Very few actors are as widely appreciated as Danny DeVito, lovingly known by his fans as “the sexiest man alive”. DeVito’s filmography is stacked with unforgettable masterpieces, and he is known for his fantastic performances on iconic projects such as One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Batman Returns. However, he’s also had a hand in creating TV gold too.
While DeVito has participated in many popular projects over the years, his work on the hit shows, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia propelled him towards greater stardom and transformed him into an indispensable part of popular culture. As it turns out, DeVito wasn’t even sure about taking the role at first.
In an interview, the actor revealed that his children convinced him to star in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia as the truly unhinged Frank Reynolds. The show had initially sent him the first few episodes, and his family loved the concept, but he was hesitant about accepting a role that would be sidelined.
“They’re a big influence on me, yeah,” DeVito said, talking about the decision. “When that show started 12 years ago, they sent us the first eight episodes, and we watched it together, the whole family. Everybody loved it. They offered me a part in it about six months later, and my kids really encouraged me to take it.”
He definitely made the right choice because Frank Reynolds is now seen as one of the most iconic TV characters in recent history, and it probably could not be pulled off by anyone other than DeVito. According to him, a role has to appeal to his inner self before he signs onto the project, which is why he is very selective.
While shedding light on his creative process, DeVito claimed that he has no pre-conceived desires about the parts he wants and focuses on the content rather than the categorisations. He said: “I guess I look for parts that maybe appeal to me more in that sense, sure, but I don’t go looking around for roles like, ‘Oh I want to be a detective, oh I want to be…'”
“That’s not my style,” The actor added. He also commented on the rampant typecasting in Hollywood, which affected him for a long time as well: “You do get a lot of the same parts offered to you though. After I did Taxi, I got a lot of the rough around the edges, ruthless people, I-should-kill-my-wife-types, you know?”
