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 was 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 De Palma (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' 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 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.

Since 2014, she has starred in a recurring role on The Mindy Project as Danny's mother Annette Castellano.

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, The Brink of 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. Perlman and DeVito 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

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1972	Hot Dogs for Gauguin	Woman on Ferry	Short film
1979	Swap Meet	Mother
1982	National Lampoon's Movie Madness	The Little Jewish Prostitute
1982	Love Child	June Burns
1986	My Little Pony: The Movie	Reeka	Voice
1990	Enid is Sleeping	Mavis
1991	The Last Halloween	Mrs. Gizborne
1991	Ted and Venus	Grace
1992	Class Act	Ms. Simpson
1992	There Goes the Neighborhood	Lydia Nunn
1993	We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story	Mother Bird	Voice
1995	Canadian Bacon	Honey
1996	Sunset Park	Phyllis Saroka
1996	Carpool	Martha
1996	Matilda	Zinnia Wormwood
2001	Old Love	Unknown	Short film
2006	10 Items Or Less	Mrs. D
2007	Bloom	Ma	Short film
2007	Love Comes Lately	Riesel
2008	Cat Dragged In	Woman in Street	Short film
2008	Beethoven's Big Break	Patricia
2011	The Trouble With Bliss	Maria
2012	The Sessions	Mikvah Lady
2012	The Stupidest Angel	Mavis
2015	I'll See You in My Dreams	Sally

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1976	Selling of Vince D'Angelo	Mrs. D'Angelo	Television movie
1976	Stalk the Wild Child	Jean	Television movie
1976	I Want to Keep My Baby!	Rae Finer	Television movie
1977	Mary Jane Harper Cried Last Night	Judy	Television movie
1977	Having Babies II	Cheryl	Television movie
1977	Intimate Strangers	Unknown	Television movie
1979	Like Normal People	Jan	Television movie
1979-1982	Taxi	Zena Sherman	5 episodes
1982	Drop Out Father	Tawney Shapiro	Television movie
1982-1993	Cheers	Carla Tortelli Annette Lozupone	275 episodes American Comedy Award for Funniest Supporting Female in a Television Series Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Viewers for Quality Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Quality Comedy Series Nominated—American Comedy Award for Funniest Supporting Female in a Television Series Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress - Series, Miniseries or Television Film Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
1983	Unlikely Stories, Vol. 2	Vince's Wife	Television movie
1984	The Ratings Game	Francine Kester	Television movie
1985	Happily Ever After	Rose Johnson	Voice; Television movie
1985	St. Elsewhere	Carla Tortelli	Episode: "Cheers"
1986	Amazing Stories	Lois	Episode: "The Wedding Ring"
1987	The Tortellis	Carla Tortelli	Episode: "Pilot"
1987	Stamp of a Killer	Claudia	Television movie
1988	A Family Again	Aunt Dee	Television movie
1989	Two Daddies?	Rose Johnson	Voice; Television movie
1990	The Earth Day Special	Paula
1991	Blossom	The Godmother	Episode: "Dad's Girlfriend"
1992	Roc	Connie Mason	Episode: "The Stan Who Came to Dinner"
1992	To Grandmother's House We Go	Shirley	Television movie
1993	A Place to Be Loved	Jerri Blair	Television movie
1994	The Simpsons	Carla Tortelli	Voice; Episode: "Fear of Flying"
1994	In Spite of Love	Emma	Television movie
1994	All-Star 25th Birthday: Stars and Street Forever!	Worm TV Host	Television movie
1995	The Critic	Ardeth (second season)	Voice; 2 episodes
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	Television movie
1998	Houdini	Esther	Television movie
1999	H-E Double Hockey Sticks	Mrs. Beelzebub	Television movie
1999	Mad About You	Ramona	Episode: "Valentine's Day"
2000	A Tale of Two Bunnies	Thelma	Television movie
2000	Secret Cutting	Dr. Parella	Television movie
2000	How to Marry a Billionaire: A Christmas Tale	Jacqueline Kennedy	Television movie
2001	Ally McBeal	Dr. Helen Tooth	Episode: "Falling Up"
2001	Kate Brasher	Abbie Shaeffer	6 episodes
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	Karen Sisco	Louise Salchek	Episode: "Dumb Bunnies"
2003	Other People's Business	Mrs. Wabash	Television movie
2004	Kevin Hill	Eleanor Frank	Episode: "Homework"
2006	Crumbs	Camile Spadaro	Episode: "A Loon Again, Naturally"
2006	Stroller Wars	Penny	Television movie
2008	Law & Order: Special Victims Unit	Roxana Fox	Episode: "Unorthodox"
2008	The Christmas Choir	Sister Agatha	Television movie
2009-2010	Hung	Vera-Joan Skagle	4 episodes
2011	Wilfred	Mittens	Episode: "Compassion"
2011	Oliver's Ghost	Eloise	Television movie
2012	Hot in Cleveland	Jacki	Episode: "Everything Goes Better with Vampires"
2012	The Manzanis	Camille	Pilot
2013-2014	Kirstie	Thelma	12 episodes
2014-present	The Mindy Project	Annette Castellano	11 episodes
2015	Getting On	Crystal Buff	Season 3, Episode 3: "No, I Don't Want a F. Smiley Face"
2016	Mom	Anya	Season 3, Episode 12: "Diabetic Lesbians and a Blushing Bride"

[ Source: Wikipedia ]