Danny DeVito is an American actor and filmmaker, who has been active in film since the 1970s. One of his earliest and most notable roles was in the sitcom Taxi (1978–1983). He played the role Martini in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest in 1975 alongside Jack Nicholson. In the 70s and 80s, he appeared in Car Wash (1976), The Van (1977), Terms of Endearment (1983), Romancing the Stone (1984) and its sequel The Jewel of the Nile (1985), Ruthless People (1986), Throw Momma from the Train (1987), Twins (1988), and The War of the Roses (1989). In 1992, he was cast in the role of the villain Penguin opposite Michael Keaton's Batman in Batman Returns. In the 90's, he starred in Renaissance Man (1994), and co-starred in the films Get Shorty with Gene Hackman (1995), Matilda with wife Rhea Perlman, which he also directed and produced. He played George Shapiro in 1999's Man on the Moon opposite Jim Carrey, who played Andy Kaufman, a real-life friend of DeVito's.
He appeared in his third movie with Bette Midler in 2000's Drowning Mona (2000), and his fourth movie with John Travolta in 2005's Be Cool. He added his voice to the 2012 film The Lorax, and co-starred with Keaton again in Dumbo as Max Medici (2019). He appeared in the sequel film Jumanji: The Next Level (2019).
DeVito played the role of Louie De Palma in the television series Taxi from 1978 to 1983, airing in 114 episodes. That role earned him a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film (1979) and a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series (1980). He guest starred in several television series over the years such as Starsky and Hutch (1977), Friends (2004) and The Simpsons (1991, 1992, 2013, 2024). He has starred in the television series It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia as Frank Reynolds since 2006.
He and wife Rhea Perlman founded the production company Jersey Films in 1992, which have produced such films as Pulp Fiction (1994), Gattaca (1997), Erin Brockovich (2000), and Garden State (2004).
As actor Film
Year Title Role Notes 1970 Dreams of Glass Thug 1971 Lady Liberty Fred Mancuso 1972 Hot Dogs for Gauguin Adrian Short film 1973 Hurry Up, or I'll Be 30 Petey Scalawag Fly Speck 1975 One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Martini Deadly Hero Harry 1976 Car Wash Joe Deleted scenes The Money Bartender 1977 The Van Andy The World's Greatest Lover Assistant Director 1978 Goin' South 'Hog' 1979 Swap Meet Max 1979 Valentine Dewey Made-for-TV film 1981 Going Ape! Lazlo 1983 Terms of Endearment Vernon Dahlart 1984 Romancing the Stone Ralph Johnny Dangerously Burr 1985 The Jewel of the Nile Ralph Head Office Frank Steadman 1986 Wise Guys Harry Valentini Ruthless People Sam Stone My Little Pony: The Movie Grundle King Voice A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information. 1987 Tin Men Ernest Tilley Throw Momma from the Train Owen Lift Also director 1988 Twins Vincent Benedict 1989 The War of the Roses Gavin D'Amato Also director 1991 Other People's Money Larry Garfield 1992 Batman Returns Oswald Cobblepot / The Penguin Hoffa Bobby Ciaro Also director and producer 1993 Jack the Bear John Leary Last Action Hero Whiskers Uncredited voice Look Who's Talking Now Rocks Voice 1994 Renaissance Man Bill Rago Junior Dr. Larry Arbogast 1995 Get Shorty Martin Weir Also producer 1996 Matilda Harry Wormwood / Narrator Also director and producer Space Jam Swackhammer Voice Mars Attacks! Rude Gambler 1997 The Rainmaker Deck Shifflet Hercules Philoctetes Voice L.A. Confidential Sid Hudgens Men in Black Alien on TV Monitor Uncredited cameo 1998 Living Out Loud Pat Francato Also producer 1999 The Big Kahuna Phil Cooper Man on the Moon George Shapiro Also producer The Virgin Suicides Dr. Hornicker 2000 Drowning Mona Wyatt Rash Also producer Screwed Grover Cleaver 2001 Heist Bergman What's the Worst That Could Happen? Max Fairbanks 2002 Death to Smoochy Burke Bennet Also director Austin Powers in Goldmember Himself as Mini-Me 2003 Anything Else Harvey Wexler Duplex Narrator Uncredited voice; also director Big Fish Amos Calloway 2004 Christmas in Love Brad LaGuardia 2005 Be Cool Martin Weir Also producer Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing and Charm School Booth 2006 Relative Strangers Frank Menure Also producer Even Money Walter 10 Items or Less 'Big D' The Oh in Ohio Wayne Deck the Halls Buddy Hall 2007 The Good Night Mel Reno 911!: Miami District Attorney Also producer Nobel Son Gastner 2008 Just Add Water Merl Stryker 2009 House Broken Tom 'Smokey' Cathkart Solitary Man Jimmy 2010 When in Rome Al 2011 Girl Walks into a Bar Aldo Revenge of the Electric Car Himself Documentary 2012 The Lorax The Lorax Voice (multilanguage voice-over) Hotel Noir Eugene Portland 2014 All the Wilderness Dr. Pembry 2016 Curmudgeons Jackie Short film; also director and producer Wiener-Dog Dave Schmerz The Comedian Jimmy Berkowitz 2017 Animal Crackers Chesterfield Voice 2018 Smallfoot Dorgle 2019 Dumbo Max Medici Jumanji: The Next Level Eddie Gilpin 2020 The One and Only Ivan Bob Voice 2021 The Survivor Charlie Goldman 2023 Haunted Mansion Bruce Poolman Jack Migration Uncle Dan Voice 2024 Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Janitor A Sudden Case of Christmas Lawrence 2026 Jumanji: Open World Eddie Gilpin Post-production
Television
Year Title Role Notes 1977 Delvecchio Anthony 'Beanzie' Marott Episode: "Requiem For A Loser" Starsky & Hutch John 'John-John The Apple' DeAppoliso Episode: "The Collector" Police Woman Napoleon Episode: "Death Game" All That Glitters Baba 10 episodes 1978–1983 Taxi Louie De Palma 114 episodes 1979 Angie Uncle Cheech Episode: "Uncle Cheech" 1980 The Associates Alan Swathmore Episode: "The Out of Town Trip" 1982 The Selling of Vince D'Angelo Vince D'Angelo Short film; also director 1982–1999 Saturday Night Live Himself (host) 6 episodes 1984 The Ratings Game Vic De Salvo Television film; also director CBS Schoolbreak Special Ackroyd Episode: "All the Kids Do It" 1985 Amazing Stories Herbert Episode: "The Wedding Ring" 1986 George Johnson Voice; television special 1988 Sesame Street Vincent van Trash Episode: "2504" 1989 Molly and the Skywalkerz: Two Daddies? George Johnson Voice; television special 1990 The Earth Day Special Vic Television special 1991–present The Simpsons Herb Powell Voice; 4 episodes 1994 The Larry Sanders Show Himself Episode: "The Gift Episode" 1997 Pearl Dean Martin Episode: "Dean Cuisine" 2002 Ed Dr. Jack Carmichael Episode: "Human Nature" 2003 Karen Sisco Charlie Lucre 2 episodes 2004 Friends Officer Roy Goodbody Episode: "The One Where the Stripper Cries" Father of the Pride Emerson Voice; episode: "And the Revolution Continues" 2006–present It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Frank Reynolds169 episodes 2015 Deadbeat Giuseppe Monamocce Episode: "The Occult Leader" 2018 The Kominsky Method Dr. Wexler 2 episodes 2021 Last Week Tonight with John Oliver Himself/Chemist Episode: "Chemicals" 2022 Little Demon Satan Voice; 10 episodes; also executive producer Storybots: Answer Time Giuseppe Episode: "Multiplication" 2023 Big City Greens Merv Stampington Voice; episode: "Long Goodbye" 2025 Abbott Elementary Frank Reynolds Crossover episode: "Volunteers" Rick and Morty Dr. Dogballs Voice; episode: "The CuRicksous Case of Bethjamin Button"
Video games Year Title Voice role 1997 Disney's Animated Storybook: Hercules Philoctetes Disney's Hercules
Theatre Year Title Role Notes 1969 Shoot Anything With Hair That Moves Frank Off-Broadway The Man with the Flower in His Mouth Friend Pe' (Jar), Marranca 1971 One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Anthony Martini 1973 A Phantasmoria Historia of D. Johann Fausten Magister Performer 1974 The Merry Wives of Windsor John Rugby 1975 The Comedy of Errors Balthazar, SolinusUnderstudy/Off-Broadway 2012–2-13 The Sunshine Boys Willie Clark Savoy Theatre Ahmanson Theatre 2017 The Price Gregory Solomon American Airlines Theatre 2023 I Need That Sam
Music videos Year Title Artist 1984 "Ghostbusters" Ray Parker Jr. 1986 "When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going" Billy Ocean 1997 "Wear My Hat" Phil Collins 1998 "Victory" Puff Daddy featuring The Notorious B.I.G. & Busta Rhymes2006 "Mojo"Peeping Tom featuring Rahzel & Dan the Automator 2014 "Steal My Girl" One Direction
As director and producer Year Title Director Producer Notes Refs. 1973 The Sound Sleeper Short film 1975 Minestrone Short film 1982 The Selling of Vince D'Angelo Short film, created for Likely Stories 1984 The Ratings Game Television film 1985 A Lovely Way to Spend an Evening Short film, created for Likely Stories 1987 Throw Momma from the Train 1989 The War of the Roses 1992 Hoffa 1994 Reality Bites 8 Seconds Pulp Fiction 1995 Get Shorty 1996 Matilda Sunset Park Feeling Minnesota 1997 Gattaca 1998 Out of Sight Living Out Loud 1999 Man on the Moon 2000 Erin Brockovich Drowning Mona 2001 How High 2002 Death to Smoochy 2003 Camp Duplex 2004 Along Came Polly Garden State 2005 Be Cool Queen B Television pilot 2006 Even Money Relative Strangers 2007 Freedom Writers Reno 911!: Miami 2012 St. Sebastian Unreleased 2014 A Walk Among the Tombstones 2016 Curmudgeons Short film 2022 Little Demon Television series 2026 Drag
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