Danny DeVito has been an international treasure for over four decades, with iconic roles on the big and small screens, as well as being a renowned director. As an actor, he’s been everything from a Batman villain to Matilda’s dad to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s twin brother and has stolen many a scene in more down-to-Earth supporting roles throughout his career.
His IMDB filmography contains 136 titles, and at 75 years young, the Hollywood institution is showing no signs of slowing down. Here are Danny DeVito’s 10 highest ranked movies:
10 The Virgin Suicides (7.2)
Sofia Coppola’s 1999 feature-length debut was a thoughtful, somber psychological study of alienated youth based on the 1993 novel of the same name by Jeffrey Eugenides, and focused on the lives of troubled sisters living in Michigan in the 1970s.
Danny DeVito had a small but interesting role as Dr. Horniker, psychiatrist to the ill-fated Cecilia, doing his best to understand what she was going through. His performance is understated but effective, and he was a valuable addition to the impressive ensemble that helped color Sofia Coppola’s first brushstroke on the Hollywood canvas.
9 The Rainmaker (7.2)
Another Coppola adaptation, this time Francis Ford’s 1997 take on John Grisham’s 1995 novel of the same name. The riveting cloak and dagger legal drama boasted a stellar cast and solidified Matt Damon as a reliable Hollywood protagonist a year before Good Will Hunting.
DeVito effortlessly carries his weight of the story as Damon’s unconventional mentor and business partner, Deck Shifflet. He and Damon form a magnetic screen presence and ragtag underdog partnership in the face of Jon Voight and his intimidating entourage.
8 Hercules (7.3)
Released in 1997, Hercules came towards the end of Disney’s golden age of traditional animated features. Mulan dropped a year later, then with the coming of the 21st Century, they became fewer and further between. As Pixar raised their game, Disney started to lower their’s and everyone else’s.
Hercules is a common favorite, ticking all the boxes we’d come to expect from Disney in the ’90s, with the addition of the juicy mythology and some stand out tunes such as “Go the Distance.” Danny DeVito landed the comic sidekick role, similar to Eddie Murphy’s in Mulan, and brought his trademark personality and energy to the character. He basically did for Hercules what he did for Damon in The Rainmaker.
7 Terms Of Endearment (7.4)
Terms of Endearment is a real charmer, with it’s eccentric and distinctive characters, close-to-home family drama and character fuelled comedy. It won a whole host of awards, including the Academy Award for Best Picture, and moved cinema down a path that would bring us the likes of American Beauty in 1999.
DeVito doesn’t get much to do, billed after Shirley MacLaine, Debra Winger, Jack Nicholson, and Jeff Daniels, but he gives as prime a performance as any of them and brings a lot of life to his almost incidental role. You couldn’t claim to have a world-class ensemble cast in the ’80s or ’90s if you didn’t have DeVito in there somewhere.
6 Man On The Moon (7.4)
After making a name for himself on SNL, Andy Kaufman’s next role was opposite Danny DeVito in comedy TV series Taxi. Kaufman’s performance and unique approach to comedy quickly endeared him to DeVito and countless others. When he tragically died of lung cancer at just 35, he left a lasting impression on American Comedy, as well as DeVito himself, who from then on would righteously bring up tales of Kaufman to his children and anyone else who’d listen at any opportunity.
One such opportunity arose when DeVito met previous collaborator Milos Forman for cigars and too many cocktails, where talk of Kaufman led to Forman proposing a movie biopic of his life. The rest is history, headed by Jim Carrey in a dramatic role we don’t get to see enough of. DeVito, as he does, goes above and beyond playing his part in the ensemble. It truly was a passion project for everyone involved, that all started with DeVito’s love and enthusiasm for the comedy legend.
5 One Direction: Steal My Girl (7.5)
Ok so this one’s a bit of a curveball but IMDb has spoken. Many may be surprised to find that the likes of Matilda, Batman Returns and the Schwarzenegger flicks didn’t make the list, especially considering this entry. The films in which DeVito was front and center may have elevated his fame and been awesome, but the thing about EVERYONE seeing your movie is that you’re going to have a very broad selection of opinions on the content. Batman Returns only reached an IMDB score of 7, but that was after 263, 251 votes. Steal My Girl’s rating of 7.5 may be higher – you could even go so far as to say it is – but based on 263, 197 fewer votes.
So it may have snuck in unjustly, but no matter where you stand on One Direction’s music, DeVito’s opening monologue is as magnetic and entertaining as ever.
4 Curmudgeons (7.6)
Originally a play written by Joshua Conkel, DeVito and his daughter Lucy decided to give it the film treatment after they saw it in 2012. David Margulies reprised his stage role for the screen, and DeVito played opposite him, as well as directing, and the film was produced by himself, his son Jake, Lucy, and Conkel. It was a short and sweet project, taking three days to film, and the result was a moving and subversive 16-minute piece. Margulies sadly passed away in January 2016, three months before the film was released. But thanks to the DeVito family, his final performance and this beautiful story live on.
3 Big Fish (8.0)
This cinematic extravaganza from 2003 was basically Tim Burton’s Forrest Gump: a large-scale fictional biopic with an unreliable, unspoiled Southern narrator, mixed with Tim Burton’s signature style. So naturally, DeVito plays a circus performer who’s secretly a werewolf. He nails it and once again rounds out the intimidating ensemble cast perfectly.
Despite being a little derivative, it may be the best Burton film released this century, and maybe even his last hurrah, with the films he’s released since becoming more and more divisive. It came as no surprise to see him cast DeVito in 2019’s Dumbo in a very similar role with a very similar costume.
2 L.A. Confidential (8.2)
This classic 1997 tale of police corruption was a big hit, with a stellar ensemble cast, ergo Danny DeVito. Russell Crowe and Guy Pearce play off each other well in the central buddy-cop role, but while they were going about driving the story being all handsome and serious, the movie was stolen by the DeVito/Kevin Spacey duo. DeVito’s distinctive appearance and character, coupled with his effortless performances, make it easy to forget how great an actor he truly is. The scenes between him and Spacey are a magnetic masterclass. Unfortunately, the growing controversy around Spacey is making it very difficult to enjoy even his best movies.
1 One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest (8.7)
This list has taken some odd turns, but it’s hard to argue against Milos Forman’s One Flew getting the top spot. Jack Nicholson steals it, of course, giving one of his most iconic performances, but it would be for nothing without the ensemble surrounding him, which included up-and-comers such as Brad Dourif, Christopher Lloyd, and a young Danny DeVito. It easily lived up to the iconic play and novel and trumped them with a flawless cast, the same way Glengarry GlenRoss did. DeVito never really moved on to straight protagonist roles, instead spending his extensive career selflessly playing second-fiddle in every second movie out of Hollywood, and stealing every scene he’s in. Even without top-billing, he’s still one of the most successful and legendary actors to come out of Hollywood.
