Who Is Danny DeVito? Age, Career, & Net Worth

Who Is Danny DeVito? Age, Career, & Net Worth

This Danny DeVito biography explores how a New Jersey kid who once worked in a beauty salon became one of Hollywood’s most recognizable actors, directors, and producers. It covers his early life, breakthrough in Taxi, major movies, family, awards, estimated net worth, and the projects keeping him in the spotlight.

Ask someone to name a Hollywood actor who’s been famous since the disco era and still gets cast in new projects today, and Danny DeVito’s name comes up almost immediately. That’s not an accident.

So, who is Danny DeVito, really? He’s an actor, director, producer, and occasional Broadway star who built a career on doing the opposite of what casting directors expected. At four-foot-ten, he wasn’t supposed to become a leading man. He became one anyway, then turned around and became one of Hollywood’s more dependable directors and producers behind the scenes.

From playing a foul-mouthed cab dispatcher on “Taxi” to voicing an environmental crusader in “The Lorax” to still showing up as Frank Reynolds on “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” nearly two decades later, DeVito’s career refuses to slow down. Here’s the full story of how he got there.

Quick Facts

Early Life and Background

DeVito was born on November 17, 1944, in Neptune Township, New Jersey, and grew up in nearby Asbury Park. His father ran a string of small businesses over the years, including a dry cleaner, a diner, and a pool hall, while his mother kept the household running. He was raised Catholic in a close, Italian-American family, and by his own account, school was never really his thing.

He attended Oratory Preparatory School in Summit, New Jersey, where he first tried acting in student productions, graduating in 1962. College didn’t interest him much, so after high school he drifted through a few jobs before landing at his older sister Angie’s beauty salon, where he trained as a hairdresser and cosmetician.

That detour turned out to matter more than anyone expected. Looking to learn professional makeup application, DeVito found his way to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York. He originally enrolled to access private lessons, but the acting classes around him pulled him in. He graduated from the Academy in 1966, and from there, hairdressing quietly became a former career.

A genetic condition called multiple epiphyseal dysplasia, sometimes referred to as Fairbank’s disease, affected his bone growth and left him significantly shorter than average. Rather than holding him back, it became part of what made him instantly recognizable once he started working.

Career Breakthrough

After the Academy, DeVito made the rounds with East Coast theater companies, including a stint with the Colonnades Theater Lab at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center in Connecticut. It was there that he crossed paths with a fellow struggling actor named Michael Douglas, a friendship that would later reshape his career. Around the same time, he began working with the Westbeth Playwrights Feminist Collective, where he met actress Rhea Perlman.

DeVito’s first film credit came with the little-seen “Dreams of Glass” in 1970, but his real turning point arrived a year later, when he played Martini in an off-Broadway production of “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.” When Michael Douglas produced the 1975 film adaptation, he made sure DeVito reprised the role. The movie swept the major Academy Awards categories that year, and suddenly DeVito had real visibility in Hollywood.

Television is what turned him into a household name. In 1978, he was cast as Louie De Palma, the venomous, endlessly quotable dispatcher on “Taxi.” The role won him both an Emmy and a Golden Globe, and, for the first time, audiences saw that his size would never limit the scope of his performances.

Major Works and Achievements

Film Career

Once “Taxi” made him a recognizable face, DeVito moved steadily into film, often paired with unlikely co-stars for comic effect. His credits include “Terms of Endearment,” “Romancing the Stone,” “Twins” alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger, “Throw Momma from the Train,” “Batman Returns” (as the Penguin), “Get Shorty,” and “L.A. Confidential.” He also took on heavier dramatic work in films like “Hoffa” and “The Rainmaker,” proving there was more range in him than his comedic roles suggested.

Television and Voice Work

Since 2006, DeVito has played Frank Reynolds on “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” one of the longest-running live-action comedies on American television. His voice work is just as extensive, with roles in “Hercules,” “Space Jam,” “The Lorax,” “Smallfoot,” and recurring appearances as Herb Powell on “The Simpsons.”

Directing and Producing

Behind the camera, DeVito directed “Throw Momma from the Train,” “The War of the Roses,” “Hoffa,” “Matilda,” and “Death to Smoochy.” In 1991, he co-founded Jersey Films, a production company behind major titles including “Pulp Fiction,” “Erin Brockovich,” and “Garden State.” That production arm has quietly generated well over a billion dollars at the box office across its projects.

Stage Recognition

DeVito made his Broadway debut in 2017 in Arthur Miller’s “The Price,” playing the sharp-tongued furniture dealer Gregory Solomon. The performance earned him a Tony Award nomination, along with Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle honors. He returned to Broadway in 2023 with the original play “I Need That.”

Personal Life

DeVito met Rhea Perlman through New York theater circles in the early 1970s, and the two married in 1982. Together they have three children: Lucy, Grace, and Jacob (known professionally as Jake). DeVito and Perlman separated in 2012 but have never divorced, and by most public accounts, they’ve remained close and continued collaborating on family projects.

He’s known for a warm, unfiltered sense of humor that comes through in interviews as much as in his roles, and he’s stayed close to his New Jersey roots throughout his career, frequently referencing his upbringing in Asbury Park. He’s also been publicly philanthropic, including a donation to a New Jersey medical center in his home region.

Net Worth and Income Sources

Publicly available estimates put Danny DeVito’s net worth at around $80 million. That figure reflects more than five decades of acting income, but it’s really the combination of several revenue streams that built it.

His acting salary has scaled with his profile over the years, and his long-running role on “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” has reportedly been among his most lucrative and consistent paychecks. Directing and producing credits add another layer, particularly through Jersey Films, which has backed a long list of commercially and critically successful movies. Voice acting, brand partnerships, and real estate investments round out the picture, alongside his more recent role as a celebrity spokesperson tied to his New Jersey identity.

As with most celebrity net worth figures, these numbers are estimates drawn from public reporting rather than confirmed financial disclosures, so they should be read as a general guide rather than an exact figure.

Fun Facts / Lesser-Known Details

• Before acting, DeVito spent roughly three years working as a hairdresser and cosmetician at his sister’s New Jersey salon.
• He met longtime collaborator and friend Michael Douglas years before either of them became famous, while both were struggling theater actors in Connecticut.
• DeVito has openly said his version of the Penguin in “Batman Returns” remains one of his favorite roles to talk about, decades later.
• His production company, Jersey Films, helped bring “Pulp Fiction” to the screen at a time when Quentin Tarantino was still a relative unknown.
• Despite decades in Hollywood, he’s kept working relationships with his own children, producing films alongside his son Jake and daughter Lucy.

Why Danny DeVito Is Gaining Attention?

DeVito’s name has been circulating again for a very simple reason: he hasn’t slowed down. In 2026, he wrapped an 18th season of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” keeping one of television’s longest-running comedies alive well into its third decade.

On the film side, he produced and appeared in “Drag,” a comedy-horror project from his family-run label Jersey Films 2nd Avenue, which premiered at SXSW in March 2026 alongside his children Lucy and Jake. He’s also reprising his role as Eddie in “Jumanji: Open World,” due out later this year, and has another project, “St. Sebastian,” in post-production. On top of that, DeVito has publicly discussed a potential new film that would reunite him with longtime collaborator Arnold Schwarzenegger.

For an actor in his eighties, that’s not a farewell tour. It’s a full schedule.

His Story So Far

Danny DeVito’s career is proof that an unconventional look and an unglamorous start can still lead to something remarkable if the talent and timing line up. He went from cutting hair in a New Jersey salon to becoming one of the most recognizable character actors of his generation, then kept building, directing acclaimed films and producing work that shaped modern Hollywood.

What’s kept him relevant isn’t nostalgia. It’s that he’s continued to show up on sitcoms, in blockbuster franchises, on Broadway stages, and behind the camera, well into his eighties. Given his current slate of projects, there’s little reason to think that’s about to change anytime soon.

FAQs

Q. Who is Danny DeVito?
A. Danny DeVito is an American actor, director, and producer best known for playing Louie De Palma on “Taxi” and Frank Reynolds on “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” along with an extensive career directing and producing films through his company, Jersey Films.

Q. How old is Danny DeVito?
A. Danny DeVito was born on November 17, 1944, making him 81 years old as of 2026.

Q. What is Danny DeVito known for?
A. He’s best known for his television roles on “Taxi” and “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” his film performances in movies like “Twins,” “Batman Returns,” and “Matilda,” and his directing and producing work through Jersey Films.

Q. What is Danny DeVito’s height?
A. He’s commonly reported to stand around 4 feet 10 inches (147 cm) tall, a result of a genetic bone growth condition.

Q. Where is Danny DeVito from?
A. He was born in Neptune Township, New Jersey, and grew up in Asbury Park.

Q. What is Danny DeVito’s net worth?
A. Publicly available estimates place his net worth at approximately $80 million, built through decades of acting, directing, producing, and business ventures.

Danny DeVito’s schedule for 2026 alone shows he’s nowhere near finished. If you enjoyed this look at his journey, check out more in-depth Hollywood biographies on our site to see how other icons built careers that lasted.