WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.400 Welcome to the Deep Dive. Okay, think about this. 00:00:04.860 --> 00:00:08.839 Who in American entertainment, like, really defines 00:00:08.839 --> 00:00:11.960 sticking to their guns? Someone who built a decades 00:00:11.960 --> 00:00:15.039 -long career, not by fitting in, but by being 00:00:15.039 --> 00:00:17.640 unmistakably them. It's got to be Danny DeVito, 00:00:17.699 --> 00:00:20.460 right? Exactly. Today, we're diving deep into 00:00:20.460 --> 00:00:23.300 Danny DeVito. We want to get past the loud characters 00:00:23.300 --> 00:00:25.739 everyone knows and really look at the actual 00:00:25.739 --> 00:00:27.780 career. Yeah, because there's so much more there. 00:00:27.839 --> 00:00:29.980 People see Louis De Palma. They see Frank Reynolds, 00:00:30.120 --> 00:00:32.159 which, don't get me wrong, are brilliant. But 00:00:32.159 --> 00:00:34.219 behind that is this incredibly sharp guy. An 00:00:34.219 --> 00:00:36.719 Emmy winner, sure, but also an Oscar -nominated 00:00:36.719 --> 00:00:39.240 producer, a really interesting director. Right. 00:00:39.299 --> 00:00:41.920 So our mission for you today is basically to 00:00:41.920 --> 00:00:44.299 map out his journey. It's not your typical Hollywood 00:00:44.299 --> 00:00:46.479 story at all. We're talking, like, calculated 00:00:46.479 --> 00:00:49.939 risks, unexpected turns. Right. How a beautician 00:00:49.939 --> 00:00:52.679 from Jersey became this, well, this mogul of 00:00:52.679 --> 00:00:54.840 macabre charm, as you put it earlier. Mogul of 00:00:54.840 --> 00:00:57.200 macabre charm. I like that. It fits. Yeah. Because 00:00:57.200 --> 00:01:00.079 his whole career feels built on, well, audacity, 00:01:00.100 --> 00:01:02.539 taking his unique look, his background and just 00:01:02.539 --> 00:01:04.560 running with it. So let's start with the basics, 00:01:04.680 --> 00:01:07.900 the foundation. OK. Full name. Daniel. Michael 00:01:07.900 --> 00:01:11.780 DeVito, Jr., born November 17th, 1944. So, yeah, 00:01:11.840 --> 00:01:13.799 he just turned 80, which is incredible given 00:01:13.799 --> 00:01:16.180 his energy. Still going strong. Totally. Born 00:01:16.180 --> 00:01:18.439 in Neptune, New Jersey, grew up in Asbury Park. 00:01:18.819 --> 00:01:22.549 And the thing everyone notices, his height. Five 00:01:22.549 --> 00:01:25.870 feet tall, 1 .52 meters. And that's not just 00:01:25.870 --> 00:01:28.250 a random detail, is it? It's tied to a specific 00:01:28.250 --> 00:01:30.489 condition. Correct. It's due to something called 00:01:30.489 --> 00:01:33.310 multiple epiphyseal dysplasia, also known as 00:01:33.310 --> 00:01:35.989 Fairbanks disease. It's a rare genetic thing 00:01:35.989 --> 00:01:38.109 affecting bone growth. And, you know, you look 00:01:38.109 --> 00:01:40.989 at how Hollywood often typecasts actors with 00:01:40.989 --> 00:01:43.530 distinct physical traits. Puts them in a box. 00:01:43.709 --> 00:01:46.730 Exactly. But DeVito, he sort of weaponized it. 00:01:46.769 --> 00:01:48.849 He used that physical presence to command attention, 00:01:49.109 --> 00:01:50.849 to carve out this niche, playing these short, 00:01:50.930 --> 00:01:52.890 but... Totally dominating characters, you know, 00:01:52.890 --> 00:01:55.390 the angry dispatcher, the sleazy businessman, 00:01:55.750 --> 00:01:58.489 the penguin. It forced him to be memorable, maybe? 00:01:58.629 --> 00:02:00.670 I think so. It made him an exceptional character 00:02:00.670 --> 00:02:03.409 actor from the get -go. And eventually, it probably 00:02:03.409 --> 00:02:05.829 fueled his drive to direct, to control his own 00:02:05.829 --> 00:02:08.169 story, his own image. That makes a lot of sense. 00:02:08.370 --> 00:02:11.169 Okay, so let's rewind way back. Before Hollywood, 00:02:11.370 --> 00:02:14.490 before Taxi, how did this Jersey kid even get 00:02:14.490 --> 00:02:16.629 on that path? It wasn't straightforward. None 00:02:16.629 --> 00:02:19.960 at all. So his roots are pure Jersey. Grew up 00:02:19.960 --> 00:02:22.819 in Asbury Park, Catholic family, Italo -Albanian 00:02:22.819 --> 00:02:25.539 background. His family actually has ties to San 00:02:25.539 --> 00:02:28.819 Fele in Basilicata, Italy. And interestingly, 00:02:29.099 --> 00:02:31.879 the Arboresch -Aldanian community down in Calabria. 00:02:32.020 --> 00:02:34.580 Wow, that's specific. So a real sense of heritage 00:02:34.580 --> 00:02:36.719 there. Definitely. And you sometimes see that 00:02:36.719 --> 00:02:40.030 sort of... earthy gravity underneath the comedy 00:02:40.030 --> 00:02:43.289 anyway education wise he went to oratory prep 00:02:43.289 --> 00:02:45.669 a boarding school apparently he convinced his 00:02:45.669 --> 00:02:47.689 dad to send him there to keep him out of trouble 00:02:47.689 --> 00:02:51.069 graduated in 62. okay standard enough but then 00:02:51.069 --> 00:02:53.310 the career path takes a weird turn no acting 00:02:53.310 --> 00:02:55.750 right away nope he starts working as a beautician 00:02:55.750 --> 00:02:58.629 at his sister's salon right from boarding school 00:02:58.629 --> 00:03:00.870 troublemaker to hairstylist kind of amazing right 00:03:00.870 --> 00:03:03.729 and the way he got into acting was almost accidental 00:03:03.729 --> 00:03:05.729 he was looking for a professional makeup instructor 00:03:05.729 --> 00:03:08.550 he needed someone to teach him Presumably for 00:03:08.550 --> 00:03:10.889 stage or maybe even film makeup for the salon 00:03:10.889 --> 00:03:13.810 work, maybe. Oh, interesting. So a practical 00:03:13.810 --> 00:03:16.490 need. Totally practical. And that search leads 00:03:16.490 --> 00:03:18.669 him somehow to the American Academy of Dramatic 00:03:18.669 --> 00:03:20.909 Arts in New York. He graduates from there in 00:03:20.909 --> 00:03:24.490 1966. So he went looking for makeup tips and 00:03:24.490 --> 00:03:27.349 found acting. Basically, yeah. AD offered both. 00:03:27.740 --> 00:03:29.740 And clearly the acting side really grabbed him. 00:03:29.840 --> 00:03:32.180 But hold on. Before acting became the main thing, 00:03:32.280 --> 00:03:34.819 there's this other job he had. And this, I think 00:03:34.819 --> 00:03:37.319 this explains so much about his later work, his 00:03:37.319 --> 00:03:39.680 comfort with the dark stuff. Okay, I'm braced. 00:03:39.800 --> 00:03:43.259 What is it? He worked in a morgue as a cosmetologist. 00:03:43.360 --> 00:03:46.500 You're kidding. Styling hair for the deceased? 00:03:46.780 --> 00:03:49.500 Yeah. Apparently how it happened was one of his 00:03:49.500 --> 00:03:53.100 regular clients from the salon passed away. And 00:03:53.100 --> 00:03:56.400 her family specifically asked him to do her hair 00:03:56.400 --> 00:03:58.879 and makeup for the funeral. Wow. And somehow 00:03:58.879 --> 00:04:00.759 that turned into him actually working shifts 00:04:00.759 --> 00:04:03.759 at the morgue doing cosmetology for, well, for 00:04:03.759 --> 00:04:06.300 the residents. Okay, stop. Imagine being a young 00:04:06.300 --> 00:04:09.280 guy trying to make it, and that's your side gig, 00:04:09.439 --> 00:04:12.819 dealing with death up close, grieving families, 00:04:12.860 --> 00:04:15.180 but focusing on, like, the perfect hairstyle. 00:04:15.219 --> 00:04:18.680 The juxtaposition is insane, right? Meticulous 00:04:18.680 --> 00:04:22.199 work, cosmetology, against the starkest reality 00:04:22.199 --> 00:04:24.740 there is. You gotta think that gives you a certain 00:04:24.740 --> 00:04:27.120 perspective. Maybe it makes you unflappable. 00:04:27.199 --> 00:04:29.540 Or deeply comfortable with the grotesque, which 00:04:29.540 --> 00:04:32.540 tracks with Throw Mama from the Train, War of 00:04:32.540 --> 00:04:35.620 the Roses, Matilda. Exactly. It grounds his black 00:04:35.620 --> 00:04:38.579 comedy. He's never seemed squeamish about showing 00:04:38.579 --> 00:04:41.379 the ugly side of things, the dark underbelly. 00:04:41.819 --> 00:04:46.439 So that morgue experience, maybe it was kind 00:04:46.439 --> 00:04:49.040 of... formative for his artistic sensibility. 00:04:49.100 --> 00:04:51.220 That makes a weird kind of sense. So, okay, he 00:04:51.220 --> 00:04:54.000 has this unique background experience. Then he 00:04:54.000 --> 00:04:57.000 starts in the stage. Yeah, late 60s, off -Broadway, 00:04:57.000 --> 00:04:59.560 he's doing plays with titles like Shoot Anything 00:04:59.560 --> 00:05:02.360 with Hair That Moves and The Man with the Flower 00:05:02.360 --> 00:05:04.519 in His Mouth. This is 1969. Lopper experimental 00:05:04.519 --> 00:05:07.379 stuff. Oh, yeah. He was involved with the Colonnades 00:05:07.379 --> 00:05:09.540 Theater Lab at the Eugene O 'Neill Theater Center, 00:05:09.680 --> 00:05:11.839 which was a serious place for developing new 00:05:11.839 --> 00:05:14.300 work. And crucially, this is also where his personal 00:05:14.300 --> 00:05:16.120 and professional life really started to merge. 00:05:16.300 --> 00:05:18.759 He was working with the Westbeth Playwrights 00:05:18.759 --> 00:05:21.120 Feminist Collective and appearing in plays there 00:05:21.120 --> 00:05:23.639 alongside a young actress named Rhea Perlman. 00:05:23.879 --> 00:05:26.399 Ah, the beginning of that iconic partnership. 00:05:26.720 --> 00:05:28.800 The very beginning. So by the time Hollywood 00:05:28.800 --> 00:05:30.699 noticed him, he wasn't just some funny looking 00:05:30.699 --> 00:05:34.259 guy. He was a trained actor with serious stage 00:05:34.259 --> 00:05:37.759 cred. and some pretty unique life experience. 00:05:38.000 --> 00:05:40.920 Right. Which brings us to the breakthrough. The 00:05:40.920 --> 00:05:43.180 moment people really started knowing his name 00:05:43.180 --> 00:05:45.860 outside of New York theater. One flew over the 00:05:45.860 --> 00:05:49.379 cuckoo's nest. 1975. Milos Forman directing. 00:05:49.879 --> 00:05:52.980 And this wasn't just luck. This was him leveraging 00:05:52.980 --> 00:05:56.279 his stage work perfectly. How so? He played Martini 00:05:56.279 --> 00:05:59.290 in the movie. But here's the key. He had already 00:05:59.290 --> 00:06:02.589 played that exact same role in the 1971 off -Broadway 00:06:02.589 --> 00:06:05.569 stage production. No way. So he walked onto that 00:06:05.569 --> 00:06:08.310 movie set already knowing Martini inside and 00:06:08.310 --> 00:06:10.389 out. Completely. Imagine the confidence that 00:06:10.389 --> 00:06:12.470 gives you. On a huge film set, Oscar -winning 00:06:12.470 --> 00:06:15.029 director Jack Nicholson. And you know you're 00:06:15.029 --> 00:06:16.810 part cold because you've lived it on stage for 00:06:16.810 --> 00:06:20.300 months. That's a massive advantage. Huge. Now, 00:06:20.360 --> 00:06:22.660 technically, his first feature film was a little 00:06:22.660 --> 00:06:26.139 drama called Dreams of Glass in 1970. But Cuckoo's 00:06:26.139 --> 00:06:28.899 Nest, I mean, that movie swept the Oscars. That 00:06:28.899 --> 00:06:31.459 put him on the map in a huge way. But the real 00:06:31.459 --> 00:06:34.259 game changer, the role that made him a household 00:06:34.259 --> 00:06:36.800 name, has to be Louis De Palma. Oh, absolutely. 00:06:37.300 --> 00:06:41.860 Taxi, running from 78 to 83. The angry, tyrannical, 00:06:41.860 --> 00:06:44.699 but somehow lovable dispatcher at the Sunshine 00:06:44.699 --> 00:06:47.839 Cab Company. He was perfect. That short stature, 00:06:47.879 --> 00:06:50.209 but this massive... dominating personality it 00:06:50.209 --> 00:06:52.670 was like the role was built for him and it won 00:06:52.670 --> 00:06:55.250 him the emmy for supporting actor in 81 won him 00:06:55.250 --> 00:06:59.050 a golden globe huge success but the story of 00:06:59.050 --> 00:07:02.370 how he got the part the audition story yes tell 00:07:02.370 --> 00:07:05.879 it is it true Well, the legend goes, and the 00:07:05.879 --> 00:07:08.279 creators have told versions of this, that DeVito 00:07:08.279 --> 00:07:10.620 walks into the audition room, sits down, looks 00:07:10.620 --> 00:07:12.600 at the script, and just throws it on the table 00:07:12.600 --> 00:07:14.480 and growls, who wrote this shit? He actually 00:07:14.480 --> 00:07:16.959 said that to the guy's hiring. Apparently, instead 00:07:16.959 --> 00:07:19.480 of reading politely, he just became Louis De 00:07:19.480 --> 00:07:21.379 Palma right there in the room. Total aggression, 00:07:21.560 --> 00:07:24.180 total confidence. That's insane. And it worked. 00:07:24.399 --> 00:07:26.279 It worked. They loved it. They figured, okay, 00:07:26.459 --> 00:07:29.160 this guy gets it. He is Louis. It was this incredibly 00:07:29.160 --> 00:07:32.439 risky, but ultimately brilliant move that just 00:07:32.439 --> 00:07:36.079 screamed. I am perfect for this. Wow. That takes 00:07:36.079 --> 00:07:39.779 guts. Okay, so Taxi makes him a huge TV star. 00:07:39.939 --> 00:07:41.920 Yeah. But he doesn't just stay there. He makes 00:07:41.920 --> 00:07:44.800 a jump to movies in the 80s, and it feels very 00:07:44.800 --> 00:07:47.199 deliberate. Very strategic. He didn't just take 00:07:47.199 --> 00:07:50.720 any movie role. He aimed high right away. 1983, 00:07:51.220 --> 00:07:54.300 he takes a supporting part, Vernon Dalhart, in 00:07:54.300 --> 00:07:57.160 terms of Endearment. Huge movie. Critically acclaimed, 00:07:57.160 --> 00:07:59.980 won Best Picture. Exactly. James L. Brooks directing, 00:08:00.240 --> 00:08:02.240 Shirley MacLaine, Deborah Winger, Jack Nicholson 00:08:02.240 --> 00:08:05.120 again. By doing that, he instantly signals, I'm 00:08:05.120 --> 00:08:07.819 not just the sitcom guy. I can play in serious, 00:08:07.860 --> 00:08:09.959 award -winning films. Smart. Elevating the brand. 00:08:10.139 --> 00:08:12.240 Totally. And then he finds this other groove, 00:08:12.339 --> 00:08:14.500 the action comedy thing, with Michael Douglas 00:08:14.500 --> 00:08:17.040 and Kathleen Turner. Romancing the Stone. 1984. 00:08:17.480 --> 00:08:20.519 He plays Ralph, the sort of slimy, comic relief 00:08:20.519 --> 00:08:23.339 villain. It's a massive hit. And the sequel, 00:08:23.500 --> 00:08:27.470 Jewel is an Isle. 1985. That pairing, that trilogy 00:08:27.470 --> 00:08:31.310 of actors, it really worked. It established him 00:08:31.310 --> 00:08:35.529 as this reliable, hilarious presence in big mainstream 00:08:35.529 --> 00:08:37.769 movies. He could do the slightly menacing thing, 00:08:37.850 --> 00:08:40.490 but always funny. Right. And he leaned into that 00:08:40.490 --> 00:08:43.370 black comedy sensibility too, like in Ruthless 00:08:43.370 --> 00:08:46.330 People with Bette Midler in 86. That was a big 00:08:46.330 --> 00:08:49.039 hit for him. And Twins. With Schwarzenegger. 00:08:49.120 --> 00:08:51.820 Oh, yeah. Twins in 88. Genius casting, playing 00:08:51.820 --> 00:08:53.320 on The Height Difference. They did Junior later, 00:08:53.440 --> 00:08:55.500 too, in 94. He also did Tin Men with Richard 00:08:55.500 --> 00:08:57.120 Dreyfuss around that time, right? Yeah. Avery 00:08:57.120 --> 00:09:00.139 Levinson directed. Yeah, 87. Playing rival aluminum 00:09:00.139 --> 00:09:02.759 siding salesman, another great character part. 00:09:02.940 --> 00:09:05.879 So the 80s, for him, acting -wise, it's all about 00:09:05.879 --> 00:09:08.620 showing range, proving he can carry comedic roles 00:09:08.620 --> 00:09:10.919 in big movies, work with the top directors and 00:09:10.919 --> 00:09:13.240 stars. But while all this is happening... He's 00:09:13.240 --> 00:09:15.740 already thinking bigger. Exactly. He's setting 00:09:15.740 --> 00:09:17.820 himself up to be more than just an actor. He's 00:09:17.820 --> 00:09:19.899 moving towards becoming the mogul. Which leads 00:09:19.899 --> 00:09:22.100 us perfectly into section three, the director 00:09:22.100 --> 00:09:24.759 and producer. This feels like a major shift in 00:09:24.759 --> 00:09:28.120 ambition. Absolutely. Moving from actor for hire 00:09:28.120 --> 00:09:31.340 to the one calling the shots. His first directing 00:09:31.340 --> 00:09:33.840 gig was actually a TV movie, The Ratings Game, 00:09:34.019 --> 00:09:37.470 in 1984. Okay. Dipping his toes in. Right. But 00:09:37.470 --> 00:09:39.570 then his feature film debut as director comes 00:09:39.570 --> 00:09:42.470 in 87 with Throw Mama from the Train. Which is 00:09:42.470 --> 00:09:45.029 pure DeVito sensibility, right? Dark comedy. 00:09:45.210 --> 00:09:48.210 Totally. Starring himself opposite Billy Crystal, 00:09:48.470 --> 00:09:51.450 Ann Ramsey is unforgettable in it. It does well, 00:09:51.590 --> 00:09:53.549 gets him a Golden Globe nod for acting in it 00:09:53.549 --> 00:09:56.190 too. So he proves he can handle directing a feature, 00:09:56.409 --> 00:09:58.789 get good performances, and star in it. He directed 00:09:58.789 --> 00:10:01.330 for TV too, right? I remember an Amazing Stories 00:10:01.330 --> 00:10:03.590 episode. Yeah, The Wedding Ring, season two, 00:10:03.710 --> 00:10:06.049 where Rhea Perlman, his wife, gets possessed 00:10:06.049 --> 00:10:08.570 by a cursed ring he finds. Again, that slightly 00:10:08.570 --> 00:10:11.090 dark, quirky vibe. And then he brings that directing 00:10:11.090 --> 00:10:13.330 skill back to his big screen partnership. The 00:10:13.330 --> 00:10:16.750 War of the Roses, 1989, reunites him with Douglas 00:10:16.750 --> 00:10:18.669 and Turner. But this wasn't like Romancing the 00:10:18.669 --> 00:10:21.590 Stone. This was dark. Oh, incredibly dark. It's 00:10:21.590 --> 00:10:25.509 this brutal black comedy about a divorcing couple 00:10:25.509 --> 00:10:28.649 literally trying to destroy each other. It took 00:10:28.649 --> 00:10:31.110 that charming... Douglas Turner chemistry and 00:10:31.110 --> 00:10:33.129 just twisted it into something really ugly and 00:10:33.129 --> 00:10:34.870 uncomfortable. It definitely showed his willingness 00:10:34.870 --> 00:10:37.629 to push comedy into uncomfortable places. Which, 00:10:37.690 --> 00:10:41.190 again, leads us to Matilda, 1996. A classic. 00:10:41.250 --> 00:10:43.789 He directed it, narrated it, and played the worst 00:10:43.789 --> 00:10:46.970 dad ever, Harry Wormwood. Opposite Rhea Perlman, 00:10:47.169 --> 00:10:50.450 again, as the equally awful mom. Matilda is kind 00:10:50.450 --> 00:10:52.789 of the perfect synthesis of his directorial style. 00:10:52.990 --> 00:10:56.289 He totally got Roald Dahl's vibe. It's dark. 00:10:56.389 --> 00:10:59.149 It's unsentimental. It doesn't talk down to kids. 00:10:59.350 --> 00:11:01.210 Roger Ebert loved that about it, right? That 00:11:01.210 --> 00:11:03.129 he didn't shy away from the macabre stuff. Exactly. 00:11:03.210 --> 00:11:05.590 Ebert praised him for sticking to Dahl's vision. 00:11:05.809 --> 00:11:08.610 The Wormwoods are monstrous and DeVito just leans 00:11:08.610 --> 00:11:11.009 into it, makes it hilariously, terrifyingly real. 00:11:11.129 --> 00:11:13.309 It's brilliant. He also took a big swing with 00:11:13.309 --> 00:11:17.269 a serious biopic, Hoffa, in 92. Right. Directing, 00:11:17.269 --> 00:11:19.769 producing, acting alongside Jack Nicholson as 00:11:19.769 --> 00:11:21.570 Jimmy Hoffa. That felt like a real power play. 00:11:21.750 --> 00:11:24.730 It was about establishing himself as a serious 00:11:24.730 --> 00:11:28.250 film. Someone who could handle big budgets, complex 00:11:28.250 --> 00:11:31.509 historical subjects, attract huge stars like 00:11:31.509 --> 00:11:33.889 Nicholson. It was about gaining that industry 00:11:33.889 --> 00:11:37.750 respect beyond comedy. Okay. But maybe his biggest 00:11:37.750 --> 00:11:40.049 impact behind the scenes wasn't even directing 00:11:40.049 --> 00:11:43.009 his own stuff. It was Jersey Films. Yes. Founded 00:11:43.009 --> 00:11:46.039 in 1991 with Michael Schamberg. Stacey Schur 00:11:46.039 --> 00:11:48.360 joined later as an equal partner. This company 00:11:48.360 --> 00:11:51.019 changed things. It really did. Their whole philosophy 00:11:51.019 --> 00:11:53.840 seemed to be about finding unique, writer -driven 00:11:53.840 --> 00:11:56.440 projects that maybe the big studios were afraid 00:11:56.440 --> 00:11:59.139 of. They championed outsider voices. And the 00:11:59.139 --> 00:12:01.580 results were just staggering. I mean, look at 00:12:01.580 --> 00:12:04.139 the list. Pulp Fiction, 1994. Changed everything. 00:12:04.379 --> 00:12:07.559 Right. Then get Shorty 95, adapting Elmore Leonard. 00:12:07.879 --> 00:12:11.440 Gataka in 97, that smart sci -fi. Out of Sight 00:12:11.440 --> 00:12:13.720 in 98. Man on the Moon with Jim Carrey as Andy 00:12:13.720 --> 00:12:16.519 Kaufman in 99. And then Aaron Brockovich in 2000. 00:12:16.940 --> 00:12:19.039 Which got him the Oscar nomination for Best Picture 00:12:19.039 --> 00:12:21.860 as a producer. Exactly. Aaron Brockovich was 00:12:21.860 --> 00:12:24.220 interesting because it was more mainstream, a 00:12:24.220 --> 00:12:26.940 big star vehicle for Julia Roberts, a social 00:12:26.940 --> 00:12:29.980 issue drama. It showed Jersey films could play 00:12:29.980 --> 00:12:32.679 in that league, too, deliver major Oscar contenders. 00:12:32.740 --> 00:12:35.000 It wasn't just edgy indie stuff. You did Garden 00:12:35.000 --> 00:12:37.159 State, too, right? Zach Braff's movie? Yeah, 00:12:37.259 --> 00:12:41.159 2004. Another huge indie hit that defined a moment. 00:12:41.320 --> 00:12:44.100 They just had an incredible run of spotting talent 00:12:44.100 --> 00:12:46.799 and backing distinctive films. And they branched 00:12:46.799 --> 00:12:49.100 into TV, too, with Jersey Television. Reno 911, 00:12:49.399 --> 00:12:52.039 that was them. The Comedy Central show, the movie 00:12:52.039 --> 00:12:55.919 Reno 911, Miami, even the Quibi revival later 00:12:55.919 --> 00:12:59.340 on, just consistently backing funny, weird, original 00:12:59.340 --> 00:13:02.250 stuff. They also optioned that Pulitzer -winning 00:13:02.250 --> 00:13:04.830 book Tom's River about environmental issues in 00:13:04.830 --> 00:13:07.029 Jersey, showing they're still looking at serious 00:13:07.029 --> 00:13:08.769 material, too. That's an amazing track record. 00:13:08.909 --> 00:13:10.649 But it wasn't all hits, right? There were projects 00:13:10.649 --> 00:13:12.870 that got away. Oh, tons. That's the reality of 00:13:12.870 --> 00:13:14.250 Hollywood development, even when you're Danny 00:13:14.250 --> 00:13:17.649 DeVito. In the late 90s, he was attached to direct 00:13:17.649 --> 00:13:19.769 things like The Little Things, which finally 00:13:19.769 --> 00:13:21.730 got made years later with Denzel Washington. 00:13:22.070 --> 00:13:24.070 And The Crowded Room. Yeah, that was supposed 00:13:24.070 --> 00:13:27.039 to be him directing DiCaprio, maybe? That also 00:13:27.039 --> 00:13:29.159 took decades to surface in a different form. 00:13:29.220 --> 00:13:32.299 He was even set to direct and star in Mystery 00:13:32.299 --> 00:13:35.000 Men, the superhero comedy. What happened there? 00:13:35.100 --> 00:13:37.679 Big $13 million deal, apparently. Right. But 00:13:37.679 --> 00:13:39.980 he walked away because they couldn't agree on 00:13:39.980 --> 00:13:41.740 who controlled the soundtrack production. He 00:13:41.740 --> 00:13:43.779 wanted it, didn't get it. So he said, OK, I'm 00:13:43.779 --> 00:13:45.879 out. Shows how much control mattered to him. 00:13:45.940 --> 00:13:48.460 Wow. Then there was that Trump versus Wynn movie 00:13:48.460 --> 00:13:52.500 for HBO. Yeah. That sounded wild. About them 00:13:52.500 --> 00:13:54.960 battling over building casinos in Atlantic City, 00:13:55.259 --> 00:13:57.940 DeVito was going to direct, produce, maybe star. 00:13:58.259 --> 00:14:00.860 But it got killed. Reportedly, after he met with 00:14:00.860 --> 00:14:04.039 both Trump and Wynn, and they, let's say, expressed 00:14:04.039 --> 00:14:06.779 their displeasure, powerful people pushing back. 00:14:06.919 --> 00:14:08.840 And the really heartbreaking one seems to be 00:14:08.840 --> 00:14:11.120 the true confessions of Charlotte Doyle. Oh, 00:14:11.120 --> 00:14:14.139 man, yeah. Based on the YA novel, he wrote the 00:14:14.139 --> 00:14:17.080 script, was all set to direct in 2008. had Morgan 00:14:17.080 --> 00:14:20.139 Freeman, Pierce Brosnan, Saras Ronan lined up. 00:14:20.159 --> 00:14:22.360 Great cast. Amazing cast. They were literally 00:14:22.360 --> 00:14:25.139 two weeks from shooting and... Morgan Freeman 00:14:25.139 --> 00:14:27.700 had that terrible car accident. Oh, right. Production 00:14:27.700 --> 00:14:29.899 halted. DeVito apparently never gave up on it, 00:14:29.940 --> 00:14:31.960 was scouting locations again in 2013, but it 00:14:31.960 --> 00:14:34.700 just never happened. Still unreleased. There 00:14:34.700 --> 00:14:37.019 was another one, too, St. Sebastian, a horror 00:14:37.019 --> 00:14:39.519 film he produced, finished in 2012, also never 00:14:39.519 --> 00:14:42.179 released. Just shows how tough it is to get films 00:14:42.179 --> 00:14:44.700 made, even for him. Absolutely brutal. Okay, 00:14:44.799 --> 00:14:47.039 let's pivot back to his acting, especially some 00:14:47.039 --> 00:14:49.039 of the iconic roles in his more recent work. 00:14:49.279 --> 00:14:53.100 His collaborations with Tim Burton feel really 00:14:53.100 --> 00:14:55.899 significant. Oh, totally. A perfect match aesthetically. 00:14:56.259 --> 00:14:59.559 Burton's gothic, slightly grotesque style fits 00:14:59.559 --> 00:15:01.679 DeVito perfectly. And it started with Batman 00:15:01.679 --> 00:15:05.639 Returns. 1992. His Penguin is just unforgettable. 00:15:06.139 --> 00:15:09.419 It's genuinely creepy, sad, repulsive, kind of 00:15:09.419 --> 00:15:11.240 brilliant. It's not just a comic book villain. 00:15:11.299 --> 00:15:13.860 It's this really operatic, tragic figure. He 00:15:13.860 --> 00:15:16.620 fully committed to the look, the feel. Completely. 00:15:16.620 --> 00:15:18.539 And Burton clearly loved working with him. They 00:15:18.539 --> 00:15:20.820 did Mars Attacks together in 96. Where he plays 00:15:20.820 --> 00:15:23.360 that loudmouth gambler in Vegas. Right. And they 00:15:23.360 --> 00:15:25.559 reunited much later for the live action Dumbo 00:15:25.559 --> 00:15:28.799 in 2019, where DeVito played Max Medici, the 00:15:28.799 --> 00:15:30.919 circus owner. Burton just gets how to use his 00:15:30.919 --> 00:15:33.580 specific energy, that mix of funny and disturbing. 00:15:33.919 --> 00:15:36.820 Exactly. And DeVito seems to really embrace that 00:15:36.820 --> 00:15:39.179 Penguin character still. He actually wrote a 00:15:39.179 --> 00:15:42.159 Penguin and Catwoman story for a DC comic anthology 00:15:42.159 --> 00:15:45.460 in 2021. No way. He wrote a comic. 12 pages. 00:15:46.080 --> 00:15:48.539 Shows how much that role still means to him or 00:15:48.539 --> 00:15:51.080 how much he enjoys that world. Okay, speaking 00:15:51.080 --> 00:15:53.779 of embracing a character, we have to talk about 00:15:53.779 --> 00:15:56.259 Frank Reynolds. The man, the myth, the legend, 00:15:56.440 --> 00:15:59.039 Frank Reynolds on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, 00:15:59.279 --> 00:16:03.059 joining in season two back in 2006. This was 00:16:03.059 --> 00:16:06.000 a huge move, wasn't it? A major star joining 00:16:06.000 --> 00:16:09.659 this scrappy, low -budget FX sitcom. Kind of 00:16:09.659 --> 00:16:11.600 unheard of, really. He didn't need it. He had 00:16:11.600 --> 00:16:14.200 Emmys, movie stardom, his production company. 00:16:14.649 --> 00:16:16.649 But he saw the show and apparently just loved 00:16:16.649 --> 00:16:18.610 it. What did he say about it? His quote was that 00:16:18.610 --> 00:16:20.450 he thought it was fucking outrageous. That's 00:16:20.450 --> 00:16:22.529 about right. He loved the edginess, the total 00:16:22.529 --> 00:16:25.289 lack of rules. And Frank Reynolds, I mean, the 00:16:25.289 --> 00:16:28.210 depraved millionaire who chooses to live in squalor 00:16:28.210 --> 00:16:31.470 with his degenerate kids. It's maybe the ultimate 00:16:31.470 --> 00:16:34.429 DeVito character. The culmination of his black 00:16:34.429 --> 00:16:37.190 comedy career almost. Yeah. Playing pure id. 00:16:37.509 --> 00:16:39.830 Absolutely. And it gave him this massive career 00:16:39.830 --> 00:16:42.850 resurgence, introduced him to a whole new generation. 00:16:42.850 --> 00:16:45.429 He got a satellite award nomination for it. It's 00:16:45.429 --> 00:16:48.009 just proof of his willingness to take risks and 00:16:48.009 --> 00:16:50.149 jump into something completely raw and different. 00:16:50.330 --> 00:16:52.470 And it's amazing that decades into his career, 00:16:52.669 --> 00:16:55.409 he's arguably as famous for Frank Reynolds as 00:16:55.409 --> 00:16:57.879 he is for Louis De Palma. Talk about adaptability. 00:16:58.100 --> 00:17:00.580 Totally. And let's not forget, he even got an 00:17:00.580 --> 00:17:03.299 Emmy nomination back in 2004 for playing a stripper 00:17:03.299 --> 00:17:05.160 on Friends. Oh, my God. I forgot about that. 00:17:05.240 --> 00:17:08.180 Officer Goodbody. Hilarious. Shows he's always 00:17:08.180 --> 00:17:10.299 been willing to just go for it. That versatility 00:17:10.299 --> 00:17:12.160 comes through in his voice acting, too. Definitely. 00:17:12.680 --> 00:17:16.500 Phil in Disney's Hercules in 97 is a classic. 00:17:16.740 --> 00:17:20.519 That cynical, wise -cracking satyr trainer. Critics 00:17:20.519 --> 00:17:22.680 loved how the animation captured his whole persona. 00:17:23.039 --> 00:17:25.769 Use Phil. And the Lorax. Yeah, voicing the title 00:17:25.769 --> 00:17:29.269 character in Dr. Seuss' The Lorax in 2012. Big 00:17:29.269 --> 00:17:31.970 animated feature. And the Simpsons. Herb Powell. 00:17:32.390 --> 00:17:35.289 Homer's long -lost half -brother. Yeah, he did 00:17:35.289 --> 00:17:37.990 Herb in three great episodes. Oh, brother, where 00:17:37.990 --> 00:17:41.890 art thou? Brother, can you spare two dimes? And 00:17:41.890 --> 00:17:43.950 The Changing of the Guardian. Just a perfect 00:17:43.950 --> 00:17:46.190 voice for that character. But the best voice 00:17:46.190 --> 00:17:48.130 acting story has to be the one that didn't happen. 00:17:48.250 --> 00:17:52.190 Ah, yes. The Detective Pikachu Saga. Explain 00:17:52.190 --> 00:17:55.640 this, because it's... wild internet fandom at 00:17:55.640 --> 00:17:58.039 its peak. Okay, so Nintendo releases this game 00:17:58.039 --> 00:18:01.339 in Japan, Detective Pikachu. The Pikachu in it 00:18:01.339 --> 00:18:03.839 isn't the usual high -pitched Pika Pika guy. 00:18:04.019 --> 00:18:06.799 He's like a gruff coffee -drinking detective. 00:18:07.140 --> 00:18:10.079 Right. And fans online immediately thought, Danny 00:18:10.079 --> 00:18:13.400 DeVito, his voice would be perfect. Small, gruff 00:18:13.400 --> 00:18:16.049 character. It just fit. Yeah. So they start this 00:18:16.049 --> 00:18:17.890 petition. Nobody's signatures. Something like 00:18:17.890 --> 00:18:20.109 40 ,000 people signed this petition demanding 00:18:20.109 --> 00:18:22.210 that Danny DeVito voice Detective Pikachu in 00:18:22.210 --> 00:18:23.710 the English version of the game in the eventual 00:18:23.710 --> 00:18:26.170 movie. That's amazing dedication. Did he consider 00:18:26.170 --> 00:18:28.829 it? He declined to even audition. Apparently, 00:18:28.829 --> 00:18:31.490 his people showed him the fam campaign, and his 00:18:31.490 --> 00:18:34.630 response, perfectly unfiltered DeVito, was basically, 00:18:34.710 --> 00:18:39.039 what the F is Pokemon? Classic. totally oblivious 00:18:39.039 --> 00:18:41.319 or uninterested in the pop culture phenomena 00:18:41.319 --> 00:18:43.799 which honestly probably just made the fans love 00:18:43.799 --> 00:18:46.519 him more probably okay beyond screen work he's 00:18:46.519 --> 00:18:49.779 also gone back to the stage his roots yeah which 00:18:49.779 --> 00:18:52.140 is great to see he did his West End debut in 00:18:52.140 --> 00:18:55.119 London in 2012 and Neil Simon's The Sunshine 00:18:55.119 --> 00:18:58.099 Boys and then Broadway finally made his Broadway 00:18:58.099 --> 00:19:02.000 debut in 2017 Arthur Miller's The Price. He played 00:19:02.000 --> 00:19:04.279 Gregory Solomon, the furniture dealer. And got 00:19:04.279 --> 00:19:07.019 nominated for a Tony Award. Yep. Best featured 00:19:07.019 --> 00:19:09.819 actor in a play. Critics really praised him for 00:19:09.819 --> 00:19:13.980 finding the humor and the down -to -earth Jewish 00:19:13.980 --> 00:19:17.279 wisdom, as one review put it, in the role. Showed 00:19:17.279 --> 00:19:19.579 he still had serious dramatic chops. It's just 00:19:19.579 --> 00:19:22.039 such a varied career. The Hollywood Walk of Fame 00:19:22.039 --> 00:19:24.380 star in 2011. The Lifetime Achievement Award 00:19:24.380 --> 00:19:27.460 in San Sebastian in 2018. They feel well -deserved 00:19:27.460 --> 00:19:29.000 for the sheer breadth of it all. Absolutely. 00:19:29.119 --> 00:19:32.220 Actor, director, producer, stage star. He's done 00:19:32.220 --> 00:19:34.839 it all, and usually on his own terms. Which brings 00:19:34.839 --> 00:19:36.619 us nicely to his personal life, which has also 00:19:36.619 --> 00:19:38.180 been pretty unique, especially his relationship 00:19:38.180 --> 00:19:40.579 with Rhea Perlman. Yeah, talk about a Hollywood 00:19:40.579 --> 00:19:43.279 -enduring couple, even in separation. They met 00:19:43.279 --> 00:19:47.240 super early, January 17, 1971. She saw him in 00:19:47.240 --> 00:19:50.200 a play he wrote called The Shrinking Bride. A 00:19:50.200 --> 00:19:52.519 play he wrote, okay. Yeah, and apparently the 00:19:52.519 --> 00:19:54.380 connection was instant. They moved in together 00:19:54.380 --> 00:19:56.730 like two weeks later. Wow. Oh, Patrick. Very. 00:19:56.849 --> 00:19:58.789 They got married over a decade later, January 00:19:58.789 --> 00:20:03.869 28, 1982. Had three kids, Lucy, Grace, and Jacob. 00:20:04.150 --> 00:20:06.690 And they worked together so often. Taxi, obviously. 00:20:07.109 --> 00:20:09.869 Matilda is those awful parents. Right. They had 00:20:09.869 --> 00:20:12.150 this amazing chemistry they could use for comedy, 00:20:12.250 --> 00:20:14.609 even antagonistic comedy. Just seemed like a 00:20:14.609 --> 00:20:17.200 real partnership. But then they separated. Which 00:20:17.200 --> 00:20:19.500 seemed to shock people. It did. They separated 00:20:19.500 --> 00:20:22.759 in October 2012. Then they actually reconciled 00:20:22.759 --> 00:20:25.319 for a bit in March 2013. Oh, I didn't know they 00:20:25.319 --> 00:20:27.200 reconciled. Yeah, briefly. But then they separated 00:20:27.200 --> 00:20:30.559 again, seemingly for good, in March 2017. But 00:20:30.559 --> 00:20:32.140 here's the really interesting part. They never 00:20:32.140 --> 00:20:34.880 divorced. Exactly. They remain legally married 00:20:34.880 --> 00:20:37.940 but separated. And both have said publicly they're 00:20:37.940 --> 00:20:39.920 really close friends, have no plans to divorce. 00:20:40.519 --> 00:20:42.460 Perlman even said they became better friends 00:20:42.460 --> 00:20:44.559 after separating than they were towards the end 00:20:44.559 --> 00:20:46.640 of being a couple. That's remarkable. mature, 00:20:47.000 --> 00:20:49.819 especially for Hollywood. It really is. It suggests 00:20:49.819 --> 00:20:53.220 this deep mutual respect and prioritizing family 00:20:53.220 --> 00:20:55.940 and friendship over just ending things legally. 00:20:56.359 --> 00:20:59.420 Very unconventional. Very them. And their lifestyle 00:20:59.420 --> 00:21:03.059 reflects that blend of Hollywood and well. Jersey. 00:21:03.079 --> 00:21:05.539 They sold the huge Beverly Hills mansion. Yeah, 00:21:05.680 --> 00:21:08.000 the 14 ,000 -plus square foot place went for 00:21:08.000 --> 00:21:11.759 $24 million in 2015. But they kept key spots. 00:21:12.039 --> 00:21:14.180 Like? Still have a bungalow near Rodeo Drive, 00:21:14.400 --> 00:21:17.240 a compound out in Malibu on Broad Beach. But 00:21:17.240 --> 00:21:19.799 crucially, they always kept a place in Interlaken, 00:21:19.819 --> 00:21:22.819 New Jersey. Back to the roots. Always. DeVito's 00:21:22.819 --> 00:21:24.579 often said he never really felt like a California 00:21:24.579 --> 00:21:26.900 guy, that he was only there for work. That Jersey 00:21:26.900 --> 00:21:29.569 connection is deep. Which ties into one of his 00:21:29.569 --> 00:21:32.250 more surprising endorsements, Jersey Mike subs. 00:21:32.549 --> 00:21:35.089 Right. And this wasn't just some random celebrity 00:21:35.089 --> 00:21:38.609 deal. He actually lived near the original Jersey 00:21:38.609 --> 00:21:40.609 Mike's back in the day, was a genuine regular 00:21:40.609 --> 00:21:43.650 customer. So it's authentic. Totally. So when 00:21:43.650 --> 00:21:45.690 he became their first celebrity spokesman in 00:21:45.690 --> 00:21:48.490 2022, it actually made sense. It fits his whole 00:21:48.490 --> 00:21:50.430 persona. What about his other tastes? I heard 00:21:50.430 --> 00:21:53.230 something about his music taste being. Unexpected. 00:21:53.250 --> 00:21:55.589 Oh, yeah. He's apparently a massive fan of Mike 00:21:55.589 --> 00:21:58.150 Patton. Mike Patton. Yeah. From Faith No More. 00:21:58.349 --> 00:22:01.650 The Dribungle. Thomas, then Mike Patton. That 00:22:01.650 --> 00:22:04.529 exact Mike Patton. Really experimental, often 00:22:04.529 --> 00:22:07.950 abrasive music, not exactly standard Hollywood 00:22:07.950 --> 00:22:11.069 soundtrack stuff. How did that happen? His son 00:22:11.069 --> 00:22:13.670 Jacob got him into Patton's music around 2005, 00:22:13.789 --> 00:22:16.309 and DeVito just became this huge, genuine fan. 00:22:16.650 --> 00:22:18.789 He's collaborated with Patton on a music video. 00:22:19.130 --> 00:22:21.609 Rhea Perlman did a voiceover for a Mr. Bungle 00:22:21.609 --> 00:22:24.430 album. Wow. And DeVito even got Faith No More 00:22:24.430 --> 00:22:26.710 music featured on It's Always Sunny in 2016. 00:22:26.869 --> 00:22:29.359 It's like this deep family appreciation. for 00:22:29.359 --> 00:22:31.660 really adventurous music. That's cool. It adds 00:22:31.660 --> 00:22:34.160 another layer. Anything else surprising? Well, 00:22:34.180 --> 00:22:37.500 he seems genuinely curious. He hosted that documentary 00:22:37.500 --> 00:22:40.839 channel, Jersey Docs, for Morgan Freeman's company, 00:22:41.000 --> 00:22:44.140 Clickstar. And he was an early adopter, or at 00:22:44.140 --> 00:22:47.059 least supporter, of electric cars. He was interviewed 00:22:47.059 --> 00:22:49.059 in that documentary, Revenge of the Electric 00:22:49.059 --> 00:22:51.599 Car. So interested in tech and sustainability, 00:22:51.859 --> 00:22:53.940 too. Seems like it. It just rounds out the picture, 00:22:54.059 --> 00:22:55.960 you know? The guy who plays Frank Reynolds also 00:22:55.960 --> 00:22:58.740 cares about documentaries and EVs. He contains 00:22:58.740 --> 00:23:01.099 multitudes. He really does. Okay, so let's try 00:23:01.099 --> 00:23:03.660 and wrap this up. We've gone through this incredible 00:23:03.660 --> 00:23:07.740 winding career. Yeah, from that morgue cosmetology 00:23:07.740 --> 00:23:10.740 gig in Jersey. Unbelievable start. To winning 00:23:10.740 --> 00:23:15.259 Emmys for Taxi, to directing these really specific 00:23:15.259 --> 00:23:18.160 dark comedies, to becoming this major producer 00:23:18.160 --> 00:23:21.279 who backs films like Pulp Fiction and Erin Brockovich. 00:23:21.420 --> 00:23:23.220 And then finding this whole new life on Always 00:23:23.220 --> 00:23:25.319 Sunny, getting Tony nominations on Broadway. 00:23:25.539 --> 00:23:27.519 It's the consistency of being unconventional, 00:23:27.640 --> 00:23:30.140 right? He never smoothed out his edges. He leaned 00:23:30.140 --> 00:23:32.660 into his uniqueness, his look, his voice, his 00:23:32.660 --> 00:23:35.190 Jersey attitude, his comfort. with the dark side 00:23:35.190 --> 00:23:38.230 that became his brand his strength he's the definition 00:23:38.230 --> 00:23:41.450 of a multi -hyphenate actor director producer 00:23:41.450 --> 00:23:45.250 emmy winner oscar nominee stage recognized and 00:23:45.250 --> 00:23:47.410 he did it by seizing control he didn't just wait 00:23:47.410 --> 00:23:50.269 for roles he created opportunities directed his 00:23:50.269 --> 00:23:53.029 own stuff produced things he believed in he made 00:23:53.029 --> 00:23:55.849 sure his voice that outsider perspective was 00:23:55.849 --> 00:23:58.029 heard so the final thought for you the listener 00:23:58.029 --> 00:24:00.309 after this deep dive think about that journey 00:24:00.309 --> 00:24:03.269 cosmetologist for the deceased to pulp fiction 00:24:03.269 --> 00:24:06.509 producer Staying married, but separated because 00:24:06.509 --> 00:24:09.029 friendship works better. What does Danny DeVito's 00:24:09.029 --> 00:24:11.309 career tell you about making it in a place like 00:24:11.309 --> 00:24:14.130 Hollywood that usually demands conformity? Yeah, 00:24:14.190 --> 00:24:16.569 maybe the biggest asset isn't fitting in. Maybe 00:24:16.569 --> 00:24:18.549 it's having the guts to look at the weird, the 00:24:18.549 --> 00:24:20.910 dark, the uncomfortable parts of life and your 00:24:20.910 --> 00:24:23.430 own unique background and just say, yeah, this 00:24:23.430 --> 00:24:25.630 is me. Let's run with it. Perhaps owning your 00:24:25.630 --> 00:24:27.849 unconventionality is the ultimate power move. 00:24:28.069 --> 00:24:29.970 A great place to leave it. Definitely something 00:24:29.970 --> 00:24:32.009 to think about. Thanks for joining us for the 00:24:32.009 --> 00:24:32.509 Deep Dive.