Tony Danza has a weird superpower. He’s essentially played the same guy for forty years, and somehow, we never got tired of him. Honestly, if you look at the track record of Tony Danza movies and tv shows, there’s a recurring theme: the guy is almost always named Tony.
It’s not just a lack of imagination from casting directors. It’s a brand. Whether he was a struggling boxer in a garage or a housekeeper in Connecticut, Danza tapped into a specific kind of blue-collar charm that felt authentic because, well, it was. He didn't just play a boxer on Taxi; he was a professional middleweight with a 9-3 record before Hollywood knocked on his gym door.
From the Ring to the Sunshine Cab Company
Most people think Danza’s career started with a script, but it actually started with a punch. He was training at a gym in New York when a producer spotted him. That led to his breakout role as Tony Banta on Taxi (1978–1983).
The show was a powerhouse. You had Judd Hirsch, Danny DeVito, and Christopher Lloyd, but Danza provided the heart. He played a guy who was constantly getting knocked out in the ring but refused to stop dreaming. It’s a bit meta when you realize the show’s creators leaned into his real-life background so hard. While Taxi was a critical darling, winning 18 Emmys, it was just the warmup act for Danza's reign as the king of the 80s sitcom.
The Era of Tony Micelli and "Who’s the Boss?"
If Taxi made him a face people knew, Who’s the Boss? (1984–1992) made him an icon. This is the big one. When people search for Tony Danza movies and tv shows, this is usually the destination.
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The premise was actually pretty progressive for 1984. A retired baseball player becomes a live-in housekeeper for a high-powered female advertising executive. It flipped the script on gender roles. Danza fought for the role, too. His manager at the time, the legendary Jerry Weintraub, reportedly told him no client of his would play a "maid" on TV. Danza saw the humor in it and pushed back.
Eight seasons later, he was one of the highest-paid actors on television.
The chemistry between Danza and Judith Light was the engine, but the show also gave us Alyssa Milano. For a lot of Gen X and Millennials, Tony Micelli was the blueprint for the "cool dad." He was sensitive but tough, a guy who could fold laundry and talk about his feelings without losing his Brooklyn edge.
The Big Screen Struggle
Movies were always a trickier beast for Danza. While his TV career was untouchable, his filmography is... a mixed bag. You’ve got the cult favorites and then you’ve got the ones that the Razzies loved to pick on.
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- The Hollywood Knights (1980): His film debut. It’s a classic "one wild night" movie that feels like a grittier American Graffiti. He played Duke, and honestly, he fit the 1965 setting perfectly.
- Going Ape! (1981): This is where things got weird. He played a guy who inherits millions but has to take care of three orangutans to keep the money. It’s exactly as chaotic as it sounds.
- She’s Out of Control (1989): This one earned him a Razzie nomination. He played an overprotective father, and while it didn't win over critics, it’s a staple for anyone who grew up watching 80s comedies on cable.
- Angels in the Outfield (1994): Probably his most beloved movie role. He played Mel Clark, the veteran pitcher who’s running on fumes. It tapped into that same "vulnerable tough guy" energy that worked so well on Taxi.
The Surprising Dramatic Pivot
Around the late 90s, Danza did something nobody expected. He went to Broadway. He took on Arthur Miller’s A View from the Bridge and Eugene O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh. Critics who had spent a decade making "Ay-Oh!" jokes were suddenly forced to take him seriously.
This shift led to a guest spot on The Practice in 1998, which earned him an Emmy nomination. He wasn't just the "lovable lug" anymore. He was a real actor with range.
The Netflix Era and Recent Work
In 2018, Danza teamed up with Josh Groban for the Netflix series The Good Cop. It was created by Andy Breckman, the guy behind Monk. Danza played—wait for it—Tony Caruso Sr., a disgraced ex-cop. It was a "procedural lite" show that felt like a throwback to a different era of television.
It only lasted one season, which bummed out a lot of fans. It was cozy. It wasn't trying to be The Wire. It just wanted to be a fun mystery show where a father and son argue about the rules while solving murders in Brooklyn.
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Lately, he’s been popping up in unexpected places. He had a recurring role as a mob boss in Power Book III: Raising Kanan, showing a much darker side of the "Tony" persona. He also made a memorable cameo in the Sex and the City revival, And Just Like That..., playing a version of himself.
Why he still matters
There's a reason a Who's the Boss? sequel has been in development for years. We like Tony Danza. In an industry that usually chews people up and spits them out, he’s remained a consistent, comforting presence. He’s the guy who taught 10th-grade English at a Philadelphia high school for a year just to see if he could do it (documented in the 2010 reality show Teach). He’s authentic.
If you’re looking to dive back into the Tony Danza movies and tv shows catalog, don't just stick to the hits.
Next Steps for the Danza Fan:
- Watch the "Taxi" Pilot: See the raw energy he brought before he was a polished superstar.
- Find "Don Jon" (2013): He plays Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s father. It’s a hilarious, slightly R-rated subversion of his old sitcom dad persona.
- Check out "The Good Cop" on Netflix: It’s the perfect "weekend afternoon" binge for when you want something easy and charming.
- Listen to his music: Yes, he has a jazz album. It’s actually pretty good. He’s a song-and-dance man at heart.
Forget the "housekeeper" jokes—the guy’s a survivor. He’s been a boxer, a teacher, a Broadway star, and a talk show host. But to most of us, he’ll always just be Tony. And that’s exactly how he wants it.