Danny DeVito says the fun on “Taxi” didn’t stop when the cameras did. In a new appearance on the “All the Smoke” podcast, the actor described the cast’s after-hours gatherings as full-blown “ragers” fueled by a memorable combination he summed up bluntly: “crudité and cocaine.”
“But getting back to the parties, those were like ragers,” DeVito said. “Like we would have like, crudité and cocaine… basically it was the ’80s. It was like, really crazy.”
The guest list at these gatherings reportedly went well beyond the “Taxi” ensemble. DeVito recalled cast members from “Laverne & Shirley” stopping by to watch tapings, along with Robin Williams and John Belushi. He also said Michael Jackson would occasionally show up as a fan of the show.
“He would sit up in the booth, not with the audience, sit up in the booth and watch. Lots of people came. Belushi, you know, people from ‘SNL’ in the early days.”
According to DeVito, the party would start almost immediately after the workday ended. “So then we would transition right from the show that we finished, like, 10:30, 11. And immediately go up and blare the music… until the sun came up,” he said. The only real obligation the next day, he noted, was showing up to work by noon on Monday.
A Career Launched From the Chaos
“Taxi” ran from 1978 to 1983 and turned DeVito into a household name for his portrayal of the abrasive dispatcher Louie De Palma, a role that earned him an Emmy and a Golden Globe. The show’s ensemble cast included Judd Hirsch, Marilu Henner, Tony Danza, Christopher Lloyd, Jeff Conaway and Andy Kaufman.
DeVito credited the show’s writers for much of its success. “It was one of the greatest experiences for the beginning of anybody’s career, because you were working with writers who were nose to the grindstone, never give up, dedicated, funny a– people,” he said. “And they never let you down. And they work until an hour before the show with you.”
After “Taxi,” DeVito went on to build a long career as an actor, director and producer, with credits including “Twins,” “Batman Returns” and “Matilda.” Since 2006, he has continued to entertain audiences as Frank Reynolds on “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.”
