All All. Sign In. Ruthless People premiere. List activity. Danny DeVito. Actor Producer Director Matilda Danny DeVito has amassed a formidable and versatile body of work as an actor, producer and director that spans the stage, television and film. Daniel Michael DeVito Jr. His mother, Julia Moccello , was a homemaker. His father, Daniel, Sr. While growing up in Asbury Park, his parents sent him to private schools. Following graduation in , he took a job as a cosmetician at his sister's beauty salon.
While at the academy, he fell in love with acting and decided to further pursue an acting career. The two would later go on to collaborate on numerous projects. Soon after he also met an actress named Rhea Perlman. The two fell in love and moved in together. They were married in and had three children together. In , Danny landed his first part in a movie when he appeared as a thug in the obscure Dreams of Glass Despite this minor triumph, Danny became discouraged with the film industry and decided to focus on stage productions.
With box office success almost guaranteed and a chance for national exposure, Danny agreed to the role. The movie became a huge hit, both critically and financially, and still ranks today as one the greatest movies of all time.
Unfortunately, the movie did very little to help Danny's career. In the years following, he was relegated to small movie roles and guest appearances on television shows. His big break came in when he auditioned for a role on an ABC sitcom pilot called Taxi , which centered around taxi cab drivers at a New York City garage. Danny auditioned for the role of dispatcher Louie DePalma. At the audition, the producers told Danny that he needed to show more attitude in order to get the part.
The show was a huge success, running from to Louie DePalma, played flawlessly by Danny, became one of the most memorable and reviled characters in television history.
