• Images
• Videos
• Documents
• Books
• Articles

Related Image Collections Add Image

Profiles

5 Images

We don't have any YouTube videos related to Rhea Perlman yet.

You can add one yourself here.

We don't have any PDF documents related to Rhea Perlman yet.

You can add one yourself here.

We don't have any Books related to Rhea Perlman yet.

You can add one yourself here.

Archived Web Articles Add Article

Rhea Perlman Puts a Fantastic Twist on Barbie’s Real Creator

thedailybeast.com

Early life

Perlman was born on March 31, 1948, in Coney Island, Brooklyn, to Philip Perlman, a Polish-Jewish immigrant who was a manager at a doll parts factory and Adele, a bookkeeper.³ She grew up in Bensonhurst in a Jewish family with additional roots in Russia.⁴ She has a sister, Heide, who is a television writer, story editor, and producer who worked on Cheers, Frasier and The Tracey Ullman Show.⁵ In the mid-1980s, her parents moved to Los Angeles, and her father became an extra on Cheers. His character became known by his real name, Phil, and he managed to get a few lines over the years as he appeared in more than 30 episodes. He created a second career as a character actor, appearing in several films and television shows, including Throw Momma from the Train, Hoffa, and Frasier.⁶⁷

She studied drama at Hunter College in New York, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1968.⁸⁹¹⁰

Career

Career beginnings

Perlman began her acting career with a small role as an attendant in the off-off-Broadway play Dracula Sabbat, which ran from September 1970 to June 1971.¹¹¹² In 1972, she played a bit role in the film Hot Dogs for Gauguin. That same year she appeared in Westbeth Playwrights Feminist Collective's production of Up – An Uppity Revue, along with her future husband, Danny DeVito.¹³

One of her first notable parts was a recurring role on the television show Taxi as Zena, the sweet girlfriend of Louie De Palma (played by DeVito). Following that, she had a role in a small play portraying a much tougher character.¹⁴ Producers Glen and Les Charles saw her in that play, which led to her landing the role as wisecracking barmaid Carla Tortelli on their sitcom Cheers in 1982.

Cheers

The series struggled with ratings in its first season, but by the time it ended in 1993, it was one of the most popular and successful shows of all time, winning 20 Emmy awards out of 95 nominations.¹⁵¹⁶

Perlman won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy four times: in 1984, 1985, 1986 and 1989.¹⁷ Over her 11 seasons on Cheers, she was nominated for an Emmy every year but 1992, becoming the Cheers star to have the most wins and nominations. She was also nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress six times, more than anyone else in that category. In 2011, NBC named Carla Tortelli as one of the greatest TV characters of all time.¹⁸

In 1986, Perlman starred in an episode of Steven Spielberg's Amazing Stories titled "The Wedding Ring," which also starred DeVito as her character's husband.

Motion pictures

In the 1990s, Perlman starred in several TV movies and motion pictures. In 1992, she starred in the made-for-TV-movie, To Grandmother's House We Go opposite Ashley Olsen and Mary-Kate Olsen, playing the wife of Jerry Van Dyke's character; the couple kidnapped the Olsen Twins' characters, hoping to cash in on ransom before Christmas. Other TV films in which she starred included the dramas A Place to Be Loved and In Spite of Love. Perlman's motion picture roles included There Goes The Neighborhood (1992), Canadian Bacon (1995), Carpool (1996), Sunset Park (1996), and Matilda (1996). She had a cameo in the film 10 Items Or Less (2006), and also starred in the 2007 independent film Love Comes Lately.

In 1994, Perlman voiced 9-Eye in The Timekeeper, a Circle-Vision show at the Magic Kingdom in Tomorrowland. She later starred in the 1996 sitcom Pearl as the title character and was featured on the 2001 TV drama Kate Brasher. Among her notable guest appearances was on the fourth-season premiere of Becker, which starred Cheers co-star Ted Danson. Perlman also appeared in a 2000 television film How to Marry a Billionaire: A Christmas Tale, in which she impersonated Jackie Kennedy. She also portrayed a therapist called Dr. Parella in the 2000 film Secret Cutting, which follows the story of a young girl named Dawn who self-injures. In 2007, Perlman appeared as Bertha in the West End of London in the comedy Boeing Boeing. In 2008, she starred in the Hallmark Channel original movie, The Christmas Choir, and appeared in Beethoven's Big Break in 2008 as Patricia Benji. In 2009, she appeared as Tanya's mother on the series Hung for Home Box Office Networks. In 2011, Perlman had a guest appearance as Mittens in one episode of Wilfred.

In 2009, Perlman and her daughter Lucy DeVito starred in the off-Broadway play Love, Loss, and What I Wore, adapted by Nora and Delia Ephron, at the Westside Theatre.¹⁹ From 2014 to 2017, she starred in a recurring role on The Mindy Project as Danny's mother, Annette Castellano.

In 2023, Perlman earned critical praise for playing Barbie creator Ruth Handler in Greta Gerwig's film Barbie.²⁰²¹

Writing

Perlman is the author of the illustrated children's book series Otto Undercover, whose six books to date (as of the middle of May 2012) are Born to Drive, Canyon Catastrophe, Water Balloon Doom, Toxic Taffy Takeover, The Brink of Ex-stink-tion, and Brain Freeze.

Personal life

Perlman met Danny DeVito on January 17, 1971, when she went to see a friend in the single performance of the play The Shrinking Bride, which also featured DeVito.²² They moved in together two weeks after meeting²³ and married on January 28, 1982.²⁴ They have three children: Lucy Chet DeVito, Grace Fan DeVito, and Jacob Daniel DeVito.²⁵ Perlman, who is Jewish, and DeVito, who was raised Catholic, raised their children celebrating the major holidays of both religions but did not give their children any religious identity. Perlman told the Los Angeles Times in 1998:

We do all the holidays to keep the traditions and the culture going, but I truly don't have a great feeling about any particular organized religion, and I don't think it's right to impose one on my kids. I feel like I'm bringing them up to be good people, and that's what it's about.²⁶

In addition to their three children, the couple have two grandchildren.²⁷²⁸

The family resided in Beverly Hills, California, and they owned a vacation home in Interlaken, New Jersey that they frequented to get away from Los Angeles.²⁹³⁰ Throughout their relationship, Perlman and DeVito have acted alongside each other several times, including in the TV show Taxi and the feature film Matilda.³¹

Perlman and DeVito separated in October 2012.³² However, in March 2013, it was reported that they had reconciled.³³ The couple later separated again for a second time in March 2017 on amicable terms.³⁴ Although the two no longer live together, Perlman said she has no intention of divorcing DeVito.³⁵ In 2019, Perlman told interviewer Andy Cohen that she and DeVito have become closer friends after their separation than they were in their final years as a couple.³⁶

Filmography

Film

Television

External links

• Rhea Perlman at IMDb
• Rhea Perlman at the Internet Broadway Database
• Rhea Perlman at the Internet Off-Broadway Database (archived)

References

1. "Veromi.net - People Summary". www.veromi.net. http://www.veromi.net/Summary.asp?fn=Rhea&mn=&ln=Perlman&dobmm=03&dobdd=31&doby=1948&city=&state=&age=&vw=&Search=&Input=&x=0&y=0 ↩

2. Itzkoff, Dave (November 17, 2009). "Rhea Perlman and Lucy DeVito in 'Love, Loss, and What I Wore'". The New York Times. Retrieved May 5, 2017. https://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/18/theater/18perlman.html ↩

3. Barnes, Mike (May 7, 2015). "Philip Perlman, 'Cheers' Barfly and Father of Rhea Perlman, Dies at 95". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 6, 2017. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/philip-perlman-dead-cheers-barfly-792445 ↩

4. Lacher, Irene (December 28, 1998). "No Religious Ballyhoo in Her Family". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 5, 2017. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-dec-28-cl-58173-story.html ↩

5. Kennedy, Dana (October 4, 1996). "Rhea Perlman's real life is super sweet". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 6, 2017. http://ew.com/article/1996/10/04/rhea-perlmans-real-life-super-sweet/ ↩

6. Barnes, Mike (May 7, 2015). "Philip Perlman, 'Cheers' Barfly and Father of Rhea Perlman, Dies at 95". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 6, 2017. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/philip-perlman-dead-cheers-barfly-792445 ↩

7. Kennedy, Dana (October 4, 1996). "Rhea Perlman's real life is super sweet". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 6, 2017. http://ew.com/article/1996/10/04/rhea-perlmans-real-life-super-sweet/ ↩

8. Brant, Marley (2006). Happier Days: Paramount Television's Classic Sitcoms, 1974-1984. Billboard Books. p. 166. ISBN 9780823089338. Retrieved May 6, 2017. 9780823089338 ↩

9. Hunter College Commencement Exercises (PDF). Hunter College. June 11, 1968. p. 14. Retrieved May 6, 2017. http://library.hunter.cuny.edu/old/sites/default/files/130th_commencement_06111968.pdf ↩

10. Kennedy, Dana (October 4, 1996). "Rhea Perlman's real life is super sweet". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 6, 2017. http://ew.com/article/1996/10/04/rhea-perlmans-real-life-super-sweet/ ↩

11. Brant, Marley (2006). Happier Days: Paramount Television's Classic Sitcoms, 1974-1984. Billboard Books. p. 166. ISBN 9780823089338. Retrieved May 6, 2017. 9780823089338 ↩

12. "Dracula Sabbat at Judson Poets Theater and others 1970–1971". About The Artists. Retrieved May 6, 2017. http://www.abouttheartists.com/productions/86265-dracula-sabbat-at-judson-poets-theater-and-others-september-11-1970-june-24-1971 ↩

13. "Cheers: funniest lines". The Daily Telegraph. May 20, 2016. Retrieved May 6, 2017. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2016/05/20/cheers-funniest-lines/cheers0/ ↩

14. Raftery, Brian (September 27, 2012). "Cheers Oral History". GQ. Retrieved May 5, 2017. https://www.gq.com/story/cheers-oral-history-extended ↩

15. Raftery, Brian (September 27, 2012). "Cheers Oral History". GQ. Retrieved May 5, 2017. https://www.gq.com/story/cheers-oral-history-extended ↩

16. Shapiro, Mitchell E.; Jicha, Tom (2015). The Top 100 American Situation Comedies: An Objective Ranking. McFarland. pp. 8–9. ISBN 978-1-4766-2340-5. Retrieved May 5, 2017. 978-1-4766-2340-5 ↩

17. "Rhea Perlman". Television Academy. Retrieved May 5, 2017. http://www.emmys.com/bios/rhea-perlman ↩

18. "50 Greatest TV Characters". March 29, 2011. Retrieved May 5, 2017. http://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/50-greatest-tv-characters/41/ ↩

19. Itzkoff, Dave (November 17, 2009). "Rhea Perlman and Lucy DeVito in 'Love, Loss, and What I Wore'". The New York Times. Retrieved May 5, 2017. https://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/18/theater/18perlman.html ↩

20. "Barbie's Creator Appeared In The Movie — But She Was Totally Different IRL". Bustle. July 24, 2023. Retrieved July 28, 2023. https://www.bustle.com/entertainment/barbie-movie-ruth-handler-rhea-perlman-cameo-explained ↩

21. Peters, Fletcher (July 28, 2023). "Rhea Perlman Puts a Fantastic Twist on Barbie's Real Creator". The Daily Beast. Retrieved July 28, 2023. https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/who-is-ruth-handler-barbies-iconic-tax-evading-creator ↩

22. Lovece, Frank; with Franco, Jules (1988). Hailing Taxi: The Official Book of the Show. New York: Simon & Schuster / Prentice Hall Press. pp. 53, 286. ISBN 978-0-13-372103-4. 978-0-13-372103-4 ↩

23. Lovece, pp. 53, 80 ↩

24. Wallace, Carol (December 12, 1983). "Chalk Up a Successful Marriage for TV's Tart-Tongued Twosome, Danny De Vito and Rhea Perlman". People. Archived from the original on November 20, 2012. Retrieved October 8, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20121120221558/http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20086560,00.html ↩

25. "Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman Separate". Entertainment Tonight. Archived from the original on October 10, 2012. Retrieved October 8, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20121010013810/http://www.etonline.com/news/125687_Danny_DeVito_and_Rhea_Perlman_Separate/index.html ↩

26. Lacher, Irene (December 28, 1998). "No Religious Ballyhoo in Her Family". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 5, 2017. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-dec-28-cl-58173-story.html ↩

27. "Danny DeVito and Rhea Pearlman Have Another Grandchild on the Way". Parade Media. February 26, 2024. Retrieved July 21, 2024. https://parade.com/news/danny-devito-rhea-pearlman-another-grandchild-on-the-way-daughter-lucy-pregnant-feb-2024 ↩

28. "Danny DeVito Found Out Daughter Lucy Was Pregnant 30 Minutes Before Performing on Broadway: 'I Just Burst into Tears'". December 17, 2024. https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/danny-devito-found-daughter-lucy-210837987.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAADFgPfZzKSidtOLPSQWOgov4_2FHCD1eb0V1FMi41B_t5E7S2XX5cydjafHc5GbYg0hPEwxYE2e5RypMA5X6rm2tSsj1j4GX3ks4ksy8IAtBeKBZ3gNo9ganvKS_5pZQDOcoVlox2sZ-4kt1UX7A188o6PxNnxmQZXbLIRsDKywD ↩

29. Boon, Jon. "Single In The City! Danny DeVito Moving To New York: He Misses The Big Apple!", RadarOnline, October 15, 2012. Accessed January 24, 2023. "Danny and Rhea used to stay at his vacation home in Interlaken, New Jersey whenever they wanted a break away from Los Angeles. He never really felt an affinity to California and lived there purely for work reasons." https://radaronline.com/exclusives/2012/10/danny-devito-new-york-move-divorce/ ↩

30. "Monmouth County, New Jersey Tax Assessor's Office property record for Danny De Vito and Rhea Perlman". Tax1.co.monmouth.nj.us. Archived from the original on April 24, 2020. Retrieved February 10, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20200424142800/http://tax1.co.monmouth.nj.us/cgi-bin/m4.cgi?district=1322&l02=132200013____00016_________M ↩

31. "Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman Separate". Entertainment Tonight. Archived from the original on October 10, 2012. Retrieved October 8, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20121010013810/http://www.etonline.com/news/125687_Danny_DeVito_and_Rhea_Perlman_Separate/index.html ↩

32. "Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman Separate". Entertainment Tonight. Archived from the original on October 10, 2012. Retrieved October 8, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20121010013810/http://www.etonline.com/news/125687_Danny_DeVito_and_Rhea_Perlman_Separate/index.html ↩

33. Leonard, Elizabeth (March 15, 2013). "Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman Are Back Together". People. Archived from the original on March 17, 2013. Retrieved March 16, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130317092417/http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20682518,00.html ↩

34. "Why Rhea Perlman won't divorce Danny DeVito". New York Post. March 8, 2018. Retrieved July 9, 2018. https://nypost.com/2018/03/08/why-rhea-perlman-wont-divorce-danny-devito/ ↩

35. "Why Rhea Perlman won't divorce Danny DeVito". New York Post. March 8, 2018. Retrieved July 9, 2018. https://nypost.com/2018/03/08/why-rhea-perlman-wont-divorce-danny-devito/ ↩

36. Squires, Bethy (May 10, 2019). "Rhea Perlman and Danny DeVito May Be Separated, but They're Still Bros". Vulture. Retrieved May 26, 2019. https://www.vulture.com/2019/05/rhea-perlman-and-danny-devito-are-still-pals.html ↩

37. "Molly and Skywalkerz In Happily Ever After". TVGuide.com. Retrieved November 24, 2024. https://www.tvguide.com/movies/molly-and-skywalkerz-in-happily-ever-after/2000020441/ ↩

38. "Molly and the Skywalkerz in Happily Ever After (película 1985)". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). November 24, 2024. Retrieved November 24, 2024. https://www.lavanguardia.com/peliculas-series/peliculas/molly-and-the-skywalkerz-in-happily-ever-after-724626 ↩

39. "Happily Ever After - Long-métrage d'animation (1985)". SensCritique [fr] (in French). Retrieved November 24, 2024. https://www.senscritique.com/film/happily_ever_after/44516889 ↩

40. "Molly and the Skywalkerz: Happily Ever After (1985)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved November 24, 2024. https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/movies/Molly-and-the-Skywalkerz-Happily-Ever-After/ ↩

41. Kelly, Brendan (December 2, 1999). "Cinar nabs Wonderworks' family pix". Variety. Archived from the original on September 18, 2023. Retrieved November 24, 2024. The two animated pics in the library are "Molly and the Skywalkerz in Happily Ever After" and "Molly and the Skywalkerz in Two Daddies," both featuring the voices of Carol Burnett and Danny DeVito and produced by Henry Winkler. https://web.archive.org/web/20230918175553/https://variety.com/1999/film/news/cinar-nabs-wonderworks-family-pix-1117758549/ ↩

42. "Molly and the Skywalkerz". www.intanibase.com - Internet Animation Database. https://www.intanibase.com/iad_series/series?seriesID=1604 ↩

43. Kelly, Brendan (December 2, 1999). "Cinar nabs Wonderworks' family pix". Variety. Archived from the original on September 18, 2023. Retrieved November 24, 2024. The two animated pics in the library are "Molly and the Skywalkerz in Happily Ever After" and "Molly and the Skywalkerz in Two Daddies," both featuring the voices of Carol Burnett and Danny DeVito and produced by Henry Winkler. https://web.archive.org/web/20230918175553/https://variety.com/1999/film/news/cinar-nabs-wonderworks-family-pix-1117758549/ ↩

44. "Molly And The Skywalkerz: Two Daddies? (1989)". Moviefone. Retrieved November 24, 2024. https://www.moviefone.com/movie/molly-and-the-skywalkerz-in-two-daddies/D9nQ9tj07Il1TtSjW6ec31/main/ ↩

45. "Molly and the Skywalkerz". www.intanibase.com - Internet Animation Database. https://www.intanibase.com/iad_series/series?seriesID=1604 ↩

46. "Sing - Full Cast and Credits". Hollywood.com. Retrieved November 30, 2016. http://www.hollywood.com/movies/sing-60542197/credits/ ↩

47. "Barbie's Ruth Handler: More on the Doll's Creator and Those IRS Jokes". https://www.etonline.com/barbies-ruth-handler-irs-crimes-and-more-real-life-stories-of-dolls-creator-208564 ↩

48. "Diabetic Lesbians and a Blushing Bride". the Futon Critic. Retrieved January 30, 2016. http://www.thefutoncritic.com/listings/20160128cbs03/ ↩

49. "Rhea Perlman cast alongside Eva Gutowski on 'Me and My Grandma'". Tubefilter. November 2016. Retrieved March 15, 2017. http://www.tubefilter.com/2016/11/01/rhea-perlman-youtube-red-me-and-my-grandma/ ↩

50. Dawn, Randee (September 17, 2019). "A mini-'Cheers' reunion is coming to TV! See the pics". Today. Retrieved September 18, 2019. https://www.today.com/popculture/mini-cheers-reunion-coming-goldbergs-t162763 ↩