Danny DeVito Biography Quotes 21 Report mistakes

Early Life and Education
Daniel Michael DeVito Jr. was born on November 17, 1944, in Neptune Township, New Jersey, and grew up in a close-knit Italian American family on the Jersey Shore. Raised alongside older sisters, he experienced a lively household that valued hard work, humor, and community. He attended Oratory Preparatory School in Summit, New Jersey, where a school play sparked his interest in acting. After a brief period working at a family-connected beauty salon, he pursued formal training at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City. The move to Manhattan placed him at the center of a vibrant theater scene and set the foundation for a career defined by distinctive roles and a knack for character-driven storytelling.

Stage and Film Breakthrough
DeVito began on stage, building craft and confidence in off-Broadway productions. A formative break came in the early 1970s when he played Martini in a stage version of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. When Milos Forman adapted the story for the screen in 1975, DeVito reprised the role alongside Jack Nicholson and Louise Fletcher. The film became a modern classic, and DeVito's sympathetic, precise work as Martini gave him early visibility in Hollywood while affirming his ability to create memorable characters with economy and wit.

Taxi and Television Success
His star rose sharply with Taxi (1978, 1983), the hit comedy set in a New York cab company. As the acid-tongued dispatcher Louie De Palma, DeVito performed opposite Judd Hirsch, Andy Kaufman, Christopher Lloyd, Tony Danza, and Marilu Henner, turning a petty tyrant into one of television's most indelible characters. The show earned him both an Emmy and a Golden Globe and cemented his reputation for fearless comic timing. Working with an ensemble that balanced absurdity with heart, he helped shape a template for workplace comedies and demonstrated an instinct for elevating material through rhythm, attitude, and surprise.

Film Stardom
Through the 1980s and 1990s, DeVito became a major film presence. With Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner he formed a sparkling trio in Romancing the Stone and The Jewel of the Nile, bringing wily energy to big-screen adventure. He teamed with Bette Midler in Ruthless People and with Richard Dreyfuss in Tin Men, proving adept at satirizing greed and vanity. A popular pairing with Arnold Schwarzenegger yielded Twins and later Junior, both directed by Ivan Reitman, where DeVito's sharp delivery played hilariously against Schwarzenegger's straight-man earnestness.

He did not limit himself to comedy. Under Tim Burton, DeVito delivered an unnerving, tragicomic Penguin in Batman Returns. He joined the ensemble of L.A. Confidential as gossip hound Sid Hudgens, and he gave buoyant voice performances as Phil in Disney's Hercules and as the villain Swackhammer in Space Jam. He appeared with John Travolta and Gene Hackman in Get Shorty, and later with an old friend, Michael Douglas, in Solitary Man. His character roles often added bite and surprise, whether in David Mamet's Heist or in Tim Burton's Big Fish.

Director and Producer
DeVito emerged as a confident director with The Ratings Game, then crafted a run of smart, dark comedies and dramas. Throw Momma from the Train, with Billy Crystal and Anne Ramsey, showcased his taste for caustic farce. The War of the Roses, reuniting Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner, balanced savage humor with a grim portrait of a marriage in collapse. Hoffa, starring Jack Nicholson, was an ambitious historical drama. With Matilda, adapted from Roald Dahl and co-starring Rhea Perlman and Mara Wilson, he made a warm, sly family film with a distinct visual style. He followed with Death to Smoochy, a razor-edged showbiz satire with Robin Williams and Edward Norton, and Duplex, a dark comedy starring Ben Stiller and Drew Barrymore.

As a producer, he co-founded Jersey Films with Michael Shamberg, later joined by Stacey Sher. The company became a hub for filmmaker-driven projects, backing influential titles such as Pulp Fiction, Get Shorty, Out of Sight, Erin Brockovich, Reality Bites, and Garden State. Through Jersey Films, DeVito championed distinctive voices and off-center stories, expanding his influence beyond acting and directing into nurturing new talent and risk-taking cinema. The company also produced Man on the Moon, linking his Taxi-era connection to Andy Kaufman with a later portrait of the enigmatic performer.

Long-Running Television and Recent Work
In 2006 DeVito joined It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia as Frank Reynolds, sliding into the anarchic ensemble created by Rob McElhenney, Glenn Howerton, and Charlie Day, with Kaitlin Olson. His fearless, often outrageous turn helped the series evolve into one of American television's longest-running live-action comedies. The role broadened his reach to a new generation and reaffirmed his willingness to push boundaries for a laugh.

He continued to mix genres and media. He reunited with Tim Burton for Dumbo, voiced the title character in Dr. Seuss' The Lorax, and played a key role in Jumanji: The Next Level with Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, Karen Gillan, and Danny Glover. He has also returned to the stage in notable New York and London productions, earning strong notices for his comic precision and ensemble instincts. In animation for adults, he collaborated with his daughter Lucy DeVito and Aubrey Plaza on Little Demon, voicing the Devil with impish relish.

Personal Life
DeVito married actor Rhea Perlman in 1982 after meeting her years earlier in New York's theater scene. Their creative and personal partnership has been a mainstay of his life; she acted with him in Matilda and other projects, and they have remained close even after later living apart. They have three children: Lucy DeVito, an actor who has worked with her parents on stage and television; Grace Fan DeVito, a producer and artist; and Jake DeVito, a producer. Family ties have often intersected with professional work, reflecting DeVito's commitment to collaboration and loyalty.

Public Voice and Philanthropy
Known for candor and humor in public appearances, DeVito has lent support to arts education and humanitarian causes and has been outspoken about labor rights in the entertainment industry. During periods of industry labor action, he has used his platform to advocate for fair conditions, echoing the solidarity that defined his early years in ensemble theater and television.

Legacy
Danny DeVito's legacy rests on a rare combination: a singular screen presence and a broad command of storytelling as actor, director, and producer. He turned physical specificity into an advantage, crafting characters who are by turns menacing, vulnerable, uproarious, and tender. From the cauldron of Taxi to the mainstream reach of Twins and Batman Returns, from the daring of The War of the Roses to the enduring mischief of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, he has remained inventive and relevant. His collaborations with figures such as Rhea Perlman, Jack Nicholson, Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Tim Burton, and the Sunny ensemble trace a career defined by ensemble chemistry and creative risk. Through Jersey Films and his own directorial efforts, he helped bring audacious stories to wide audiences, ensuring that his influence spans generations on both sides of the camera.

Our collection contains 21 quotes who is written by Danny, under the main topics: Witty One-Liners - Motivational - Funny - Dark Humor - Honesty & Integrity.

Other people realated to Danny: Bette Midler (Actress), David Zucker (Director), Zac Efron (Actor), Norman Jewison (Director), Claire Danes (Actress), Barry Levinson (Director), Barbara Hershey (Actress), Judge Reinhold (Actor), Bill Pullman (Actor), Curtis Hanson (Director)

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