Danny DeVito biography

I had long hair and I wore a raincoat and sneakers, and I fit right in. But I wanted to act." DeVito soon moved back to New York, where he landed parts in several off-Broadway plays.

Big Break

In 1971, DeVito landed the role of Martini in an off-Broadway production of Ken Kesey's classic novel, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. That role led to DeVito's big break four years later, when Michael Douglas produced a film version of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and asked DeVito to revive his stage role. Widely praised by critics, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest swept the five major Academy Awards (best picture, actor, actress, director and screenplay) in 1976, catapulting DeVito into the national spotlight.

In 1978, DeVito auditioned for a new NBC series called Taxi. Before beginning his audition, DeVito famously flung the script down on the table and demanded, "One thing I want to know before we start: Who wrote this shit?" That display of caustic wit landed him the part of the endearingly tyrannical cab dispatcher Louie DePalma. The show ran for five years, from 1978 to 1983, and DeVito won an Emmy Award for best supporting actor in 1981.

Later Acting Career

DeVito went on to star in scores of films throughout the 1980s, '90s and 2000s. He appeared with Jack Nicholson in the 1983 film Terms of Endearment and costarred with Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 1988 comedy Twins. In 1992, DeVito earned rave reviews for his turn as The Penguin, the vengeful villain in Batman Returns. Other notable film credits include Romancing the Stone (1984), Ruthless People (1986), Throw Momma from the Train (1987), The War of the Roses (1989), L.A. Confidential (1997) and Big Fish (2003). DeVito returned to television in 2005, starring in the cult hit FX series It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

With It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, DeVito and his cast mates, including Charlie Day, Rob McElhenney and Glenn Howerton, have pushed the envelope in terms of its content. San Francisco Chronicle critic Tim Goodman describes the show as a "politically incorrect gem." DeVito plays a morally challenged father on this edgy sitcom.

In addition to his work on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, DeVito has made several films in recent years. He appeared with Michael Douglas and Susan Sarandon in the drama Solitary Man (2009), and in the romantic comedy When in Rome (2010) with Kristen Bell and Josh Duhamel. In 2012, DeVito voiced the title character in the hit animated film The Lorax, based on the popular book by Dr. Seuss.

Director and Producer

In addition to acting, DeVito has also enjoyed considerable success as a director and producer. DeVito directed several episodes of Taxi and made his feature film directorial debut with the dark comedy Throw Momma from the Train, in which he also costarred with Billy Crystal. He has since directed half a dozen other feature films.