Perlman was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Philip and Adele Perlman. Her father was an actor and a “doll and toy-part” salesman; he later played barfly Phil on Cheers. Her sister Heide Perlman was a writer, story editor, and producer on the television shows Cheers and Frasier. Rhea Perlman attended Hunter College in New York and is an active Democrat.
She began her acting career in 1972 when she played a bit role in the film Hot Dogs for Gauguin. That same year she appeared in Westbeth Playwrights Feminist Collective’s production of Up – An Uppity Revue, along with her future husband, Danny DeVito. Perlman began acting in the early 1970s with numerous appearances on TV films and short films. One of her first notable parts was a recurring role on the television show Taxi as Zena, girlfriend of Louie De Palma (played by Danny DeVito).
In 1982 she landed a role as Carla Tortelli on the hit sitcom Cheers. She won the Emmy four times, in 1984, 1985, 1986 and 1989. She was also nominated for a Golden Globe six times. During her Cheers career, she was nominated for an Emmy every year but 1992, becoming the Cheers star to have the most wins and nominations. In 1986, Perlman starred in an episode of Steven Spielberg’s Amazing Stories titled “The Wedding Ring,” which also starred DeVito as her character’s husband.
