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Rhea Perlman was born and brought up in Brooklyn, where her parents worked normal-wage jobs while trying to make a living for Rhea and her sister. She graduated high school and college in Manhattan before deciding to pursue a career in television. Perlman made her acting debut in the 1970s, portraying supporting and minor roles in various projects. Almost a decade later, she received a part of a lifetime as the waitress in the comedy sitcom Cheers, which has become one of the most popular series. With 20 Emmy Awards won, the impact of the series has remained unmatched. Perlman, one of the prominent cast members, also received several nominations and accolades for her portrayal. Over the years, she amassed a $60 million fortune from her starring role and many projects that came along the way.
From portraying minor characters in shows to becoming a star in one of the most popular series in television history, Rhea Perlman Is one of the most iconic women in the entertainment industry. Let’s take a look at her success story.
Small Screen Roles That Made An Impact
Born in Coney Island, Brooklyn, Rhea Perlman’s father worked as a factory manager while her mother was a bookkeeper, making ends meet for Rhea and her sister Heide. She found an interest in acting from a young age, studied drama at Hunter College, and graduated in 1968. Her professional career began in 1970 when she played a supporting role in Dracula Sabbat for two years. Additionally, she had supporting roles in projects such as Up – An Uppity Revue and Hot Dogs for Gauguin. Perlman gained recognition for her role in the sitcom Taxi, where she was cast alongside Danny DeVito as his girlfriend.
NBC was on the hunt for its next big sitcom in the early 1980s when Cheers was picked for one season after airing its pilot. The production selected mostly unknown faces for its star cast, and among them was Rhea Perlman. According to Vulture, singer Janis Ian was asked to take on the role of waitress Carla Tortelli, but she turned down the sitcom to focus on her career. As most of the creative staff in Perlman’s show Taxi also worked on Cheers, her performance on the former sitcom landed her an audition for the show. Rhea Perlman was selected to play the loving yet mean-spirited waitress on Cheers.
The Impact Of Cheers That Changed Everything
Cheers was a project that kickstarted Rhea Perlman’s career as offers and endorsements began floating in for the star. As noted by People, she played the character for eleven seasons from 1982 to 1993. The show had a strong fan following and was critically appraised for its storytelling and character development. During its run, Cheers was nominated for 95 Emmy Awards across various categories and won 20 times. While Ted Danson and Shelley Long were nominated for Lead categories, Perlman received 11 Emmy nominations for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. She went on to win four Emmys between 1984 and 1989.
The actress took on another iconic role when she starred in her husband Danny DeVito-directed film Matilda in 1996. As mentioned by Insider, Perlman portrayed the role of Zinnia Wormwood, Matilda’s mother, who often neglects taking care of her daughter. Since the film, she also starred in one season of the CBS sitcom Pearl. Her other notable projects include St. Nowhere, Ally McBeal, The Simpsons, Becker, Frasier, and Hot In Cleveland. She also appeared in 17 episodes of Mindy Kaling’s Fox comedy The Mindy Project.
A Career Of Accomplishments
Rhea Perlman’s journey continued on television as she starred in a YouTube comedy series Me And My Grandma. She has also appeared in various animated projects, including My Little Pony: The Movie, Sing, What’s New Scooby Doo, Robot & Monster, Harley Quinn, and Star Wars: The Bad Batch. In 2021, director Kate Tsang cast Rhea Perlman in an independent film Marvelous And The Black Hole, alongside Miya Cech. The film premiered at Sundance Film Festival and was met with positive reviews, as stated by Collider. Tsang received a special grant to finish the production of the movie.
The actress showed off her singing talent when she was cast in the coming-of-age musical comedy 13 starring Eli Golden. The film was released in 2022 and was based on the 2007 stage musical of the same title. Perlman portrayed the supporting role of Ruth in the movie. She was also cast in Jonah Hill’s Netflix buddy comedy film You People, which stars comedy legends Eddie Murphy and Julia Louis-Dreyfus alongside Perlman.
Rhea Perlman has had a stellar career in film and television, which includes many of her scene-stealing supporting roles that earned her critical acclaim. Since the beginning of Cheers, she has been considered one of the best comedy actresses of her time. Perlman will next be seen starring in Greta Gerwig’s highly-anticipated film Barbie in 2023.
Sources: Vulture, People, Insider, Collider
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