Before embarking on the noble profession of an actor, Danny DeVito (81) worked as a professional hairdresser, as his family owned a salon in New Jersey along with other relatives of another future actor, Robert De Niro (83).
In the late 60s, he rented an apartment in New York with Michael Douglas (82), who would soon become a star thanks to the series The Streets of San Francisco (1972-1977). In Vito's case, it would take a few more years with the series Taxi (1978-1982). The good streak was in his favor because in the movies, he would taste success with Terms of Endearment (1983) and with Douglas in Romancing the Stone (1984) and The Jewel of the Nile (1985).
With his work, he established himself as one of the best comedians of his generation. By then, he was already married to Rhea Perlman - known in our country for Cheers - whom he started dating in 1971 after meeting her following a visit to a friend's play.
The couple has three children, Lucy (43), Gracie (41), and Jake (39), who have decided to pursue the arts. The eldest was the first to leave the parental nest to study drama at the prestigious Brown University on the East Coast of the United States and, after obtaining her degree, returned to Hollywood. There is little information about her private life, as she has always been clear that she wants to have a stable life away from the hustle and bustle of the industry.
The only information known was provided by her father last year when he confirmed to People magazine that she got married in June. "It was great, amazing, wonderful. We just had a great time. I gave the speech." Her husband's name remains a mystery, but not that of their only son, Carmine, who is two years old. Regarding the birth, the actor told the magazine that "it was one of the most important moments of my life."
Since making his film debut with This Revolution in 2005, Lucy has been building a future as an actress, but so far has not achieved the celebrity status of her parents.
As for Gracie, she is primarily a painter and performance artist. She also studied at Brown University, specializing in art and later obtaining a Master of Fine Arts from CalArts (California Institute of the Arts). Thanks to her experience, her parents have learned to see contemporary art in a different way. To date, her works have been exhibited in galleries in Los Angeles and Atlanta. She has also worked as an actress and producer.
Since 2019, she has been married to the painter Andy Giannakaris, with whom she has a daughter named Sinclair. Both have exhibited their work together on occasion, but have assured various media that they do not use their marriage as a marketing strategy. In fact, what they most desire is to maintain a discreet public profile.
According to Danny, his son Jake is a bit of a free spirit, as he has not yet settled down in the romantic field. "We don't know what will happen with him. We'll see. He has a girlfriend. Maybe he'll get a hat trick!" he joked some time ago. As a child, he accompanied his parents to film sets and experienced numerous anecdotes with important stars, which led him to pursue acting, but after a period filled with doubts, he ultimately chose to be behind the scenes.
His main work is in production; he is co-president of Jersey Films 2nd Avenue and assisted his sister Lucy with the project Little Demons. In an interview with Associated Press, Jake mentioned several years ago: "Our parents always had amazing and interesting people around them, and we did many unusual things as we grew up and traveled to strange places." He also said that above all, his parents were "very good at keeping our home safe to have a solid life."
Despite the ups and downs in their marriage, Danny DeVito is very proud of the home he has created, as he stated to Uproxx: "I have three wonderful children who were raised in Hollywood and went to school in the valley. Lucy was always an actress, even in kindergarten, in elementary school. Jake was into all kinds of music, he was a movie buff, he loved movies. They all went to different universities. Gracie, my middle daughter, is a painter. She is an artist." In 2012, DeVito and Perlman separated for the first time after three decades of marriage, but reconciled the following year. However, they separated again in 2017, but have never divorced.
During these days, Danny DeVito and his children Lucy and Jake are strolling along the Catalan coast, as the star will receive the Honorary Grand Prize at the Sitges Film Festival, in addition to promoting Drag, starring Lucy and produced by all three, and attending a special screening of Matilda for the film's 30th anniversary.
"I have been very fortunate in my life. I have enjoyed a lot of happiness. I have a great family and work hard, which is what I love to do," he declared to The Guardian.