Danny DeVito Movies List: What Most People Get Wrong About His Career

Let’s be real for a second. When you think about a Danny DeVito movies list, your brain probably goes straight to two places: either a greased-up Frank Reynolds crawling out of a couch or a short, angry guy screaming about a rum ham.

It’s easy to forget that before he became the internet's favorite chaotic grandfather, DeVito was—and still is—one of the most powerful and artistically daring figures in Hollywood. He’s not just the "funny short guy." He’s a producer behind Pulp Fiction. He’s a director with a visual style that rivals Tim Burton. Honestly, the sheer range is staggering.

If you're looking for a simple rundown of his hits, you've probably seen the classics. But there’s a lot of weird, dark, and genuinely beautiful stuff in his filmography that usually gets buried under the memes.

The Roles That Defined the Danny DeVito Movies List

Most people trace the legend back to Taxi, where he played the abrasive dispatcher Louie DePalma. That role basically set the template for the "lovable jerk" persona he’d refine for decades. But the jump to the big screen was where things got interesting.

In 1975, he appeared in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest as Martini. It’s a quiet, twitchy performance. Nothing like the boisterous characters we see today. It proved early on that he had the chops for serious drama, even if the industry eventually decided he was better at making us laugh.

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Then came the 80s. This was the era of the "unscrupulous sleazebag."
Take Romancing the Stone (1984). He plays Ralph, a bumbling antiquities smuggler. He’s the perfect foil to Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner. It’s a masterclass in being annoying yet completely watchable.

Then there’s Ruthless People (1986). If you haven't seen it, go find it. He plays Sam Stone, a man who is actively thrilled when his wife is kidnapped because it saves him the trouble of killing her. Roger Ebert once called him the "engine of murderous intensity" in that film. It’s dark. It’s mean. It’s hilarious.

The Blockbuster Era and "The Penguin"

You can't talk about a Danny DeVito movies list without mentioning Batman Returns (1992).
The Penguin.
Oswald Cobblepot.

It wasn't just a costume; it was a transformation. He was eating raw fish and oozing black bile. It’s arguably one of the most grotesque portrayals of a comic book villain ever put to film. It’s a miracle parents didn't riot in the streets. But that’s the thing about DeVito—he’s never been afraid to be ugly or off-putting if it serves the character.

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The Directorial Vision (The Stuff You Might Have Missed)

This is where most people get it wrong. They think DeVito just shows up, shouts some lines, and cashes a check. Wrong. He’s a legit filmmaker with a very specific, macabre sense of humor.

• Throw Momma from the Train (1987): His feature debut. It’s a pitch-black comedy about a man (DeVito) who wants to swap murders with his writing professor (Billy Crystal). It’s basically Strangers on a Train but with more screaming and a very scary Anne Ramsey.
• The War of the Roses (1989): This movie is brutal. It’s a "comedy" about a divorce that turns into literal urban warfare. It reunited him with Douglas and Turner, but instead of a jungle adventure, they’re trying to kill each other in a mansion.
• Matilda (1996): This is the one everyone knows, but look closer. The camera angles are distorted. The colors are garish. It’s a Roald Dahl adaptation that actually feels like a Dahl book—dark, slightly terrifying, and deeply empathetic toward children. DeVito directed it, produced it, narrated it, and played the villain. Talk about a hustle.
• Hoffa (1992): A massive, sweeping biopic starring Jack Nicholson. It’s arguably his most ambitious project as a director, showing he could handle large-scale historical drama just as well as he could handle a joke about a dead mom.

Voice Acting and the "New" DeVito

Even if you don't see his face, you've heard the voice. It’s gravelly. It’s Brooklyn. It’s iconic.
In Hercules (1997), he played Philoctetes (Phil), the satyr who trains heroes. It’s basically "Taxi" in Ancient Greece. Then you have The Lorax (2012), where he voiced the titular character not just in English, but in five different languages. Think about that. He learned the phonetic lines for the Spanish, Italian, German, and Russian dubs. That’s commitment.

More recently, we’ve seen him in the Jumanji sequels and even a cameo as a janitor in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024). He’s reached that stage of his career where his mere presence on screen feels like a warm hug from a very strange uncle.

A Quick Peek at the 2026 Landscape

As we sit here in 2026, the Danny DeVito movies list is still growing. He’s currently filming an untitled sequel to Jumanji: The Next Level, reprising his role as Eddie Gilpin. There's also A Sudden Case of Christmas, which just hit screens, proving he’s still game for a family-friendly holiday romp when the mood strikes him.

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What Most People Miss: The Producer Credits

If you want to sound like an expert at your next trivia night, mention Jersey Films. That’s DeVito’s production company. Without him, we might not have:

1. Pulp Fiction: He saw the potential in Tarantino early.
2. Erin Brockovich: He helped get Julia Roberts her Oscar.
3. Gattaca: A sci-fi masterpiece that feels more relevant every year.
4. Garden State: The quintessential indie darling of the early 2000s.

He’s the guy behind the scenes making sure the weird, interesting stuff actually gets made. He’s a kingmaker.

Actionable Insights: How to Watch the Best of DeVito

If you're planning a marathon, don't just stick to the hits. You've got to mix the genres to really appreciate what he does.

• For the Dark Comedy Fan: Start with The War of the Roses. It’s his directorial peak. Follow it with Ruthless People.
• For the Family Night: You can't beat Matilda. If you want something more recent, Migration (2023) features some great voice work from him as Uncle Dan.
• For the "Wait, He’s a Great Actor?" Moment: Watch L.A. Confidential. He plays Sid Hudgens, a sleazy tabloid publisher. It’s subtle, gross, and perfect.
• The Hidden Gem: The Big Kahuna (1999). It’s basically just three guys in a hotel room talking, but DeVito’s monologue about regret is some of the best acting he’s ever done.

Basically, the guy is a legend for a reason. Whether he's playing a penguin, a satyr, or a used car salesman, he brings an energy that nobody else can replicate. He's short in stature but a total giant in the history of cinema.

To truly appreciate his work, look for the films where he’s behind the camera. That’s where his real personality—the dark, twisted, yet ultimately human side—shines through the most. Start by tracking down a copy of Death to Smoochy. It was a flop when it came out, but it’s a cult classic now for a reason. It’s Danny DeVito at his most unhinged, and honestly, that’s where he’s at his best.