Tony Danza facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tony Danza
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Danza in 2003
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| Born |
Anthony Salvatore Iadanza
April 21, 1951 New York City, New York, U.S.
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| Alma mater | University of Dubuque (BA) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1978–present |
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (175 cm) |
| Spouse(s) |
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| Children | 4 |
Tony Danza (born Anthony Salvatore Iadanza; April 21, 1951) is an American actor. He was also a professional boxer. Tony Danza is famous for his roles in two popular TV shows. He co-starred in Taxi (1978–1983). He also starred in Who's the Boss? (1984–1992). For these roles, he was nominated for an Emmy Award and four Golden Globe Awards.
In 1998, Tony Danza won a People's Choice Award. This was for his role in the TV show The Tony Danza Show. He has also appeared in many movies. Some of these include Angels in the Outfield (1994) and Crash (2004).
Contents
Early life and education
Tony Danza was born on April 21, 1951. His birthplace was Brooklyn, New York. His parents were Anna Mary and Matthew Anthony Iadanza. His mother was a bookkeeper. His father worked as a waste collector. Tony's family moved to Malverne, New York, on Long Island, when he was 14.
He went to Malverne Senior High School. He graduated in 1968. Tony Danza later said he was not a great student in high school. He earned a bachelor's degree in history in 1972. This was from the University of Dubuque. He attended college on a wrestling scholarship.
In 1975, his friends signed him up for a boxing tournament. It was called the New York City Golden Gloves Tournament. Tony knocked out his first six opponents. He was then knocked out in the finals. During his first year of college, he got a tattoo on his arm. He also has a boxing gloves tattoo.
Career highlights
Boxing career
Before acting, Tony Danza was a professional boxer. He had a record of 8 wins and 3 losses. All 8 of his wins were by knockout. Six of those knockouts happened in the first round. He boxed from 1976 to 1979. He competed in the middleweight division.
Acting and TV shows
Tony Danza was discovered by a TV producer. This happened at a boxing gym in New York. Soon after, he got a role on the TV show Taxi. He played Tony Banta, a cab driver and part-time boxer. The show ran from 1978 to 1983.
Later, he starred in Who's the Boss? (1984–1992). In this show, he played Tony Micelli. Tony Micelli was a former baseball player, a housekeeper, and a single dad. In 1988, Tony Danza received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. This honored his work in television.
Tony Danza's first movie was The Hollywood Knights (1980). He also appeared in Angels in the Outfield (1994). In this movie, he played a baseball player named Mel Clark. He was also in the film Crash (2004).
He hosted his own TV talk show. It was called The Tony Danza Show. It aired from 2004 to 2006. During a go-kart race on his show, his kart flipped. This happened when a guest accidentally bumped him. Luckily, he was not hurt. He later raced an IndyCar driver. His brakes failed, and he crashed into a wall. Again, he was unharmed.
Tony Danza has also performed on Broadway. He starred in The Producers and Honeymoon in Vegas. In 2014, he was honored with a spot on the Ride of Fame. This celebrated his Broadway role. He also played Jon Martello Sr. in the movie Don Jon (2013). In 2018, he starred in the Netflix series The Good Cop.
Teaching experience
During the 2009–2010 school year, Tony Danza filmed a reality show. It was for the A&E channel. The show was called Teach: Tony Danza. In the show, he co-taught a 10th-grade English class. This was at Northeast High School in Philadelphia. The show premiered on October 1, 2010.
He also wrote a book about his teaching experience. The book is titled I'd Like to Apologize to Every Teacher I Ever Had: My Year as a Rookie Teacher at Northeast High. It was released in 2012.
Personal life
Tony Danza has been married twice. His first marriage was to Rhonda Yeoman. They were married in 1970 and divorced in 1974. They have two children, a son and a daughter. His son, Marc, appeared with him on Taxi in two episodes.
In 1986, Tony Danza married Tracy Robinson. They separated in 2006. Their divorce was finalized in 2013. They have two daughters together.
In 2008, Tony Danza and his son Marc wrote a cookbook. It is called Don't Fill Up on the Antipasto: Tony Danza's Father-Son Cookbook.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | The Hollywood Knights | Duke | |
| 1981 | Going Ape! | Foster | |
| 1984 | Cannonball Run II | Tony | |
| 1988 | Mr. Thompson and His Bananas | Tony Thompson | |
| Wall of Tyranny (a.k.a. Freedom Fighter) | Victor Ross | ||
| 1989 | She's Out of Control | Doug Simpson | |
| I'm from Hollywood | Himself | ||
| 1994 | Angels in the Outfield | Mel Clark | |
| 1996 | Illtown | D'Avalon | |
| Dear God | Himself | Uncredited | |
| 1997 | Glam | Sid Dalgren | |
| The Girl Gets Moe | Moe | ||
| A Brooklyn State of Mind | Louie Crisci | ||
| Meet Wally Sparks | New York Cab Driver | ||
| 2004 | The Whisper | Simon | |
| Crash | Fred | ||
| 2006 | Cloud 9 | Himself | Uncredited |
| 2009 | The Nail: The Story of Joey Nardone | Chickie | |
| 2010 | Firedog | Rocky | |
| 2013 | Don Jon | Jon Martello Sr. | |
| Aftermath | King | ||
| 2021 | Rumble | Siggy (voice) | |
| 2022 | Darby and the Dead | Gary |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978–1983 | Taxi | Tony Banta | 114 episodes |
| 1980 | Murder Can Hurt You | Pony Lambretta | Television film |
| 1983 | The Love Boat | Bud O'Hara | 2 episodes |
| 1984 | Single Bars, Single Women | Dennis | Television film |
| 1984–1992 | Who's the Boss? | Tony Micelli | 196 episodes |
| 1986 | Sesame Street | Himself | 3 episodes |
| Doing Life | Jerry Rosenberg | Television film | |
| 1988 | 1988 Kids' Choice Awards | Host | |
| Freedom Fighter | Vic Ross | Television film | |
| 1989 | Hanna-Barbera's 50th: A Yabba Dabba Doo Celebration | Host | Television film |
| 1991 | The Whereabouts of Jenny | Rowdy Patron | Television film |
| Dead and Alive: The Race for Gus Farace | Constabile "Gus" Farace | Television film | |
| 1991–1992 | Baby Talk | Baby Mickey Campbell (voice) | 35 episodes |
| 1994 | The Mighty Jungle | Vinnie, The Alligator (voice) | Unknown episodes |
| The Mighty Jungle | Vinnie, The Alligator (voice) | Television film | |
| 1995 | Deadly Whispers | Tom Acton | Television film |
| 1995–1996 | Hudson Street | Tony Canetti | 22 episodes |
| 1996 | North Shore Fish | Sal | Television film |
| 1997 | 12 Angry Men | Juror #7 | Television film |
| 1997–1998 | The Tony Danza Show | Tony DiMeo | 14 episodes |
| 1998 | The Garbage Picking Field Goal Kicking Philadelphia Phenomenon | Barney Gorman | Television film |
| The Practice | Tommy Silva | 4 episodes | |
| Noah | Norman Waters | Television film | |
| A Capitol Fourth | Himself (host) | ||
| 2000–2002 | Family Law | Joe Celano | 25 episodes |
| 2000 | King of the Hill | Himself (voice) | Episode: "Peggy's Fan Fair" |
| 2001 | Family Guy | Episode: "Ready, Willing and Disabled" | |
| Bette | Himself | Episode: “Of Men and Meatballs” | |
| 2003 | Stealing Christmas | Jack Clayton / Santa | Television film |
| 2004–2006 | The Tony Danza Show | Himself | Host; 330 episodes |
| 2005 | All My Children | Hotel Manager | Episode: "May 18, 2005" |
| 2007 | A Capitol Fourth | Himself (host) | |
| 2008 | Rita Rocks | Matt Morelli | Episode: "The Crying Game" |
| 2010 | Teach: Tony Danza | Himself | 7 episodes |
| 2016 | Broad City | Mr. Abrams | Episode: "Philadelphia" |
| Sebastian Says | Salvo | Television film | |
| 2017 | There's... Johnny! | Fred de Cordova | 6 episodes |
| 2018 | The Good Cop | Tony Caruso Sr. | 10 episodes |
| 2020 | Outmatched | Jay Bennett | Episode: "Grandparents" |
| 2022 | Blue Bloods | Lieutenant Raymond Moretti | Episode: "Allegiance" |
| 2022 | Finding Your Roots | Himself | Episode: "Fighters" |
| 2022–present | Power Book III: Raising Kanan | Stefano Marchetti | Guest (season 2) Recurring role (season 3–) |
| 2023 | And Just Like That... | Himself | Episode: "The Real Deal" |
| 2023 | Dick Van Dyke 98 Years of Magic | Himself | |
| 2023 | Tacoma FD | Lawrence | S4E11 'It's a Penisi-ful Life' |
Awards and nominations
- Nominated - Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor - Series, Miniseries or Television Film for Taxi (1979)
- Nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Television Series Musical or Comedy for Who's the Boss? (1986)
- Nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Television Series Musical or Comedy for Who's the Boss? (1987)
- Nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Television Series Musical or Comedy for Who's the Boss? (1989)
- Nominated - Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actor for She's Out of Control (1989)
- Nominated - TV Land Award for Single Dad of the Year for Who's the Boss?
- Won the People's Choice Award for Favorite Male Performer in a Television Series for The Tony Danza Show (1997)
- Nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for The Practice (1998)
See also
In Spanish: Tony Danza para niños
