Rhea Perlman Net Worth, Career And Biography

Rhea Perlman   Net Worth $50 million

Rhea Perlman is an accomplished American actress who has found success in making her presence felt in movies and television series. She is probably best-known for playing the role of the waitress ‘Carla Tortelli’ in the successful American sitcom ‘Cheers.’ A graduate from Hunter College, Rhea debuted as an actress in the early-1970s with a minor role in the play ‘Dracula Sabbat.’

For the next few years that followed her debut, she was featured mostly in television movies and films. Her first noteworthy role came with the television series ‘Taxi,’ but her breakthrough came in 1982 when she portrayed ‘Carla Tortelli in the television series Cheers.’

Her outstanding performance in the sitcom was enough to fetch her ten ‘Emmy Award nominations in the category of ‘Outstanding Supporting Actress. The same role also bagged her a record six ‘Golden Globe Award’ nominations in the category of ‘Best Supporting Actress in a Television Series’.

Other noteworthy performances of Rhea Perlman include in films like ‘Carpool’, ‘Matilda, ’and ‘Sunset Park’. She has also played famous roles in television series like ‘The Mindy Project’ and ‘Pearl’, and in television movies like ‘Oliver’s Ghost’ and ‘Secret Cutting’.

Rhea Perlman’s Biography

Rhea Jo Perlman was born in Coney Island, New York, United States, on March 31, 1948, to Philip Perlman and his wife Adele. Her Polish immigrant father was the manager of a factory while her mother worked as a bookkeeper.

She was raised in a Jewish family that resided in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. Brilliant from the start, she attended ‘Hunter College’ in New York and studied drama there. She completed her graduation in 1968, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree in the process.

Her parents moved to Los Angeles in the mid-1980s, and her father luckily landed the role of an extra character named ‘Phil’ in the series Cheers.’ He went on to appear in more than 30 episodes of the TV series. With time, he became a regular actor and was featured in several films and television series.

Her sister Heide Paula Perlman is a famous television scriptwriter, story editor, and producer. Her works in several notable shows have won her two Primetime Emmy Awards in her lifetime. She has worked in television series such as ‘The George Carlin Show’ and ‘Cheers’, and has also worked in the popular ‘Tracey Ullman Show.’

Rhea Perlman’s Career

Rhea Jo Perlman made her acting debut on stage with a bit role of an assistant in the off-off-Broadway play ‘Dracula Sabbat’ in 1971. The following year, she featured in the stage play ‘Up – An Uppity Revue’ alongside the now popular American actor, comedian, producer and director Danny DeVito whom she later married.

In the same 1972, she also did a bit role in the film ‘Hot Dogs for Gauguin’ which was the film debut of DeVito. From the mid-70s to the late-70s, Rhea appeared in many television movies, including ‘Mary Jane Harper Cried Last Night’, ‘Stalk the Wild Child’, and ‘Like Normal People’.

Her recurring role as ‘Zena Sherman’ in the famous American series ‘Taxi’ increased her popularity tremendously. She featured in the series in all its 5 seasons from 1979 to 1982. Meanwhile, she played other roles like that of a shoplifting mum in the American comedy film ‘Swap Meet’ in 1979.

She then portrayed ‘Little Jewish Prostitute’ in the American comedy flick entitled ‘National Lampoon’s Movie Madness’ in 1982.

After getting noticed by filmmakers Glen and Les Charles while acting in a play, she was handed the role of ‘Carla Tortelli,’ a highly superstitious and feisty barmaid in the American TV series ‘Cheers’ in 1982.

The sitcom, ‘Cheers’, emerged one of the most successful, running for eleven seasons on NBC from 1982 to 1993. It garnered a total of 95 nominations for the Emmy Awards out of which it won 20.

The brilliance with which Rhea played the role of ‘Carla’ in the sitcom earned her several ‘Emmy Award’ nominations. Out of these nominations, she bagged four Emmy Awards in 1984, 1985, 1986, and 1989. Furthermore, she is the only actress to have won six nominations for the Golden Globe Awards in the ‘Best Supporting Actress’ category.

Thanks to her incredible performance as ‘Carla,’ Rhea went on to feature in all the episodes of ‘Cheers.’ She then reprised her role in other series, such as ‘Frasier’, ‘The Tortellis’, ‘Cheerful Goodbyes,’ and ‘St. Elsewhere’. She also voiced ‘Carla’ in an episode of the American animated series ‘The Simpsons’ in 1994.

While basking in the success she earned from her role in ‘Cheers’ Rhea also played starring roles in many television movies, such as ‘In Spite of Love’, ‘A Place to Be Loved’, and ‘To Grandmother’s House We Go’. She also played ‘Lois’ in an episode of Steven Spielberg’s hit television series ‘Amazing Stories’ in 1986.

After ‘Cheers’, she went on to appear as ‘Pearl Caraldo’ in the American sitcom ‘Pearl’. The series spanned through 22 episodes and was aired on CBS from September 1996 to June 1997.

In 1996, she played main roles in the films ‘Matilda’, ‘Sunset Park,’ and ‘Carpool’. ‘Matilda’ was a children’s fantasy comedy film that Danny DeVito directed, and it went on to become a huge hit worldwide.

Other notable films of her include ‘Beethoven’s Big Break’, ‘The Sessions’, and ‘Love Comes Lately’. Over the years, she has done voicing for prominent characters in animated films like ‘We’re Back! A Dinosaur’s Story’ (1993), ‘My Little Pony: The Movie’ (1986), and ‘Sing’ (2016).

From 2014 to 2016, she played the role of ‘Annette Castellano in thirteen episodes of the romantic comedy television series ‘The Mindy Project.’ Her other notable television series include ‘Kate Brasher’ (2001), ‘Me and My Grandma’ (2017), and ‘Hung’ (2009–2010).

Rhea Perlman impersonated Jacqueline Kennedy in the television film ‘How to Marry a Billionaire: A Christmas Tale’ in 2000. Other notable TV movies of hers include ‘The Christmas Choir’ (2008), ‘Secret Cutting’ (2000), and ‘Oliver’s Ghost’ (2011). The off-Broadway drama ‘Love, Loss, and What I Wore’ which was staged in 2009 saw her appear on stage with her daughter Lucy DeVito.

She penned down a series of children’s books entitled ‘Otto Undercover’. The series consists of six books: ‘Toxic Taffy Takeover’ (2006), ‘Water Balloon Doom’ (2006), ‘Born To Drive’ (2006), ‘Canyon Catastrophe’ (2006), ‘Brain Freeze’ (2007), and ‘Brink of the Ex-Stink-Tion’ (2007). Out of these books, ‘Brink of the Ex-Stink-Tion was selected as one of the 50 best books of the year by ‘Child Magazine’ in 2007.

Awards & Achievements

For her brilliant performance in the hit American television series ‘Cheers’, Rhea was nominated for the Emmy Awards 10 times, out of which she won 4. She also won six Golden Globe Award nominations for her performance in the same sitcom as well.

Other accolades she received for her performance as ‘Carla’ in the sitcom ‘Cheers’ include American Comedy Award in 1989 and Viewers for Quality Television award. Thanks to her portrayal of the character, in 2011, CBS named ‘Carla’ among the all-time greatest TV characters.

Rhea Perlman’s Movies

From a long list of successful movies that became massive hits and helped build her reputation, these are our top Rhea Perlman movies so far:

• Hot Dogs for Gauguin (1972)
• The Sessions (2012)
• Matilda (1996)
• I’ll See You in My Dreams (2015)
• 10 Items or Less (2006)
• Love Child (1982)
• Class Act (1992)
• Canadian Bacon (1995)
• Sunset Park (1996)
• Lemon (2017)
• Half Magic (2018)
• Poms (2019)

Personal Life & Family

Rhea and Danny DeVito started a relationship in 1971, and it led to a marriage eleven years later. Their union produced three children – Lucy Chet, Grace Fan, and Jacob Daniel.

The couple separated in October 2012 and later reconciled around March 2013. However, they separated again after four years. They do not live together as of now and have claimed that they don’t want to file for divorce as they have become closer after their separation.

Rhea Perlman Net Worth

The talented American actress and writer, Rhea Perlman, is one of the best ever seen in the American film industry. She started her career in the early 1970s and worked her way through all the hurdles to emerge as a top star and multi-award winner.

As at press time, this actress has an estimated net worth of $50 million, and she has earned all of it from a lifetime of acting numerous roles in a number of television series and films.