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Things You Probably Didn't Know About Danny DeVito

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Danny DeVito has delivered amazing work since 1969, playing fascinating characters in classics like One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Terms of Endearment, and Batman Returns. He's also known for TV shows like Taxi and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. With a long, impressive career, you might think you know Danny DeVito well, but there's more to him than you think. Here are some fascinating facts about the actor - take a look and upvote the ones that surprise you!

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  • 1
    He Isn't The Monster He Often Appears As On Screen

    Danny DeVito plays some disturbing characters for decades. Look at his work as Oswald Cobblepot/The Penguin inBatman Returnsor his recent role as Frank Reynolds onIt's Always Sunny in PhiladelphiaThe man has a unique ability to be disgusting. This shows inMatildaHe and Rhea Perlman, his then-wife, played the despicable parents of the young lady. DeVito is unlike his character in that film.

    Danny DeVito is not a monster in real life. While working onMatildaHe proved this time and again. While the movie was filming,Mara WilsonThe actress playing Matilda dealt with her mother's cancer battle. The couple took her out and spent time with her like their own children to help her cope. Years later, she said that meant a lot to her:

    I was eight. It was hard. They were nice. My mom was sick in the hospital. They invited me over. They took care of me. This took my mind off things. It felt like family.

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  • 2
    He Has Fairbank's Disease

    Danny DeVito is not tall. He stands 4 feet 10 inches (147 cm). This short height comes from multiple epiphyseal dysplasia, also called Fairbank's disease. This rare genetic disorder affects bone growth.

    His height has not affected his roles much throughout his career. Other actors get jobs based on height, but that is not true for DeVito. He discussed his height in an episode ofTaxiHis character, Louie De Palma, describes needing to shop for pants in the boys' husky department.

    This scene is touching. It helped him earn the Emmy.for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 1981.He won Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 1981. When asked about the scene and his character's story, he...::

    I tell the story about my pants. That is my story. Once I reached this size, I stopped growing, but I wasn't skinny. So, I could not buy clothes off the rack. I had to go to the large boys' department. I told Ed Weinberger and Jim Brooks this story. We put it in the show. It is good to use your life if you can.

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  • 3
    He And Rhea Perlman Moved In After Two Weeks

    Danny DeVito first met Rhea Perlman in 1971. It was love at first sight. Within two weeks, they moved in together. They first met when Perlman saw DeVito perform inThe Shrinking Bride.Perlman went to the performance to see a friend. She went out to eat with the cast and ended up sitting across from her future husband after the show.

    According toDeVitoShe possessed a great sense of humor and real warmth. They married in 1982 after ten years together and stayed a couple for 40 years. In 2017, the couple separated, but they have not divorced. They remain close friends and plan no divorce.

    Perlman discussed this onWatch What Happens Live with Andy CohenIn October 2019, she said, "I’m not getting a divorce. That’s not in the picture, no, no, no. Not happening... what for? We do live separately. We see each other a lot, too."

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  • 4
    He Was Attacked By A Monkey

    A monkey attacking someone sounds funny, but it is very dangerous. Monkeys have sharp teeth and nails; they cause damage despite their small size. Danny DeVito called the event horrifying. It happened while he was filmingBatman Returnsas the Penguin. The costume’s scary look frightened the monkey, causing the attack.

    He described the monkey attack while appearing onThe Graham Norton Show. "Everybody went [wild], you know, 'Cut! Cut! Cut!'... The guy comes over, the trainer comes over, pulling the monkey off, and rips the monkey off of my leg." Luckily, the costume that scared the monkey also protected the actor. He wore thick padding over the costume, which stopped any damage, but the experience was still unpleasant.

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  • 5
    He Went To A High School Girl's Prom... Sort Of

    Sometimes people ask celebrities to attend events like a military ball. They sometimes say yes, sometimes no. What you rarely hear is a high school senior taking a cardboard cutout of a celebrity to prom, but that happened in May 2018. Allison Closs took a life-size cardboard cutout of DeVito to prom with her, and she even threw a tie and a boutonniere on him...

    The story quickly went viral, so DeVito decided toreturn the favor. He took a life-size cardboard cutout of Allison with him to work at Paddy's Pub. This was the set ofIt's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, but he took the cutout to the bar. Co-star Rob McElhenney posted a photo on Instagram, saying, "Hey Allison - I heard you took cardboard Danny to prom. What a coincidence. He took cardboard Allison to Paddy’s..."

    When Allison saw the post, she tweeted, "I AM SHOOKETH," and later wrote, "Thank you SO, SO MUCH @RMcElhenney and @DannyDeVito for fulfilling my dream of visiting Paddy’s Pub from @alwayssunny!!" The story went viral again, and she eventually appeared onThe Talk, where she met DeVito in person. She posted thisvideoexplaining the whole story.

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  • 6
    He's Directed And Produced A Ton Of Movies

    Like many actors working in Hollywood for a long time, Danny DeVitoDanny DeVito entered the producing game. He started much earlier than most actors. His directing credits began in 1973 with a short film calledThe Sound Sleeper.More than ten years later, he directedThrow Momma from the Train., and he followed this withThe War of the Roses.andHoffa..

    He also directedMatilda, Death to Smoochy, Duplex, and another short film calledCurmudgeons., which came out in 2016. For producing, he began that work withHoffa., and worked on many movies. These includeReality Bites, andPulp Fiction., Get Shorty, Feeling Minnesota, Gattaca, Man on the Moon, Erin Brockovich, Garden State,and several others. DeVito helped make several award-winning films. He also helped getPulp FictionSeeing how that movie made Quentin Tarantino a global star, DeVito's work matters.

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  • 7
    He Almost Drowned Filming A Scene For 'It's Always Sunny'

    The final episode of the 11th season ofIt's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.The group locks everyone in a cruise ship's makeshift brig for offenses. The ship sinks, leaving them to drown. They hold hands underwater as the end nears. For the main cast, filming the scene underwater was fine, but sinking was hard for DeVito.

    His body fought sinking, so the crew had to weigh him down. After filming ended, everyone except DeVito floated up. Lifeguards rushed in to save him; the experience was not fun for him. After the rescue, he went home early to recover. When Extra asked about it later,Extrahe explained his experience.

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  • 8
    He's Got A Thing For Trampolines

    Celebrities often demand strange things for their dressing rooms. Stories of stars asking only for green M&M's or a specific flower appear online. For Danny DeVito, this isn't about food or drink; it's a trampoline. He has done this for years, and it serves a real purpose.

    Jumping on a small trampoline helps him prepare for a show or appearance. He described his warm-up while onLate Night withSeth Meyers,, saying, "I start jumping a little bit, then I get some makeup put on, jump, put some clothes on." His love for trampolines is not limited to his dressing room. He first got interested when he jumped on one in a movie scene for a boost, and he has never stopped.

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  • 9
    He Wanted To Be A Hairdresser

    Danny DeVito did not start wanting to be an actor. He loved movies and wanted to join the industry, but not as a performer. He wanted to work in hair and makeup. He started as ahairdresser.His sister sent him to beauty school to cut hair in her salon. This happened after high school; he enjoyed that work.

    Danny DeVito left to study makeup at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts to keep pursuing his interests. Soon, he started acting classes too. Acting sparked his interest. He stopped wanting to work in makeup and focused on performing arts.

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  • 10
    Before Making It Big In New York, He Gave Los Angeles A Try

    Danny DeVito moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting. He moved to LA after seeing an ad for auditions for a film version of Truman Capote'sCold Blood.. He moved to the city, hoping to get the role of Perry Smith, but he missed out. He did not give up on his dreams. He stayed in Los Angeles and worked as aThe valet.to pay his bills.

    "I worked as a car parker and hung around the Sunset Strip with the flower children. I had long hair, wore a raincoat and sneakers, and fit in, but I wanted to act," DeVito said. When someone told him no one in LA would hire an actor his height, he returned to New York. He worked in theater and got some off-Broadway shows. He got a big chance when he appeared in the stage version ofOne Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest., which helped him land his main role in the film version.

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  • 11
    He Loves Cadillacs But Doesn't Drive Them

    Danny DeVito's net worth is about $80 million. If he wanted a fleet of Cadillacs, paperwork would handle it. Still, he has not bought one since 1993. Something else explains that.When asked about his love for cars in an interview withThrillist in 2014, he replied, "I’ll give you a hint: I haven’t been to a gas station in 3 years."

    He drives an electric car, but not a Tesla Model S, which the interviewer first asked about. "Nope. Honestly, Elon Musk's work is great. I think it's terrific. I think someday he will make an affordable electric car for everyone, which is what I drive now: a $26,000 Nissan Leaf, and I love it."

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  • 12
    He's Known Jack Nicholson For Longer Than You Might Think

    Danny DeVito's film breakout came in 1975'sOne Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.He acted with Jack Nicholson in that film. The two worked together again in 1992'sHoffa., and the two are good friends. People do not know they have known each other for a long time. They both grew up in New Jersey.

    The bond between the two grew into a friendship as they got older.As the two men matured and entered the same field, they found ways to work together. That relationship helped them both on and off screen.There is a joke on

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  • 13
    He's A Member Of The Five-Timers Club

    Saturday Night LiveSaturday Night Live.Danny DeVito is a member of the Five-Timers Club. This group includes hosts who have taken the show's reins five times or more. Members feature comedy stars like Alec Baldwin, Steve Martin, John Goodman, Tom Hanks, Melissa McCarthy, Bill Murray, and Scarlett Johansson.

    Danny is a member of the Five-Timers Club.Danny DeVito.Danny DeVito scored his membership and hosted the show six times, while also appearing three times.He joined the Five-Timers Club in 1993. He hosted the final show of the century in December 1999, the last time he hosted. His hosting dates include May 15, 1982; October 15, 1983 (with Rhea Perlman); December 5, 1987; December 3, 1988; January 9, 1993; and December 11, 1999.Danny DeVito joined the Five-Timers Club in 1993. He hosted the final show of the century in December 1999 and has not hosted since. His hosting gigs were May 15, 1982; October 15, 1983 (with Rhea Perlman); December 5, 1987; December 3, 1988; January 9, 1993; and December 11, 1999.

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  • 14
    He's Done A Lot Of Voice-Over Work

    Danny DeVito has a distinct voice. People identify him just by hearing a few words. He lent his voice to several animated characters over the years; the list includes many you do not know about.His many credits include animated characters in various movies.His credits include Grundle King in My Little Pony: The Movie.His credits include Whiskers in Last Action Hero.Whiskers is in.His credits include Philoctetes in Hercules.Swackhammer is in.He performed as Herb Powell, Homer Simpson's long-lost half-brother in three episodes of The Simpsons.He also voiced Emerson in Father of the Pride.His voice-over work helped video games featuring his character from Hercules.He voiced Philoctetes in Disney's Hercules. He voiced Philoctetes in Disney's Animated Storybook: Hercules.Despite voicing many characters, he rarely changes his voice so you cannot tell who is behind the microphone.He has many other roles.

    For television, he played Herb Powell, Homer Simpson's long-lost half-brother in three episodes ofThe Simpsons.He voiced Emerson inFather of the Pride.His voice-over work also helped some video games featuring his character fromHercules.He voiced Philoctetes in Disney'sHercules.and Disney'sAnimated Storybook: Hercules.He voiced many characters, yet he rarely changes his voice so much that you cannot tell who is behind the microphone.

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