Danny DeVito

Danny DeVito stars in the play I Need That on Broadway in fall 2023.

Danny DeVito is an Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning actor known for television and film roles including Louie De Palma in Taxi, Frank Reynolds in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and Harry Wormwood in Matilda. He has also performed on Broadway and in the West End and produced and directed many television shows and movies.

Born November 17, 1944, he was raised in Asbury Park, New Jersey. While working for his sister’s beauty salon, he attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City to learn more about makeup artistry. However, once he took a few acting classes, he decided to be a performer. DeVito performed in several Off-Broadway plays before landing the role that would launch his career: Martini in the Off-Broadway adaptation of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. He was later cast in the 1975 film adaptation, which ultimately led to his breakout role of Louie De Palma in the hit sitcom Taxi. As Louie, DeVito earned a Golden Globe and Emmy Award.

DeVito’s career skyrocketed after Taxi, as he received roles in numerous films throughout the '80s and '90s, including Terms of Endearment, Ruthless People, and Batman Returns. During this time, he also began directing and producing. He founded his production company, Jersey Films, in 1991, and produced popular films like Pulp Fiction, Erin Brockovich, and Garden State. He starred in many of the movies he directed, such as The War of Roses, Matilda, and Hoffa. DeVito’s career also stretched into voiceover work, which notably included Philoctetes in Disney’s Hercules.

DeVito spent much of the 2000s and 2010s playing Frank Reynolds in the long-running sitcom It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. He also made his Broadway debut in 2017 as Gregory Solomon in Arthur Miller’s The Price, which earned him a Tony nomination.

In fall 2023, DeVito returns to Broadway in the world premiere of Theresa Rebeck's I Need That, which he stars in alongside his daughter, Lucy DeVito.