Danny DeVito was born in 1944 to an Italian-American family in New Jersey. His short stature, almost gnome-like, could have made him a target for mockery and exclusion, but something about his character and easy demeanor, along with a sense of equality among peers, earned him friends and admiration. Acting wasn’t a childhood passion, and he only gravitated towards it in his early twenties, stumbling onto the stage somewhat by chance. Prior to that, he worked for a year and a half as an assistant in his sister’s beauty salon. To expand his skills towards the cosmetic arts, he enrolled in drama school, where he sought to learn professional makeup.
His physical characteristics—how should I say—weren’t the type that easily pave a path in Hollywood. Standing at 147 centimeters with a stocky build and no neck, left him with a rather narrow range of roles, even with his talent. Indeed, DeVito’s early years in Hollywood were devoid of success. He abandoned attempts at screen conquests and turned to the stage, where he acted in off-Broadway plays. The first of these, “The Man with the Flower in His Mouth,” was in 1969.
At times, even good friends can be a supportive factor, and so, when his close friend Michael Douglas (as part of the context) produced the film “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” in 1975, DeVito was cast in a small supporting role. The praise and success of this wonderful film by Milos Forman didn’t elude DeVito, and once again, he found himself hoping to accompany roles of reality. His significant screen presence, the true breakthrough, was specifically on the small screen, in the sitcom “Taxi,” which spanned six seasons starting in 1978 and achieved tremendous success. DeVito played the dispatcher of the taxi station, Louis De Palma.
In 1986, at the age of 44, his first film as a director, “Throw Momma from the Train,” was released, a film in which he also acted alongside Billy Crystal. Dark comedies, and comedies in general, became his hallmark. It was this niche where his character with comedic symbols fitting to blend. Usually, it was when he played an outstanding role
Danny DeVito has credits in 203 films throughout his career. He collaborated with five different directors who won Oscars for Best Director: Milos Forman, James Brooks, Robert Zemeckis, Barry Levinson, and Francis Ford Coppola. He appeared as a supporting actor in three films nominated for Best Picture: “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” “Terms of Endearment,” and “LA Confidential,” with the first two winning. As a producer, two of his films were Oscar-nominated: “Erin Brockovich” and “Pulp Fiction.”
On the other side of the spectrum, he was nominated three times for the Razzie Award for Worst Supporting Actor, which is the Oscar for the worst performances. He achieved this feat over three consecutive decades in 1981, 1992, and 2006, but he has never won it to his disappointment.
As of the end of 2020, Danny DeVito has credits in 203 films: 138 as an actor, 42 as a producer, and 23 as a director. He continues to work actively, with plans for a new film, “Harry Haft,” in 2021, where filming has already concluded. Some of his most famous films include “Terms of Endearment” (1983), “Twins” (1988), “War of the Roses” (1989), “Batman Returns” (as the Penguin) (1992), “Matilda” (1996) with his wife, actress Rhea Perlman, “LA Confidential” (1998), “Man on the Moon” (1999), “Death to Smoochy” (2002), “Deck the Halls” (2006), “Solitary Man” (2009), “Jumanji: The Next Level” (2019), and “Dumbo” (2019). In 2011, he was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Danny DeVito has also ventured into other fields such as real estate, restaurants, and even liqueur production. Like many screen stars, he has learned to appreciate what the world of cigars has to offer, and over the years, his jovial persona, often seen with a cigar in hand or mouth, has become a significant part of his public image. One of his fellow actors from “Twins,” Arnold Schwarzenegger, introduced him to the world of cigars.
Danny DeVito himself has a preference for Cuban cigars, starting with Partagas, and today he ensures that his humidor always contains Montecristo No. 2. He loves to recount the story of a transatlantic flight returning from Europe after completing a film shoot, during a time when smoking on planes was as acceptable as drinking a glass of water, and the plane was a public space for anything. He moved among the passengers one by one and asked for their permission to smoke a cigar if it didn’t bother them. Permission was granted, and he describes that flight as the best he ever had.
89 Street, 52 years ago
On the close friendship between Danny DeVito and Michael Douglas
During their drama school days, Danny DeVito became acquainted with someone who would later become his close friend and frequent collaborator in several films – Michael Douglas. The two shared an apartment on Street 89 in Manhattan as acting students. Douglas recalls their acquaintance starting when they shared a joint of marijuana on the beach. Since then, for 52 years, they have remained very close friends, which is no surprise in the world of creators and artists.
Their cherished collaboration recently came to fruition in one of Douglas and Alan Arkin’s Netflix series episodes, “The Kominsky Method,” where DeVito made a guest appearance.
“He loves taking opportunities and risks,” says Douglas. “He has a captivating energy and developed imagination. He’s an unstoppable explorer. He has the ability to fly without a safety net.” And so, DeVito continues to be creatively restless, even in the latter half of the seventies of his life.
