaken, New Jersey. He is an outspoken Democrat, and a supporter of the OneVoice Movement, a non-profit organization that strives to empower moderate Israelis and Palestinians to take a more assertive role in resolving their conflict. He is also currently a member of the steering committee of the Friends of the Apollo, along with his wife and filmmaker Jonathan Demme. DeVito has stated that despite what websites such as IMdB have claimed, he is not a vegetarian and that he does eat meat.
DeVito has part of his family living in New Canaan, Connecticut. DeVito co-owns a restaurant named DeVito South Beach in Miami Beach, Florida. DeVito's daughter, Lucy, starred as Anne Frank in a production of "Anne Frank" at the INTIMAN Theatre in Seattle, Washington, in 2008.
External links
Danny DeVito's Guest DJ Set on KCRW (KCRW Guest DJ Set)
Credit
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article about Danny DeVito.
