Versatile veteran actor and multihyphenate Danny DeVito, whose memorable roles include such projects at TV’s “Taxi” and Miloš Forman’s “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” will receive a Lifetime Achievement award for acting at the Camerimage International Film Festival, which runs in Toruń, Poland, on Nov. 9-16.
In the awards arena, DeVito shared a best picture Oscar nom with Michael Shamberg and Stacey Sher as producer on Steven Soderbergh’s “Erin Brokovich” (2001). He also won a Golden Globe as best actor in a supporting role for “Taxi” in 1978.
Camerimage is a cinematography-focused event and festgoers are sure to ask DeVito about his collaborations with such DPs as Oliver Stapleton on Taylor Hackford’s “The Comedian” (2016), Dante Spinotti on Curtis Hanson’s “L.A. Confidential” (1997), Donald Peterman on Barry Sonnenfield’s “Get Shorty” (1995), Stefan Czapsky on Tim Burton’s “Batman Returns” (1992) and Dean Cundey on Robert Zemeckis’ “Romancing the Stone” (1984).
In addition to “Erin Brokovich,” DeVito has garnered producer credits on dozens of film and TV projects, including Quentin Tarantino’s “Pulp Fiction,” Zack Braff’s “Garden State” and Miloš Forman’s “Man on the Moon,” the last one being personal for DeVito as he knew the real Andy Kaufman from “Taxi.” Director credits include “Taxi” and “Throw Momma from the Train.”
His reduced visibility in theatrical releases in recent years is due to the enormous success of FX and FXX dark comedy series “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” now in its 14th season. But DeVito is about to stage a feature comeback, first in Jake Kasdan’s “Jumanji: The Next Level,” then reprising his role as Arnold Schwarzenegger’s twin brother in Ivan Reitman’s “Triplets,” in which it turns out he also has a twin in Eddie Murphy.
DeVito’s next outing as director: “St. Sebastian,” a tale of survivors in post-apocalyptic Russia after nuclear war.