Danny DeVito

Danny DeVito began his acting career Off-Broadway in 1969, appearing in Shoot Anything With Hair That Moves (1969) and The Man with the Flower in His Mouth (1969). His film debut was Dreams of Glass (1970), followed by Lady Liberty (1971), Hurry Up, or I’ll Be 30 (1973), and Deadly Hero (1975). He appeared in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975), reprising his earlier stage role.

He appeared on television in Starsky & Hutch (1977) and starred as Louie De Palma on Taxi (1978–1983). Film roles in the 1980s included Terms of Endearment (1983), Johnny Dangerously (1984), Romancing the Stone (1984), The Jewel of the Nile (1985), Ruthless People (1986), My Little Pony: The Movie (1986, voice), Tin Men (1987), Twins (1988), and The War of the Roses (1989).

In the 1990s, DeVito appeared in Other People’s Money (1991), voiced Herb Powell on The Simpsons (1991–1992; 2013), portrayed the Penguin in Batman Returns (1992), directed and acted in Hoffa (1992), and appeared in Jack the Bear (1993), Get Shorty (1995), Space Jam (1996, voice), Mars Attacks! (1996), The Rainmaker (1997), L.A. Confidential (1997), Hercules (1997, voice), Living Out Loud (1998), The Big Kahuna (1999), Man on the Moon (1999, producer and actor), and The Virgin Suicides (1999).

From 2000 to 2005, his film work included Drowning Mona (2000), Screwed (2000), Heist (2001), What’s the Worst That Could Happen? (2001), Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002), Death to Smoochy (2002, director and actor), Big Fish (2003), Anything Else (2003), Duplex (2003, director), and Be Cool (2005).

He joined It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia in 2006, appearing as Frank Reynolds from 2006–present, and also appeared in Deck the Halls (2006). Later roles include When in Rome (2010), The Lorax (2012, voice), Wiener-Dog (2016), The Kominsky Method (2018), Smallfoot (2018, voice), Dumbo (2019), Jumanji: The Next Level (2019), The One and Only Ivan (2020, voice), The Survivor (2021), Haunted Mansion (2023), Poolman (2023), and Migration (2023, voice).

His stage work includes a West End revival of The Sunshine Boys (2012) and Broadway appearances in The Price (2017) and I Need That (2023).

As a director, DeVito directed The Ratings Game (1984), Throw Momma from the Train (1987), The War of the Roses (1989), Matilda (1996), Death to Smoochy (2002), and Duplex (2003). He also directed short films including The Sound Sleeper (1973), Minestrone (1975), Oh Those Lips (2010), Evil Eye (2010), Poison Tongue (2011), Skin Deep (2011), Nest of Vipers (2011), and Curmudgeons (2016).

DeVito founded Jersey Films in 1991, producing Pulp Fiction (1994), Get Shorty (1995), Gattaca (1997), Erin Brockovich (2000), Garden State (2004), and the television series Reno 911! (2003–2009; revival later years).