Danny DeVito Frankly Admits How His Height Has Affected Life – Celebrity

If anyone proves that good things really do come in small packages, Danny DeVito has to be the man.

The 80-year-old, from New Jersey, is an actor that people hold very close to their hearts, thanks to his incredible talents on screen and his ability to make us laugh in the belly.

His roles in e.g One wing over the cuckoo’s nest, MatildaJumanji: The Next Level and It is Always sunny in Philadelphia has made him one of the most lovable stars on the planet.

So it’s no wonder he was crowned the ‘King of Short Kings’ by social media users last year, as he is everything a monarch should embody.

The fact that he responded to this news by saying that it ‘gives him joy’ only proved that his appointment as overlord of all little men was justified even more.

However, DeVito’s unique height has not always been welcomed, as being on the short side made him an ‘easy target’ for bullies throughout his life.

He previously said he ‘took a lot of lumps’ during his school days, before adding: “I was tormented; I couldn’t slow-dance with the girls I wanted to, but because my face would be somewhere, where I can conceivably move too fast.”

DeVito was born with a rare genetic disorder called multiple epiphyseal dysplasia (MED), commonly referred to as Fairbanks disease.

According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, this type of skeletal dysplasia affects bone growth and the development of cartilage, especially in the arms and legs.

Those with MED usually experience symptoms such as problems with their hips, knees or ankles and premature arthritis, with the majority of people having ‘minimal short stature’ as a result, averaging between 57 and 67 inches in height, or around 4.5 foot to 5.5 ft.

DeVito is 4ft 10ins tall.

In March 2017, he sat down with CBS News correspondent Martha Teichner, who wanted to find out if he thought his height had affected his career.

As we all know, the actor’s size has often added to the character he portrays – as in the 1988 film Twins for comic contrast to Arnold Schwarzenegger.

But when asked if he had felt the need to lean on his personality to get where he wanted to go in life and in his career, DeVito admitted that he had ‘never thought about it’ in that sense.

Reflecting on his younger years, the Merciless people star said that at first he didn’t really grow up with an idea of ​​’what the life is that he wanted’.

“You know you want to have a good time and you want to have friends,” DeVito said. “The early days of being like short, being five feet tall, yeah… after a while you start to get used to it.

“And in social circles, you start to think that maybe you can compensate with your personality.”

And for DeVito, the only reason he questioned his height was when he wondered if it would affect his ability with the ladies.

“It’s always about women,” he laughed. “Don’t you think? I mean, is it about something else?

“Your whole life is basically (about women). As a kid, when you’re a teenager, it’s all about going to the dance.”

DeVito explained that he often found himself connecting with the “really tall” girls who also felt “self-conscious” about their height during his childhood.

He added: “Why not? The idea is we wanted to have a good time.”

In previous interviews, the screen star has revealed that being short actually helped him ‘stand out from the countless hopefuls auditioning for the same parts’.

“No casting director is going to forget the 5ft guy,” DeVito said.

So that settles it folks – size really doesn’t matter.