Meet 'Matilda' Star Danny DeVito’s Three Real-Life Children

Danny DeVito and his family

Danny DeVito has been one of the most beloved character actors in Hollywood since his breakthrough role as Louie de Palma in the hit 1978 TV series Taxi, on which his irascible personality, foul mouth and small stature (he's only 4'10") quickly made him a household name. Since then, DeVito has been a comedy staple in classics like Twins, Batman Returns, Matilda (which he also directed) and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

While fans love DeVito for his on-screen contributions, his greatest role is dad. The Emmy-winning actor shares three children with actress Rhea Perlman, to whom he's been married since 1982 (the couple separated in 2017, but have no plans to divorce).  Here's everything you need to know about Danny DeVito’s family.

Related: Danny DeVito on Killing Ghosts, Living Next Door to Brad Pitt and Loving Who He Is

How many kids does Danny DeVito have?

Danny DeVito has three children: Lucy DeVito, Grace DeVito and Jake DeVito, who were all born in the '80s during the early years of DeVito’s marriage to Rhea Perlman.

Who is the mother of Danny DeVito’s kids?

Danny DeVito had all three of his children with Rhea Perlman. The two met in 1971, when Perlman attended the only performance of his play The Shrinking Wife, and although their relationship got off to a fast start (they moved in together only two weeks later), they didn't get married until 1982. Their eldest daughter, Lucy, was born a year later in 1983; their second daughter, Grace, was born in 1985; and their only son, Jacob, was born in 1987.

On paper, the couple remains married to this day, but they've been separated since 2017.

“We’re still separated, but we see each other often, and we’re still a family,” Perlman told PEOPLE. “I’m really, really glad that Danny and I were able to navigate some rough days to be able to have this different kind of relationship. I think it’s pretty rare, but we agree on so many things that it makes sense."

Related: Rhea Perlman Gives a Surprising Update on Her Marriage to Danny DeVito

Does Danny DeVito have kids from other marriages?

Danny DeVito doesn't have any kids from other marriages, nor has he been married to anyone other than Rhea Perlman. Although the two separated in 2017, they've been married since 1982. (They also split in 2012, but reconciled a year later in 2013.) By all accounts, the exes remain close friends and have no plans to divorce.

"Danny and I, we are still married… and we are still very good friends and we see each other a lot," Perlman said during a 2023 appearance on Julia Louis-Dreyfus' podcast, Wiser Than Me. "And our family is still the most important thing to both of us."

Who are Danny DeVito’s Kids?

Lucy Chet DeVito (b. March 11, 1983)

Lucy Chet DeVito was born to Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman in 1983, just a year into their marriage. Now 40, Lucy has established herself as an accomplished actress, following in the Hollywood footsteps of her parents.

She graduated from Brown University in 2007 with a degree in theater and appeared in the movie Leaves of Grass that same year, playing a college student who falls in love with her professor (Edward Norton). In 2022, she and her father collaborated on the FXX adult cartoon Little Demon, in which he plays Satan and she stars as the anti-Christ's daughter.

"When Lucy actually came to pitch me the idea she had [with] these friends, [...] I loved it right from the very beginning," DeVito told Newsweek. As for what it was like working together, he described the experience as "great."

"We always like hanging out and we love being together," he said.

Grace Fan DeVito (b. March 25, 1985)

Grace DeVito joined the family about three years into DeVito and Perlman’s marriage. Although she's worked as both an actress and a producer, she's mostly pursued a career in performance art and painting.

"[My parents] were really great at including [my siblings and me] in their work, and put in place this philosophy about how to be an artist and then also not really separate that from your day-to-day life," she told Culture magazine in 2021.

Jake Daniel DeVito (b. Oct. 10, 1987)

Jake DeVito, 36, works behind the scenes in the entertainment industry. He started out in 2009, on the camera-and-lighting crew for the Liam Neeson thriller After Life. In 2014, he notably served as a producer alongside Terrence Malick on The Better Angels, an enigmatic drama about Abraham Lincoln’s childhood.

Keeping things in the family, Jake teamed up with his dad and sister Lucy in 2022 to produce their FXX show Little Demons. “We’ve always stayed really close,” he told Sioux City Journal of the bond he shares with his father. “We’ve had a very tight, warm relationship.”

Is Danny DeVito a Grandfather?

Yes. Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman became first-time grandparents in 2023. Perlman revealed the news on Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ podcast “Wiser than Me," sharing that the baby girl's name is Sinclair Lucille DeVito. (She later revealed that the child belongs to daughter Grace.)

"It's amazing," Perlman gushed. "Everybody said it'll change your life when you have a grandchild, and it does."

Next, What We Know About the 'Matilda' Reunion