Can you imagine that it has been 35 years since the last episode of Taxi?
This show made millions of Americans laugh and is still remembered for its prompt characters
and amusing and poignant storylines.
Find out what the stars of the show are doing now?
If angry dispatcher Louie De Palma didn’t yell at you from behind his office-cage, the
day was just no good.
Louie was the main protagonist of the sitcom.
He didn’t just insult and shout at his co-workers, but was proud of his guile and vagary.
De Palma took advantage of his drunk, on-and-off girlfriend Zena Sherman and peeped on Elaine,
while she was changing.
His character was so well written and played, that in 1999, De Palma was ranked #1 of the
50 greatest TV Show characters of all time!
But we now know for sure that the real-life Danny is the absolute opposite of his character.
Moreover, his wife, who played his inconstant girlfriend, has in real life been standing
next to DeVito for more than 35 years.
The couple got married in 1982, shortly before the show ended.
Now, Danny is a drama and comedy genius.
He played in famous movies such as Batman Returns,
Twins, Matilda, and more recently, the show, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
Speaking of the last one, his role especially impressed a young student, Alison.
Since she could not find a date to prom night, she took a life-sized printed cardboard copy of DeVito.
When the bewildered actor heard of it, he did the same, and printed a cardboard copy
of the girl as well and took it to a bar, where he posted a pic on Instagram.
How sweet that his sense of humor hasn’t changed with time!
Latka - an immigrant form an unknown country.
Kaufman worked hard on the image, accent and manners of his character.
But he later got sick of the monotone character and grew sick of the gag.
The writer had to give Latka multiple personality disorder.
This trick allowed Kaufman to play other characters.
The most frequent was the nasty, derogatory, slick Vic Ferrari.
By then, Kaufman was a famous comic.
To the great regret of fans, Kaufman died of lung cancer not long after the show ended in 1984.
But it's worth mentioning that during filming, Andrew performed for WWE as a wrestler!
In 1982 Kaufman performed as a professional wrestling villain at a staged rumble with Jerry “The King” Lawler.
Only a decade after it was revealed that the altercation was planned and set.
Kaufman had many more characters.
The most famous was Tony Clifton.
Andrew claimed it was a real person.
News programs interviewed Clifton as Kaufman's opening act, with the mood turning ugly whenever
Kaufman's name came up.
Tony insisted that Kaufman was trying to ruin Clifton’s “good name” and tried to make money off him.
People went nuts trying to understand what was going on!
Elaine - a mother of two who was trying to embody her ambitions.
She was Louie’s object of desire but was more fond of characters played by actors ranging
from Tom Selleck to Wallace Shawn.
She was the sex symbol of the show and more than one episode was based around her romantic
adventures with guest stars.
Marilu was just starting her acting career at the time.
After her appearance, Henner got a lucky ticket to start her career.
Among many other movies, she played in Hamlet, produced by Francis Ford Coppola.
And next to Burt Reynolds she played in the Man Who Loved Women.
In 2016 Henner appeared on Dancing with the stars.
Her lifestyle helps her stay fit.
Marilu wrote a couple of books on healthy dieting, way of thinking and style of life.
His character, Alex was compassionate and kind-hearted, the one everyone asked for advice.
Hirsch served in the army and worked as an engineer before he got famous as Reiger.
His Alex Reiger character won two Emmy awards for him during the show's run.
Since the Taxi TV series, Hirsch has only reinforced his career, taking part in more
than 80 projects!
His most popular film role might be as Jeff Goldblum’s neurotic father in Independence Day.
He also starred in Tracy Letts' TV show, Superior Donuts.
Judd Hirsch also starred in a couple of episodes of the Big Bang Theory, playing Leonard's father.
Christopher Lloyd, same as Danny DeVito, started his career in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
before gaining popularity in Taxi.
Over the run of the show Lloyd earned two Emmys for his portrayal of Iggy.
He was the starry-eyed hippie who completely captivated the stage with his character.
Well, maybe except for moments when Kaufman was in the scene.
Christopher Lloyd's most famous and best-remembered role is that of Doc Brown in Back to the Future.
He performed in many other great movies but now mostly does voiceovers.
Though at the age of 79 he did make a few appearances with Michael J. Fox to celebrate
the 30th anniversary of Back to the Future.
Lloyd has been married four times but never had kids.
Before starring in Taxi, Tony Danza was an unknown boxer.
It was a great kick starter for his career.
All that separated Danza from his character were a couple letters in his last name.
After Taxi, Danza played in the career-boosting sitcom, Who’s the Boss.
He also starred in The Hollywood Knights movie and took part in many Broadway shows.
Now, he has shifted his career towards charitable projects.
He starred in the A&E reality show,Teach: Tony Danza, in which he became a 10th-grade
teacher in a Philadelphia school.
Danza was nominated for an Emmy Award and four Golden Globe Awards.
He received a People's Choice Award for Favorite Male Performer in a New Television Series
for his work on the sitcom, The Tony Danza Show.
The Oscar-nominee actress from Hester Street and Annie Hall, Carol Kane portrayed Simka Dahblitz-Gravas.
For playing the wife of Latka Gravas, she received two Emmy Awards in the early 80’s.
After the show, Kane played in the Princess Bride and Addams Family Values.
But her most memorable work will remain Madame Morrible in the Broadway musical, Wicked.
She also performed in Two and a Half Men and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.
Even though the lives of these actors had changed since the show, one thing remains
unchanged - our love for them.
And who is your favorite character on the show?
Let us know in the comments below.
Thanks for watching.
Click on the Ossa icon to subscribe to our YouTube channel.