Award-winning actress Rhea Perlman was born on March 31, 1948 in New York City. A graduate of Hunter College, she began her acting career in 1972, when she played a bit role in the film Hot Dogs for Gauguin. Most of her early acting projects were roles in films and television movies, such as Swap Meet, Like Normal People and Love Child. She also took on guest roles on television, including stints on Saturday Night Live and a recurring role on Taxi.
Perlman is, however, best known for her role in the much-loved and –acclaimed sitcom Cheers. She was part of the cast from its premiere in 1982 to its end in 1993, playing the role of Carla Tortelli, a waitress at Cheers who always expresses disdain for almost everybody, notably fellow waitress Diane Chambers (Shelley Long), and later, to her boss Rebecca Hoew (Kirstie Alley) and regular customer Cliff Calvin (John Ratzenberger). Throughout her eleven-year run on the show, she received ten Emmy nominations for best supporting actress; she won the awards in 1984, 1985, 1986 and 1989. Her character also appeared in the unsuccessful spin-off series The Torellis, which centered on the lives of her ex-husband, Nick (Dan Hedaya).
Perlman’s next regular television project was Pearl, a sitcom which premiered in 1996. She played the title role—a middle-aged widow named Pearl Caraldo, who enters a university as a night student. It only lasted one season because of low ratings. She also starred in films such as Canadian Bacon, Matilda, 10 Items or Less, Love Comes Lately and Cat Dragged In. She also appeared in other television shows and movies, frequently as a guest, notably an appearance in an episode of Frasier in 2002, where she reprised her character in Cheers along her other co-stars. Later on, she received smaller roles. She was seen on series like Law & Order: SVU, Crumbs, and other TV movies before landing the part of Vera-Joan Skagle on the show Hung. In 2011, she was cast in the film East Fifth Bliss.
Perlman is married to fellow actor Danny DeVito, who she met during production for Taxi. The couple has three children.
2013: The Surrogate - Mikvah Lady
2011: Oliver's Ghost (TV movie) - Eloise
2011: East Fifth Bliss - Maria
2009-2010: Hung (TV series) - Vera-Joan Skagle
2008: Beethoven's Big Break (video) - Patricia
2008: The Christmas Choir (TV movie) - Sister Agatha
2008: Cat Dragged In (short) - Woman in Street
2008: Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (TV series) - Roxana Fox
2007: Love Comes Lately - Reisel
2007: Bloom (short) - Ma
2006: 10 Items or Less - Mrs. D
2006: Crumbs (TV series) - Camille Spadaro
2006: Stroller Wars (TV movie) - Penny
2005: Fat Actress (TV series) - Rhea Perlman
2004: Kevin Hill (TV series) - Eleanor Frank
2003: Karen Sisco (TV series) - Salcheks' Mother
2003: Other People's Business (TV movie) - Mrs. Wabash
2002: What's New, Scooby-Doo? (TV series) - Agnes
2002: Frasier (TV series) - Carla Tortelli LeBec
2001: Becker (TV series) - Dr. Katherine Simmons
2001: Old Love (short)
2001: Kate Brasher (TV series) - Abbie Schaeffer
2001: Ally McBeal (TV series) - Dr. Helen Tooth
2000: How to Marry a Billionaire: A Christmas Tale (TV movie) - Jacqueline Kennedy
2000: Secret Cutting (TV movie) - Dr. Parella
2000: A Tale of Two Bunnies (TV movie) - Thelma
1999: H-E Double Hockey Sticks (TV movie) - Ms. Beelzebub (Ms. B)
1999: Mad About You (TV series) - Ramona
1998: Houdini (TV movie) - Esther
1998: In the Doghouse (TV movie) - Phil Markowitz
1997: Almost Perfect (TV series) - Rhea Perlman
1997: Union Square (TV series) - Mrs. Eileen Mulrooney
1996-1997: Pearl (TV series) - Pearl Caraldo/Mrs. Pearl Caraldo
1996: Matilda - Zinnia Wormwood
1996: Carpool - Martha
1996: Sunset Park - Phyllis Saroka
1995: The Critic (TV series) - Ardeth
1995: Canadian Bacon - Honey
1994: The Simpsons (TV series) - Carla Tortelli
1994: All-Star 25th Birthday: Stars and Street Forever! (TV movie) - Worm TV Host
1994: In Spite of Love (TV movie) - Emma
1993: We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story - Mother Bird (voice)
1993: Shelley Duvall's Bedtime Stories (TV series) - Narrator (segment "Bootsie Barker Bites")
1982-1993: Cheers (TV series) - Carla Tortelli/Carla LeBec/Carla Tortelli-LeBec/…
1993: A Place to Be Loved (TV movie) - Jerri Blair
1992: To Grandmother's House We Go (TV movie) - Shirley
1992: There Goes the Neighborhood - Lydia Nunn
1992: Class Act - Miss Simpson
1992: From Time to Time (short) - 9-Eye (voice)
1992: Roc (TV series) - Connie Mason
1991: Ted & Venus - Grace
1991: The Last Halloween (TV movie) - Mrs. Gizborne
1991: Blossom (TV series) - The Godmother
1990: Enid Is Sleeping - Mavis
1990: Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color (TV series) - Carla Tortelli LeBec
1989: Two Daddies? (TV movie) - Rose Johnson (voice)
1988: ABC Afterschool Specials (TV series) - Aunt Dee
1988: Mickey's 60th Birthday (TV movie) - Carla Tortelli
1987: Stamp of a Killer (TV movie) - Claudia
1987: The Tortellis (TV series) - Carla Tortelli
1986: Amazing Stories (TV series) - Lois
1986: My Little Pony: The Movie - Reeka (voice)
1985: Happily Ever After (TV movie) - Rose Johnson (voice)
1985: St. Elsewhere (TV series) - Carla Tortelli
1984: The Ratings Game (TV movie) - Francine Kester
1983: Super Bowl XVII Pre-Game Show (TV movie) - Carla Tortelli
1983: Likely Stories, Vol. 2 (TV movie) - Vince's Wife
1978-1982: Taxi (TV series) - Zena Sherman/John's girlfriend
1982: Love Child - June Burns
1982: Drop-Out Father (TV movie) - Tawney Shapiro
1982: National Lampoon's Movie Madness - Little Jewish Prostitute - 'Municipalians'
1979: Swap Meet - Mother
1979: Like Normal People (TV movie) - Jan
1977: Intimate Strangers (TV movie)
1977: Having Babies II (TV movie) - Cheryl
1977: Mary Jane Harper Cried Last Night (TV movie) - Judy
1976: I Want to Keep My Baby! (TV movie) - Rae Finer
1976: Stalk the Wild Child (TV movie) - Jean
1976: Selling of Vince D'Angelo (TV movie) - Mrs. D'Angelo
1972: Hot Dogs for Gauguin (short) - Woman on Ferry