Rhea Perlman Biography

Rhea Jo Perlman (born March 31, 1948) is an American actress, best known for her role as Carla Tortelli on the sitcom Cheers, for which she won four Emmy Awards.

Early life

Perlman was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Philip and Adele Perlman. Her father was an actor, and a doll-and toy-part salesman; he later played barfly Phil on Cheers. Her sister Heide Perlman is a writer, story editor, and producer on the television shows Cheers and Frasier. Rhea Perlman attended Hunter College in New York and is an active Democrat.

She began her acting career in 1972 when 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.

Career

Perlman began acting in the early 1970s with numerous appearances on TV films and short films. One of her first notable parts was a recurring role on the television show Taxi as Zena, girlfriend of Louie DePalma (played by Danny DeVito).

In 1982 she landed a role as Carla Tortelli on the hit sitcom Cheers. She won the Emmy four times, in 1984, 1985, 1986 and 1989. She was also nominated for a Golden Globe six times. During her Cheers career, she was nominated for an Emmy every year but 1992, becoming the Cheers star to have the most wins and nominations.

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.

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 versus Ashley Olsen and Mary-Kate Olsen, playing the wife of Jerry Van Dyke's character; the couple kidnapped the Olsen Twins's 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.

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 season 4 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 Jacqueline 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.

Writing

Perlman is the author of the successful 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, Brink of the Ex-stink-tion, and Brain Freeze.

Personal life

Perlman met actor 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. They moved in together two weeks after meeting. The couple married on January 28, 1982. They have three children: Lucy Chet DeVito (born March 1983), Grace Fan DeVito (born March 1985), and Jacob Daniel DeVito (born October 1987). Throughout their relationship, Perlman and DeVito have acted alongside each other several times, including in the TV show Taxi and the feature film Matilda. DeVito and Perlman separated in October 2012. However, in March 2013, it was reported that they had reconciled and called off the separation. The family resides in Beverly Hills, California, and also spend time at their vacation home in Interlaken, New Jersey.

Perlman and DeVito are both members of the steering committee of the Friends of the Apollo, a theater in Oberlin, Ohio, as is filmmaker Jonathan Demme.

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1972	Hot Dogs for Gauguin	Woman on Ferry	Short film
1976	Selling of Vince D'Angelo	Mrs. D'Angelo	TV film
1976	Stalk the Wild Child	Jean	TV film
1976	I Want to Keep My Baby!	Rae Finer	TV film
1977	Mary Jane Harper Cried Last Night	Judy	TV film
1977	Having Babies II	Cheryl	TV film Uncredited
1977	Intimate Strangers	Unknown	TV film
1979"1982	Taxi	Zena Sherman	5 episodes: "Louie and the Nice Girl" (1979), "Louie Meets the Folks" (1979), "Louie's Rival" (1980), "Louie's Fling" (1981), "Zena's Honeymoon" (1982)
1979	Like Normal People	Jan	TV film
1979	Swap Meet	Mother
1982	National Lampoon's Movie Madness	The Little Jewish Prostitute
1982	Drop Out Father	Tawney Shapiro	TV film
1982	Love Child	June Burns
1982"1993	Cheers	Carla Tortelli	275 Episodes Main Role Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (1984,1985,1986,1989) American Comedy Award (1989) Viewers for Quality Television Award (1985) TV Land Award (2006) Nominated- Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (1983,1987,1988,1990,1991,1993) Nominated- Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress " Series, Miniseries or Television Film (1985"1992)
1983	Unlikely Stories, Vol. 2	Vince's Wife	TV film
1984	The Ratings Game	Francine Kester	TV film
1985	St. Elsewhere	Carla Tortelli	Episode: "Cheers"
1985	Happily Ever After	Rose Johnson (Voice)	TV film
1986	My Little Pony: The Movie	Reeka	Voice
1986	Amazing Stories	Lois	Episode: "The Wedding Ring"
1987	The Tortellis	Carla Tortelli	Pilot
1987	Stamp of a Killer	Claudia	TV film
1988	A Family Again	Aunt Dee	TV film
1989	Two Daddies?	Rose Johnson (Voice)	TV film
1990	Enid is Sleeping	Mavis
1990	The Earth Day Special	Paula
1991	Blossom	The Godmother	Episode: "Dad's Girlfriend"
1991	The Last Halloween	Mrs. Gizborne	TV special
1991	Ted and Venus	Grace
1992	Roc	Connie Mason	Episode: "The Stan Who Came to Dinner"
1992	From Time to Time	9-Eye (Voice)	Short
1992	Class Act	Ms. Simpson
1992	There Goes the Neighborhood	Lydia Nunn
1992	To Grandmother's House We Go	Shirley	TV film
1993	A Place to Be Loved	Jerri Blair	TV film
1993	We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story	Mother Bird	Voice role
1994	In Spite of Love	Emma	TV film
1994	All-Star 25th Birthday: Stars and Street Forever!	Worm TV Host	TV film
1994	The Simpsons	Carla Tortelli (Voice)	Episode: "Fear of Flying"
1995	Canadian Bacon	Honey
1995	The Critic	Ardeth (Voice)	2 episodes
1996	Sunset Park	Phyllis Saroka
1996	Carpool	Martha
1996	Matilda	Zinnia Wormwood
1996"1997	Pearl	Pearl Caraldo	22 episodes
1997	Union Square	Mrs. Eileen Mulrooney	Episode: "Harassed"
1997	Almost Perfect	Rhea Perlman	Episode: " Dating for Ratings"
1998	In the Doghouse	Phil Markowitz	TV film
1998	Houdini	Esther	TV film
1999	Mad About You	Ramona	Episode: "Valentine's Day"
1999	H-E Double Hockey Sticks	Mrs. Beelzebub	TV film
2000	A Tale of Two Bunnies	Thelma	TV film
2000	Secret Cutting	Dr. Parella	TV film
2000	How to Marry a Billionaire: A Christmas Tale	Jacqueline Kennedy	TV film
2001	Ally McBeal	Dr. Helen Tooth	Episode: "Falling Up"
2001	Kate Brasher	Abbie Shaeffer	6 episodes
2001	Old Love	Unknown	Short film
2001	Becker	Dr. Katherine Simmons	Episode: "Psycho Therapy"
2002	Frasier	Carla Tortelli	Episode: "Cheerful Goodbyes"
2002	What's New Scooby Doo?	Agnes (Voice)	Episode: "A Scooby Doo Halloween"
2003	Other People's Business	Mrs. Wabash	TV film
2003	Karen Sisco	Louise Salchek	Episode: "Dumb Bunnies"
2004	Kevin Hill	Eleanor Frank	Episode: "Homework"
2006	Stroller Wars	Penny	TV film
2006	Crumbs	Camile Spadaro	Episode: " A Loon Again, Naturally"
2006	10 Items Or Less	Mrs. D
2007	Bloom	Ma	Short film
2007	Love Comes Lately	Riesel
2008	Law and Order: Special Victims Unit	Roxana Fox	Episode: "Unorthodox"
2008	Cat Dragged In	Woman in Street	Short film
2008	The Christmas Choir	Sister Agatha	TV film
2008	Beethoven's Big Break	Patricia	Direct-to-video release
2009"2010	Hung	Vera-Joan Skagle	4 episodes
2011	The Trouble With Bliss	Maria
2011	Wilfred	Mittens	Episode: "Compassion"
2011	Oliver's Ghost	Eloise	TV film
2012	The Sessions	Mikvah Lady
2012	Hot in Cleveland
2012	The Manzanis	Camille	TV film
2012	The Stupidest Angel	Mavis