Denny DeVito (full name Daniel Michael "Denny" DeVito Jr.) is a famous American actor, director, screenwriter and producer. He gained worldwide fame after playing the role of gangster Ralph in the films "Romance with a Stone" and "The Pearl of the Nile", as well as playing the Penguin (Oswald Cobblepot) in the film "Batman Returns".
Today, DeVito not only continues his film career, but together with his wife has been the owner of the Jersey Films studio since 1992 and the co-owner of the DeVito South Beach restaurant in Florida. He also opened a factory for the production of natural liqueur "Premium Limoncello".
Biography facts
Not everyone knows that before becoming one of the most famous actors, Denny worked as a stylist in his sister's salon. His family owned several hairdressing salons, and the young man was going to continue the business of relatives.
A year later, he realized that much more could be earned by becoming a professional beautician. Quite by accident, he saw an ad for the academy for a course in theatrical make-up artists. To get more knowledge about cosmetology, Denny went to enroll in an educational institution.
At the academy, all students were required to attend acting classes. Within a few months, Denny was so carried away by creativity that he decided to devote his future life to the stage.
During his studies, he rented a small apartment for seventy-five dollars with future colleague Michael Douglas. Later, he repeatedly starred with him in films that brought them both world fame. But at that time, unknown novice actors were just learning skills and dreamed of fame.
After graduating from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts (AADA), DeVito went to Hollywood to find work in the studio. The first auditions were disappointing for De Vito. They refused to take him to any role because of his small stature and not too remarkable appearance.
Interestingly, Denny himself never suffered from a lack of attention in childhood and never thought about his external data. At school, he was a favorite of his peers, entertaining them at breaks with funny stories and parodying heroes of popular films. In those years, he studied at the studio of oratory and could speak in public without fear or embarrassment.
The father was worried that the boy was growing very poorly and more than once took him to the doctor. But experts did not find any deviations. The child was developing normally, there was no reason for concern. Doctors said that over time, he will start catching up with his peers, because many boys begin to grow up in adolescence, but this did not happen. Denny's height stopped at around 152 cm.
The beginning of a creative career
Denny got his first role in 1968. He played in the film Fragile Dreams. This role did not bring him popularity, the actor did not receive new proposals.
After a long search for a job in the studio and constant refusals, Denny decided that the film industry was not for him. Therefore, he went to conquer the theatrical stage. The debut on Broadway took place in 1969. He played in several performances and gained noticeable popularity.
In 1975, his friend Michael Douglas invited Danny to audition for the new Milos Forman film One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, starring Jack Nicholson. Douglas himself was the producer of this picture. After a little reflection and listening to the advice of a colleague, DeVito agreed to start filming. The film became a real hit. He was highly appreciated not only by the audience, but also by film critics. However, for Danny, the role in such a successful project did not become a breakthrough in his film career.
In the following years, he played several cameo roles in films and appeared on television in various show programs. Success came to the actor in 1978. He landed the lead role in Taxi, which ran for five years. DeVito's work on this project was highly acclaimed by film critics. He won Golden Globe and Emmy awards. Having received his impressive fee for shooting in the project, Denny bought a small house with a pool, which he had dreamed of since childhood.
Further creativity
Once again, with his friend and partner on the set, Michael Douglas, DeVito met in the adventure films "Romance with a Stone" and "The Pearl of the Nile". He played the role of the funny gangster Ralph and graced the film with his on-screen appearance. Both tapes are very popular with viewers all over the world. The collection of "Roman with a Stone" amounted to 116, 5 million dollars, and "Pearls of the Nile" - 96, 7 million.
The actor himself has repeatedly admitted that he really enjoys playing villains. Once again, he demonstrated this in the cult film "Batman Returns", where he played the role of one of the main negative characters - Penguin. Denny is proud that it was he who was able to embody such an amazing image on the screen, and his small stature helped him in this. It is unlikely that any of the famous representatives of the acting profession could play the Penguin in this film better than De Vito.
Having become a famous and popular actor, Denny decided to try himself as a director and as a producer. He succeeded. DeVito became the producer of such famous films as: "Pulp Fiction", "Get Shorty", "Matilda", "Erin Brockovich", "Freedom Writers", "Walk Among the Graves". He also directed seventeen films.
In the summer of 2011, DeVito received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at number 6906.
One of the most successful works of De Vito was the painting "Matilda". He not only played the main role in it, but also became a producer and director. His fee was $ 5 million.
In 2019, Denny DeVito will turn seventy-five years old, but he continues to actively appear in new projects, is engaged in producing and directing. According to the actor himself, he does not think too much about the future, preferring to live in the present moment here and now.
