Danny DeVito is a bonafide movie star, with a career spanning over four decades, countless nominations and awards, and a resume that boasts over one hundred and thirty credits. DeVito broke the mold when he burst on the scene playing "Martini," in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest alongside Jack Nicholson and Christopher Llyod and many other great actors making up that award-winning ensemble cast.
DeVito's career does not seem to be slowing down at all, with his most recent success playing Frank Reynolds for fourteen seasons on FX's hit television show It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
Twins (6.1)
Twins, released in 1988, is a buddy comedy starring Danny DeVito alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger. This was one of those movies that imagined a future with incredible and easy access to advanced technology. In this film audiences are asked to suspend their disbelief as DeVito and Schwarzenegger play Julius and Vincent, who are fraternal trains as a result of a genetic experiment and separated at birth. Now, as adults, Julius and Vincent learn about one another and set out to reunite their family.
Dumbo (6.3)
In 2019, Danny DeVito teamed up with Tim Burton and Disney once again to bring audiences a live-action remake of the Disney classic, Dumbo.
Much like a previous role in another Tim Burton movie, DeVito plays another circus ringmaster in this remake of the original animated feature, Max Medici. When Medici’s circus falls on hard times, it looks like the whole troupe will soon be out of business, until word spreads about Medici’s flying elephant and things finally start looking up for the Medici Brothers’ Circus.
Get Shorty (6.9)
This 90’s gangster comedy boasts an impressive cast. In addition to Danny DeVito, who plays a famed actor by the name of Martin Weir, this film also stars Gene Hackman, John Travolta, Rene Russo, and Bette Midler, just to name a few. When this film was released in 1995, it was an instant fan favorite and was number one at the box office for three weeks. It was also nominated for a number of awards, including the Golden Globe for Best Musical or Comedy and a Screen Actors’ Guild Award.
Matilda (6.9)
Matilda is a nostalgic film, based on the book with the same title by children’s author Roald Dahl, which decades after its release, would go on to become a hit Broadway musical.
In this film, DeVito plays the father of our title character. DeVito isn’t trying to win parent-of-the-year when he discourages his young daughter from reading and doing well in school and instead tries to talk her into learning the family business, which is buying and selling used cars and parts illegally.
Batman Returns (7)
This Batman film, starring Michael Keaton as the title character, was the second installment in the Warner Bros.'s Batman series. In it, DeVito plays the central villain, Penguin, who is on a mission to kill all of Gotham’s first born sons. Penguin doesn’t fall into the “clinically insane” category. He is fully aware and in control of his actions. His evil nature stems from being dealt a bad deck of cards early in life and getting bullied a lot for things out of his control. He’s one of Batman’s toughest rivals because he can match wits with the dark knight and outsmart our hero better than any other villain.
Hercules (7.3)
This animated Disney classic was the thirty-fifth film for the production house and is based on tales from Greek mythology about Hercules, the son of Zeus.
In this film, Danny DeVito voices Philoctetes, or “Phil” as he prefers to be called. Phil is half man and half goat, also known as a Satyr. Phil’s job is to train the heroes of Ancient Greece, and in this film, his current hero-in-training is Hercules, whose father, the great and powerful Zeus, sends Hercules to Phil’s island to begin his work.
Taxi (7.6)
A series about a group of New York City taxi drivers with big dreams and even bigger personalities, Taxi was created by the brilliant James Brooks, who is also responsible for shows like The Mary Tyler Moore Show and The Simpsons. Taxi aired on NBC for five seasons, and won a total of eighteen Emmy’s during its run. In this series, DeVito plays Louie De Palma, the dispatcher for the taxi cab company, who some, or most of his drivers consider to be a tyrant.
Big Fish (8)
Big Fish is one of Tim Burton’s most celebrated masterpieces. With an incredibly talented cast and stunning visuals, every element of this film is executed to perfection.
The story has touched millions of moviegoers and now has touched theater-goers as well, when the musical version of the film hit Broadway in 2013. In the film, DeVito plays Amos Calloway a circus ringmaster, who our protagonist, Edward Bloom meets along his adventures. In addition to being human, Amos is also a werewolf.
One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest (8.7)
In this 1975 classic, DeVito plays “Martini,” a patient at the mental institution where Jack Nicholson’s character now resides after pleading insanity in a criminal case. This film easily goes down in history as one of the best films ever made and it’s also one of DeVito’s first films. At the time of this film’s release, Danny DeVito only had about five other credits to his name and none were very recognizable. It’s safe to say that this film didn’t just get Nicholson an Oscar, it put DeVito on the map.
It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia (8.8)
Danny DeVito has had a long and incredible career that most actors could only dream of. He’s worked with some of the best directors on some of the largest, most expensive productions, but the role that will most likely become DeVito’s best and most recognizable is that of Frank Reynolds in the FX network’s hit sitcom, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. The series is now on its fourteenth season with talks of their being a fifteenth and sixteenth season, which would make is the longest-running live action comedy series.