Top 10 Best Danny DeVito Roles and Where to Stream Them

Oscar nominee Danny DeVito might only be 4’8, but that never stopped him from marching right into Hollywood, immediately making his presence known and never leaving. From his unforgettable performance as Louie De Palma in Taxi to his hilarious voice work as Phil in Disney’s Hercules, the actor has become a household favorite, effortlessly moving back and forth between the small and big screens.

All of which is why it’s fascinating to explore what Danny DeVito has been in over the course of his career and where you can stream each of those projects at home.

SYNOPSIS: This Emmy-winning sitcom follows a group of people who work at the Sunshine Cab Company in New York City. Taxi ran for five seasons and had 114 episodes in total.

CHARACTER: Louie De Palma

ORIGINAL RUN: 1978 to 1983

DANNY DEVITO’S THOUGHTS: When the script was brought to DeVito, he wasn’t a fan, saying, “I walked into the audition and was introduced to everybody. I had the script in my head. I said ‘All right, one thing I want to know beforehand, who wrote this garbage?’ I threw the script on the table. Then, there was a moment of stunned silence, then a big laugh. That’s how they knew that Louie had walked into their lives.” He added, “I felt Louie had been written for me. It was my role.”

INTERESTING FACT: DeVito and recurring guest star and Cheers actor Rhea Perlman were married in real life.

WHERE TO STREAM: PlutoTV.

SYNOPSIS: A romantic action flick following romance writer Joan Wilder (Kathleen Turner) as she jets off to Columbia to save her kidnapped sister. While there, she finds herself treasure hunting with a rogue mercenary (Michael Douglas). DeVito plays one of the bad guys.

CHARACTER: Ralph

YEAR OF RELEASE: 1984

DANNY DEVITO’S THOUGHTS: DeVito recalled a near-death experience on set. “We were in Mexico in rugged places and there was a guy with a truck full of snakes. I’m scared of snakes, but Michael [Douglas], being the hot shot he is, grabs one. I say, ‘Michael don’t touch that snake. It could bite you!’ And it did! I always heard the best thing is to suck the poison out, so I did. I grabbed his hand and I’m sucking the poison out. I say, ‘It’s a good thing it didn’t bite you on the balls, man; you’d be dead.’”

INTERESTING FACT: Before becoming Hollywood legends, Douglas and DeVito were roommates in New York City.

WHERE TO STREAM: Fubo.

SYNOPSIS: DeVito teams up with Arnold Schwarzenegger in this film about fraternal twins who reunite after being separated at birth.

CHARACTER: Vincent

YEAR OF RELEASE: 1988

DANNY DEVITO’S THOUGHTS: Despite the success of the film, a sequel was never made, though DeVito wishes it had been. “We missed Twins 2 because he [Schwarzenegger] became governor — he should have done Twins 2 instead of becoming governor.”

INTERESTING FACT: Even though Schwarzenegger and DeVito are supposed to be the same age, DeVito is three years older than Schwarzenegger.

WHERE TO STREAM: Amazon Prime Video.

SYNOPSIS: The villainous Penguin (DeVito) hits the streets of Gotham, determined to take down Batman (Michael Keaton) once and for all.

CHARACTER: Penguin

YEAR OF RELEASE: 1992

DANNY DEVITO’S THOUGHTS: “What excited me about doing the role was speaking with [director] Tim Burton about this character. His vision was so different from anything that I’ve done before and anything we’ve ever seen. I grew up with the comic books: Batman, the Joker, Penguin and Catwoman. And then we had the TV series, and this take on it is so different, so unique.”

INTERESTING FACT: DeVito remained in character between takes.

WHERE TO STREAM: Max.

SYNOPSIS: Based on the best-selling novel, this family film follows a young girl named Matilda, who, after being adopted by a cruel family, discovers she has telekinesis.

CHARACTER: Mr. Wormwood

YEAR OF RELEASE: 1996

DANNY DEVITO’S THOUGHTS: “Matilda is filled with lots of laughs, including the bit where Matilda puts hair dye in his shampoo. One of my favorite moments is when Rhea [as Mrs. Wormwood] sees me with bleached hair and throws her cereal in the air, shouting, ‘Snickerdoodle!’”

INTERESTING FACT: DeVito also directed the film.

WHERE TO STREAM: Amazon Prime Video.

SYNOPSIS: This classic cartoon is based on the Greek legend of Hercules, including his journey to becoming a god.

CHARACTER: Phil (voice)

YEAR OF RELEASE: 1997

DANNY DEVITO’S THOUGHTS: Disney recently announced that Hercules is being turned into a live-action movie, leading many to wonder if DeVito will be in it. “I am the live-action Hercules, what are you talking about? If they don’t put me in that, they don’t have a hair on their ass.”

INTERESTING FACT: Phil’s appearance was based on DeVito’s.

WHERE TO STREAM: Disney+.

SYNOPSIS: This sitcom follows a group of down-on-their-luck friends as they hang out at Paddy’s Pub.

CHARACTER: Frank Reynolds

YEAR OF RELEASE: 2006-2023

DANNY DEVITO’S THOUGHTS: The show has been on the air for 16 seasons and counting, causing the gang to experience much. DeVito commented, “I’ve been slimed, fallen out of windows, climbed out of couches naked, and done all kinds of things.”

INTERESTING FACT: DeVito was initially supposed to be a guest-star but loved the show so much he became a regular cast member.

WHERE TO STREAM: Hulu.

SYNOPSIS: Adapted from the beloved Dr. Seuss book, this cartoon follows Ted as he tries to bring trees back into the town of Thneedville.

CHARACTER: The Lorax (voice)

YEAR OF RELEASE: 2012

DANNY DEVITO’S THOUGHTS: On the character, he said, “He’s very tenacious and has stuff on his mind. He’s a really good neighbor to all the animals and people he lives with. They live in paradise, and he’s like a guy from my old neighborhood who would say, ‘You can change it and modernize it, but you have to protect it.’”

INTERESTING FACT: DeVito reprised his role for the Spanish, Russian, Italian, and German versions of the film.

WHERE TO STREAM: Peacock.

SYNOPSIS: A group of teenagers and adults get sucked into the video game version of Jumanji, which soon becomes deadly.

CHARACTER: Edwin Giplin

YEAR OF RELEASE: 2019

DANNY DEVITO’S THOUGHTS: “Well, Robin’s [Williams] movie was a mind-blowing movie. It was groundbreaking and terrific. What Jake and Dwayne and Kevin and the rest of the folks [at Jumanji: The Next Level] have done is they’ve exponentially made it [bigger].”

INTERESTING FACT: DeVito and Danny Glover also worked together in The Rainmaker (1997).

WHERE TO STREAM: Hulu.

SYNOPSIS: After moving into her new home, single mother Gabbie (Rosario Dawson) begins wondering if it’s haunted.

CHARACTER: Bruce Davis

YEAR OF RELEASE: 2023

DANNY DEVITO’S THOUGHTS: “It’s a good, fun movie for kids and adults with some wacky, cool things in it. And it’s just on the edge of scary. It has some teeth.”

INTERESTING FACT: DeVito and Marilu Henner previously worked together on Taxi (1978).

WHERE TO STREAM: Disney+.

: Source: news sources