Danny DeVito

Born on November 17, 1944, in Neptune Township, New Jersey, and raised in Asbury Park, Daniel Michael DeVito Jr. grew up with a form of multiple epiphyseal dysplasia (Fairbank's disease), resulting in his distinctive short stature (4 feet 10 inches). After working as a hairdresser in his sister's beauty parlor, DeVito enrolled at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York in 1966, where he met fellow actor Michael Douglas, sparking a lifelong creative partnership and friendship. In 1975, DeVito reprised his off-Broadway role as Martini in the Oscar-sweeping film adaptation of 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest', produced by Douglas. In 1978, DeVito achieved household stardom as the tyrannical, abrasive, yet secretly vulnerable taxi dispatcher Louie De Palma on the classic sitcom 'Taxi' (1978–1983), earning both a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award. In cinema, DeVito starred in a string of massive box-office hits, including 'Romancing the Stone' (1984), 'The Jewel of the Nile' (1985), and opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger in the comedy smash 'Twins' (1988). He established himself as an auteur director of dark comedies, directing 'Throw Momma from the Train' (1987), 'The War of the Roses' (1989), the Hoffa biopic 'Hoffa' (1992), and the timeless family classic 'Matilda' (1996), in which he also starred. In 1992, he delivered a ferociously grotesque, unforgettable performance as The Penguin (Oswald Cobblepot) in Tim Burton's 'Batman Returns'. As co-founder of Jersey Films, DeVito produced groundbreaking cinematic masterpieces, including Quentin Tarantino's 'Pulp Fiction' (1994), 'Gattaca' (1997), and 'Erin Brockovich' (2000), which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture. In 2006, DeVito joined the cast of the boundary-pushing FX comedy series 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia' as Frank Reynolds, earning iconic status across younger generations and cementing his legacy as one of the most versatile, fearless, and beloved entertainment figures in American history.