Danny DeVito
A compact, volcanic force of nature who turned his distinctive look and voice into a four-decade reign as Hollywood's most lovable, morally flexible imp.
Born 1944 (age 82)·American actor·Birthday: November 17·The Silent Generation
Biography
Danny DeVito didn't just enter a room; he detonated in it. Born in New Jersey, he honed his craft in theater before landing the role that would define his early career: the seething, tyrannical, yet oddly vulnerable taxi dispatcher Louie De Palma on 'Taxi.' That performance, a masterclass in finding humanity in the grotesque, netted him an Emmy and a Golden Globe. He then pivoted seamlessly, directing dark comedies like 'Throw Momma from the Train' and 'The War of the Roses,' and producing commercial juggernauts such as 'Pulp Fiction' through his company Jersey Films. His late-career renaissance as the depraved, scheming Frank Reynolds on 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia' proved his genius for committed, anarchic comedy, making him a cult icon for a new generation. Off-screen, he's a vocal progressive and a devoted family man, running a successful Limoncello brand that reflects his Italian heritage.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Danny was born in 1944, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Danny Was Born
The biggest hits of 1944
#1 Movie
Going My Way
Best Picture
Going My Way
Danny's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1944Born
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1949Started school
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1957Became a teenager
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1960Could drive
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1962Could vote
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1965Turned 21
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1974Turned 30
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1984Turned 40
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1994Turned 50
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2004Turned 60
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2014Turned 70
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2024Turned 80
AI reshapes industries; Paris Olympics
Gas: $3.31/galHome: $372,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Espresso" — Sabrina CarpenterBest Picture: Anora
2026Age 82 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won an Emmy and a Golden Globe for his role as Louie De Palma on the sitcom 'Taxi.'
- Directed and starred in the cult classic black comedy 'The War of the Roses.'
- Co-founded Jersey Films, a production company responsible for hits like 'Erin Brockovich' and 'Garden State.'
- Has played the chaotic Frank Reynolds for over 15 seasons on 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia,' one of TV's longest-running live-action sitcoms.
Did You Know?
He and his wife, Rhea Perlman, are one of Hollywood's longest-married couples, having been together since 1982.
He voiced the philosophical mutant Lorax in the 2012 animated film adaptation.
He owns a stake in the Philadelphia Flyers NHL hockey team.
His production company was named after a rejected vanity license plate he wanted that read 'JERSEY.'
“I'm not a character actor. I'm a leading man who's been trapped in a character actor's body.”
