Danny DeVito Proved Us Wrong

Do you like being famous? I do. At five foot nothing, Danny DeVito is one of Hollywood's biggest personalities. He's not someone you would expect. He has become an actor, an A-list star, a director, and a producer.

You don't know everything a Hollywood hero isn't: short, bald, chubby. I have compensated for it by making jokes. But a Hollywood hero, Danny DeVito, is in the show.

But why this show? Oh! Hello! It's 2006, and what a year it has been. Hollywood giant Danny DeVito has surprised fans by joining the cast of the tiny FX sitcom "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia." But this is just Danny's latest example in a long tradition of defying expectations.

You were a hairdresser before you got into that? I became a hairdresser. A lot of people don't know that. No, I didn't know that. But I was; I worked for my sister.

She had a beauty parlor. You were, at one point, Mr. Danny down here. That's right, a hairdresser. Terrific! All the ladies loved you.

They did, yes. Well, yes, they said my beehive could withstand a 40-knot wind. I wasn't going to go to college. I didn't have the grades anyway. And, you know, why not?

I'll get a job, and I'll live in Asbury, and it'll be cool. My sister said to me, "You know, why don't you come to work for me?" She sent me to school, and I went to become a hairdresser. Then she wanted to get into makeup.

So she sent me to New York to go to makeup school. On the first day I arrived at the school, there were about 40 girls and two guys. I thought to myself, "This isn't going to be bad." Angie sent him to learn makeup, which is how he ended up at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City. However, the only way to get into the school was to enroll as an actor. I said, "Fine," and had to perform a monologue. I had never seen a play before; it was wild! So I did the monologue, and I became an actor.

At home in New Jersey, Danny had been instilled with a strong sense of confidence—a feeling of belonging. "I was a pistol, you know. I mean, I think I was kind of a feisty little kid, running around, having a lot of fun with my friends. Now, tell me this."

Coming from Jersey, you know, the macho image you have from Jersey, and somebody says, "Hey, I'm going to the Wilford School of Beauty." How did you go about telling your friends, "Hey guys, you know what I'm going to do? I'm going to the Wilford School of Beauty." What do I want to do? Hang around the pool all day?

I want to go learn to trade. Yeah, in his choices. But there was still one inescapable truth: you're not a tall man. Five feet tall.

"You're exactly five feet tall?" "Mm-hmm." "And what kind of problems has that created for you?" "I went to the movies religiously every weekend. It's an escape from life."

I mean, as a young boy, I guess that was the biggest hurdle to cross. When you're a kid and you're going to dance, things like that, you know, just going out with girls. They were all bigger than I was, you know. That was kind of tough in the very beginning. And you can imagine, I always wanted to be that guy up there.

Everybody thinks that when they go to the movies, they obviously go to Hollywood. I went to Hollywood, that's right. Okay, but not as a hairdresser. No, no, no.

But it wasn't terrific when you went there. No jobs. I landed here in 1967, and I called my wife and my mother from Hollywood Boulevard. I said, "I really have arrived in Hollywood." Wandering the streets of downtown L.A., Danny hesitantly asked a security guard, "Where do they make movies?"

And he pointed to Hollywood. I, of course, for many of those years, couldn't get arrested here because every actor is out there struggling, looking for work. So I went there, and for a year, year and a half, I couldn't get a break. It was very difficult; one casting director I upset took my picture, threw it back at me, and said, "Nobody wants a five-foot character actor." It was like, well, Hollywood hadn't blessed Danny with its fortune yet. He had some work to do. This is me, and I love my job. But at this very moment, I'm lost in my job.

Unhealthy work habits, unrealistic standards, and deadlines could put me on my back any second. And they did. True story. All of that caught up to me. This Danny needs some help.

BetterHelp is the paid partner of this video, and they're on a mission to make starting therapy easier. For me, I had isolated myself so much that I didn't even realize I had an issue. Just admitting the pressure I put myself under made me feel better. With BetterHelp, you just fill out a questionnaire, and you'll be matched with a well-qualified therapist. If it doesn't feel right, you can switch until you find someone you really connect with. You don't need a clinical mental health issue to benefit from therapy; just having a safe space to talk, solve problems, and reflect on your own behavior will lead to personal growth and healthier mental well-being. BetterHelp also offers group sessions and a personal journal where you can track your progress. For me, I'm back to the office, but things won't be so wild anymore. Thank you. From a therapy session, follow the link in the description or go to betterhelp.com/dodford for 10% off your first month of therapy. Challenged but not defeated, DeVito returned to the East Coast and quickly began finding small roles in shorts and off-Broadway. One thing leads to another, always in any business, pretty much.

And the Off-Broadway work led to the Off-Broadway part of Martini in *One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.* I love the book. I did the play Off-Broadway, and then in '74 we made the movie. Michael Douglas was doing the picture, and I got the part of Mr. Martini. Are you with us?

You know, being in the movie was such a great experience that it brought me out to Hollywood, which is where I really wanted to be. I was in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," but everybody thought I was an inmate. Then "Taxi" was my big break. All of a sudden, somebody brought me a script called "Taxi." It was a television show, and I just couldn't pass that part up.

So I went into that. One day, I visited their office to audition for the part. This is a great role. I don’t know—what am I going to do to make an impression?

They had never met me or didn't know me. I wasn't working a lot as an actor. I looked around; they were all there. It was very scary. There's a seat right there, and you know that's the seat you're going to go in. You ready, right?

"Are you ready? That's the hot seat for the act. The casting person introduced me, and I said, 'There's one thing I want to know before we start: Who wrote this shit?' And I threw it on the coffee table."

All right. So I took one step in total terror, and then the room was destroyed with laughter. The rest of the day was mine. I didn't get it; it didn't matter what I said. If I said something and got a laugh, it was like Louis had walked into their lives.

You have one of the greatest entrances in the history of television that introduced not only the world to the character of Louis De Palma, but also to the actor, Danny DeVito. Hold everything! Okay, I’ve got to get tough with you guys. Louis De Palma in *Taxi* was the breakthrough TV role that made him a star in 1978. But that was a time when you could air an episode of television and 30 million people might watch it.

Maybe. Oh, bigger—40 or 50 million people. And your life changes in that moment, right? The next day.

"Taxi" was Danny's first miracle: the perfect character, the perfect time, and the perfect execution. But DeVito would soon learn that in Hollywood, you can lose everything as fast as you gain it. Even with "Taxi," we went five years and we were still doing well, but in the fifth season, ABC—and I’m not afraid to say this—just messed us up, and then they canceled our show. Danny DeVito, the year that I think everybody won an Emmy and the show won an Emmy, I want to thank the Academy very much for this award; they canceled the show. We were blindsided, and we were all devastated because the show was doing great.

Amazing. And we didn't know why. Right. For a family. I was in New York, preparing to host Saturday Night Live for the first time. I remember calling Lorne Michaels and saying, "I don't want to bring everybody on the show."

And I did. My first line, I think, on the center stage was: I said, "Do you believe ABC canceled *Taxi*?" Well, *Taxi* was canceled by ABC. Taxi's cancellation left DeVito feeling powerless. From this point on, he'd be in control.

Role model from the train. You not only star in it, you direct it. That's right. Well, you see, Arlene, I was looking for something to do for a long time—something to direct and star in. I wanted to direct, so I had done a couple of taxis.

I'm on it. I did some short films and this, that, and the other thing. I said, "Yeah, I'll play Owen if you let me direct the movie, because I really have a feeling for this." And they went for it. DeVito stars in and makes his feature film directorial debut in this black comedy co-starring Billy Crystal. You don't have a cousin Patty.

You lied to me. Were you nervous? I know you've directed before; you've even received some awards and all, but okay, this is your first feature. There's a lot riding on this. Were you nervous?

I filmed "Throw Mala" from the train, my first directorial effort, but mostly I'm sending it to my family and friends. Why did you kill my wife? I thought you wanted me to. You work on a picture for 10 months, and you try your best. Everybody sets out to make a good movie when they go for it.

"I kill your wife, you kill my mama. That's fair. I am not killing your mother. The thrill of it all is right there when you're in that audience and you hear him respond, getting all the jokes and responding to the characters. And, you know, the applause at the end didn't hurt. A wonderfully funny movie should do very, very well. Thanks very much. Where are you going? I'm gonna kill the bitch. DeVito's first feature in the director's chair was a success, but Hollywood had already assigned a seat to Danny, and you couldn't blame them. 'Twins,' the new comedy from Ivan Reitman, 'My name is Julius and I'm Edward,' had already assigned a seat to Danny."

And you couldn't blame them. "Twins," the new comedy from Ivan Reitman. My name is Julius, and I'm your twin brother. And Arnold Schwarzenegger as twins? Well, obviously. Who are you?

We're twins. That's right. The whole idea of Danny DeVito and me being twins—I mean, that alone is truly a great concept. This picture behind you, is this how Danny DeVito sees Danny DeVito? All the purity and strength went into Julia.

Is this how Arnold sees Arnold here? Whoa, this is Danny. All the crap that was left over went into what you see in the mirror every morning. But we don't look the same, we don't act the same, we don't talk the same, we don't dress the same. I know. This is Reed, DeVito.

This is Danny. Excuse me, I forgot. The problem we had, and you could see that because you've interviewed Danny as well, is that we look so much alike. So if we're so similar, how come we're so goddamn different? Danny DeVito, whatever his height, is light on his feet in this picture.

And I sure want to thank you for a wonderful film. Thank you very much. I'm genetic garbage. Hi! The penguin is a man who was born with a certain hand dealt to him, certain circumstances. We are both perceived as monsters, but somehow you're a well-respected monster.

He was born deformed, half-formed, and discarded like a piece of garbage. Today, I am not him. Without a doubt, he is one of the most evil characters I have ever encountered in my life. It's time for me to ascend and reemerge. Did you ever see yourself as being the painter? No, I never did. Then, when I spoke with Tim a year or so later, I changed my tune. But it's human nature to fear the unusual. I had this visual sense of it. Where? You know, in the history of the guy and where he came from. I have never seen anybody get into a character more organically. I was not talking to Danny DeVito.

I mean, the penguin was there, and he was scary. What he looked like was very key because it was the first impression people had of him. They dealt with him a certain way, which influenced how he interacted with others. In the '90s, Danny DeVito had well and truly emerged, but he wasn't in control—not in the way he wanted.

What got into your head? You had a good acting career going. You were a TV star. What made you decide to start developing movies from scratch? That's such a painful process.

Hi, I'm Danny DeVito. Here I am in my office. I just finished directing *War of the Roses*, starring Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner, and myself. When it comes to women, I hope I'm happy. I'm a better man now than I was. I think you owe me an apology, Barbara.

If you have something to say, I'd like to hear it. I know I'm a better lawyer when it comes to divorce. I'll never make another mistake like I made with Oliver. I want a divorce. No, you don't.

I just want to smash your face in. "War of the Roses," directed by Danny DeVito. Not the Stafford shoes. You love them as much as I do. It's a totally different kind of movie. It's more my style of movie.

More. I think it's a black comedy. It stretches the envelope. Barbara, you can't get out. I'm going to find you, sweet dude.

Devito's ambition was growing. Some story, huh? He'd earned his stripes in comedy, but with "Hoffa," he'd be taken seriously. Thanks for staying up later. We're really happy to have Danny DeVito back since the last time he was here three or four years ago, and the most recent item, of course, is "Hoffa," which has opened in the last few days.

He directs it and co-stars alongside Jack Nicholson. I'm proving what? You've got nothing on me. Brothers, can you hear me? It goes without saying, Jimmy believes in you; you wouldn't be where you are without that.

A Danny DeVito film. I ain't afraid of these cocksuckers. I ain't afraid of nobody. Downtown Detroit was buzzing the other day as the Hoffa film crew came to town under the direction of Danny DeVito. And he knows you didn't make a movie. Believe in him; he wouldn't be where he is. You guys want your jobs? Get back to work. DeVito's double duty on this film was most certainly a labor of love. After a string of hit comedies, many considered DeVito purely a comedic actor, but this Hollywood heavyweight says it's the stories and writing alone that lead him to the projects he chooses. That is what made the Teamsters what we are today. The Justice Department is plenty on you, Mr. Hoffa.

And I'm proud of it. Well, if he's going away, I'm going with him. I'd find the best stories and screenplays that I can, the most entertaining pieces. You know, I'm a movie fan. I'm interested in this movie.

It just offers so much more. Among critics, there were questions forming about whether DeVito had exceeded his grasp. But there was no question that he could spot a hit. The reason I started "Jersey" was to protect the director, basically. I read a movie once.

A friend of mine gave me a script. The reason I started Jersey was to protect the director, basically. I read a movie once. A friend of mine gave me a script, and I said, "I love this script." He said, "Well, they've already made the movie and they're editing it now."

And I said, "Okay. But I would love to meet the guy." I said, "Listen, I love this movie so much. Whatever you do next, I want to produce." A year later, he sent me a screenplay.

And it was 155 pages. It said "Pulp Fiction" by Quentin Tarantino, final draft. And we made that movie. So, you guys, I want to say I saw your movie. Matilda took my nieces, and I loved it. It's a great, great movie.

Thank you very much. It really is. Directed, produced, and starred in it. That's a lot of work for you, huh? Yes.

It's a labor of love. It is said that we humans use only a tiny portion of our brains. My kids were starting to read, and one day, the girls brought this book in: *Matilda* by Roald Dahl. This is still fresh in my mind.

It's not mine; it's a library book. Hey, you! I'm going to school. Am I?

That is the principal in this charge book. I am really passionate about this. Matilda Wyrmwood is very bright—a bright child. I made this movie for my kids.

It was finally a movie that my kids could see. I'm fed up with all this reading. You're a wormwood; you start acting like one. That's it for my powers. Danny directs, writes, and typecasts himself alongside his wife for more than 20 years.

The actress Rhea Holmes. DeVito also directs Mara Wilson, who stars as Matilda, an extraordinarily gifted and tragic child who develops magical powers. Do you like directing? Yeah, yeah, very much. Do you enjoy it a lot?

Yeah, I like it because you have, you know, more control over things, and it's good. I like to keep people around, and, you know, so... It's a little bit of a controlling type, person. You think? Oh, I think so. Oh, yeah.

Yes. No more Miss Nice Girl. Well, the reason for becoming a director is that after *Matilda*, DeVito could do anything. So, three years later, he returned to his roots to creatively explore a story close to him. You have Andy Kaufman. Andy Kaufman.

Now Andy plays. Andy plays Latka Gravis. He's a mechanic. He spends a lot of time in the garage with Louis. He's a brilliant mechanic, but he can't speak a word of English. Tell me about, uh, tell me about Taxi. Uh, was he like a tissue?

Working with him was a challenge. He was really unique. He was a conceptual artist. I'm going to send you back to the kitchen where you belong. Andy Kaufman is certainly a strange bird. Andy Kaufman is a man of many talents.

He sort of turns the world upside down from time to time. Who is this man? Ben? Andy Kaufman. Quite frankly, I don't know. From Los Angeles tonight, we have just received word that Andy Kaufman has died.

You may remember Kaufman as the immigrant mechanic on the television show "Taxi." He's currently producing and co-starring in "Man on the Moon." It is the story of Andy Kaufman, his controversial "Taxi" co-star, who died of lung cancer in 1984. Ben, tell me about Andy and why a movie about Andy?

I really like what you did out there. To me, very early on, I wanted to be the biggest star in the world. Thank you very much. I recognized a couple of things about Eddie. First of all, people love comedians. He wasn't a stand-up comic.

I'm not a comedian. He never professed to be. He wasn't an actor. He was more of a performance artist. How is this going to make you the biggest star in the world?

Is there a secret to being funny? At this point, the audience expects me to completely shock them all the time. You don't know the real me. Who the hell are you? But short of faking my own death or setting the theater on fire, there isn't a real "you." I don't know what else to do. I have cancer, and I'm very proud of it. "Man on the Moon" is about the life of my good buddy, Andy Kaufman. Andy, hey, you're insane, but you might also be brilliant. By the turn of the century, Devito was at his peak.

"Man on the Moon's" success cemented him as the go-to for unconventional stories. But his biggest creative swing was yet to come. Smoochie to Rhino! Yeah, that's me. Hey, I'm a big fan.

In 2002, Danny directed "Death to Smoochy," and with a director at the top of his game, a creative premise, and an all-star cast, what could go wrong? Marvin Williams, Edward Norton, Catherine Keener, and Danny DeVito were on hand to unveil their latest film. Get to Smoochy, baby. Get to Smoochy. It's inventive, it's exciting, it's different.

You've never seen a movie like this before in your life. All I care about is getting creative input on my own show. It's all about the doe show. Once you get the money, you get the power. Once you get the power, you can have Smoochie walk out there with a dildo strapped to his head if you want.

Why the fireworks? Come on, it's a director's dream. Because I'm holding all the gunpowder. I need to see where you're going with this. Here, when you're ready to talk, I'll cut the strings.

Open the mat. I'll get your door for you. It's dark, twisted, and fun. We're always looking for a movie to take our kids to. This isn't it. To the star and new executive producer of the Smoochie Show.

I'm still in shock. On set, Danny and company had a blast. But once released, "Death to Smoochy" would be a different kind of bomb. I think the worst movie of the year was obviously "Death to Smoochy." How does it feel to be voted the most hated man in America?

We should end it. This one is so bad; only enormously talented people could have made it because lesser filmmakers would have lacked the nerve. Pretty soon, you'd be pissing on $100 bills just to see the look on Franklin's face. From a budget of $50 million, the film made back $8. Robin Williams earned a Razzie nomination, and critically, it was a disaster.

Wait a minute. Are you telling me you want to give away half the profits? No, no, no. Not half. All.

All the profits! And the movie was directed by the great Danny DeVito. What were they thinking? I don't know what they were thinking. You're right. I mean, you have all this talent, and it just goes wrong every step of the way.

Usually, when a movie with this much talent behind it is so bad, it even gains a cult following. People say, "No, we love 'Death to Smoochy'; here's why." I have seen no such cult following for this movie. If I were told I was going to see a movie directed by Danny DeVito and starring Robin Williams, Catherine Keener, and Edward Norton, I would arrive early to be first in line.

And if it was "Deathless Moochie," you'd be running for the exit. Oh, yep. Two decades later, you could argue "Smoochie" did find its cult following. But in the present, the damage was done. It was a setback for Danny DeVito.

Well, you know, it's such a difficult business. It's, you know, pie in the sky. So many people want to be actors. What was it that made you really go out and do it? Well, it's a combination of really wanting it very, very much and sticking to it. I guess if you want it very, very much, you stay with it, no matter what.

I'm very fortunate to have gone through the things that I've experienced. I've been in a great business—the movie business, the television business, and Off-Broadway. It's all been a fun time because I really enjoy doing it. I try to remember that the work is the most important thing, no matter what.

It's such a difficult business. I try, you know. It's a defeatist attitude, and there's no room for it. If you want it, it's really bad. Along the way, you encounter people who tell you that you can't succeed. He has no future in this business. Those are the ones you shouldn't listen to. The people who encourage you and recognize whatever talent you have, trying to embellish it or build on it—those are the people that you should gravitate toward.

Besides the fact that I always like to do things, I enjoy challenging myself and trying different activities without much thought about the consequences. The thing about life is that you have to open yourself up. You have to let yourself stand on that edge, at the abyss, not always knowing what is coming around the corner. When it does come, you have to recognize it.

"Sonny" with Danny DeVito premieres Thursday, June 29th at 10. You have to recognize it. At Jersey, I worked with John Landgraf. He called me one day and said, "I just did this show, eight episodes of some really crazy show."

What's your opinion? He sent me eight episodes, and Rhea, the kids, and I watched the show. I loved it. It was absolutely outrageous. Boys, you're out tonight!

I thought it was absolutely outrageous. Boys are out tonight. I can see you. I can see you. Get to a jelly.

I thought it was a terrific show. Then a few months went by, and they said, "Consider being on it." Damn it! But why this show? Why are you going to do that show? You were like a TV icon; you were in one of the most popular shows in the world, *Taxi*. Why do this show? I feel like it's the same reason you do anything. It's a gut feeling. Are you having a gangbang? At this stage in his life and career, Danny DeVito doesn't want to slow down or play it safe.

No clearer evidence of that is his role as Frank Reynolds in the bizarre black comedy *It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia*. "Bitch is dick!" It's really easy to start to get some success and then become very careful and protective of that success. It just takes the guts to say, "I think I'm going to jump into this thing. Hello!"

And to be able to see it and recognize its potential. Can I offer you a nice egg? Just trying to... What am I doing? I'm running around in Philly, and they're shooting on these crappy little cameras, but I think you have that ability to see what could work. Do these guys ever pitch you ideas that you think, "Ah, I'm not going to do that"? What will you do?

Yeah, me? Yeah. I came out of the couch naked for Christmas. What are you talking about?

I'd do anything they say. I swear to God. Yeah, you do. You literally seem to do anything they tell you. Has there ever been a moment, because you are an esteemed actor, where you've said, "No, I'm not going to do this. This is beneath me"?

I will not do it. No, I don't. People will tell you; they'll warn you. Why are you going to do that? That cable show, whatever it was.

You know, you go to a network show, and you have to wait for movies to come along. You have to wait. And if you sit and let people do that to you, you'll never accomplish anything. Only on television could you ever reach so many people in one generation and then a totally different generation. It reaches so many people like "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia." Merry Christmas, bitches! Danny DeVito must be one of the happiest Hollywood stories. I don't think I'm overstating it when I say that he's one of our best-loved actors in the movies. Would you agree, ladies and gentlemen?

There's no litany of failed marriages, no tragic addictions other than the cigars. So, if I were to call myself a star—which I don't—I just feel like I'm well-liked by everybody out there in the community. There's no wrestling with demons, no dark side at all, other than those lovably wicked characters I like to plug in. This is not a bad world to be under 60. Listen, I think there's room for all of us in this world. I don't know how many years on this Earth I've got left, but I'm going to get real weird with it. Did you realize from the word go that your height, or your lack of height, was a big plot? From the very beginning. From the very beginning.

Yes, Lavian Road. Every character I've ever played was five feet tall. The way I’ve been looking for this, a video is not small on screen. Do you ever plan on retiring?

You're going to have to rip me away from this. That's babies: 30, 40, 50, 50, depending on the size of the theater. How far back are you? People love to tell you that you can't do it. If you have a feeling inside and you really want to do something, you do it.

That's all there is to it.