Cast of ‘Taxi’: Where Are the Stars 45 Years After the Iconic Show Debuted?
Plus, find out who had a love interest on the set.
The cast of Taxi revolved around the lives of a group of eclectic cab drivers working for the fictional Sunshine Cab Company in New York City. This iconic sitcom, which aired from 1978 to 1983, was created by James L. Brooks, Stan Daniels, David Davis, and Ed Weinberger. The show emerged as a critical and commercial success, earning numerous accolades and a dedicated fanbase.
Set against the backdrop of the bustling New York City metropolis, the series offered a glimpse into the everyday struggles, triumphs, and camaraderie of this motley crew as they navigated the ups and downs of urban life. With its sharp writing, relatable characters, and poignant storytelling, Taxi struck a chord with viewers, earning widespread acclaim during its multi-season run.
One of the key factors contributing to the show’s popularity was its all-star cast. Each actor brought a unique charm and depth to their respective roles, elevating the series to iconic status. Here, we look at the cast of Taxi then and now.
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Cast of Taxi: Judd Hirsch as Alex Reiger
Born March 15, 1935, Judd Hirsch grew up near Coney Island. He told CBS News that growing up he felt, “you can be anybody if you walk on this boardwalk. All I know was that I didn’t want to be what I was.” Growing up poor as a kid he said, “We didn’t have it easy. We lived in basements and furnished rooms, rooming houses.”
He had big dreams even then and he has spent over 60 years working hard to make them come true. He won two Emmy awards for his role in Taxi. Prior to that show, he had guest appearances in a several series including Medical Story, Visions, and Rhoda.
After Taxi, Hirsch played the role of psychiatrist Dr. Tyrone C. Berger in the drama Ordinary People (1980) and he was nominated for an Academy award. Then, in 1983 he starred as police lieutenant Al Menetti in the film Without a Trace. He also played a teacher in the TV series Dear John for which he won a Golden Globe award.
In the 1990s he appeared in the movie Independence Day as well as the sitcom George and Leo.
The 2000s saw him in the film A Beautiful Mind. He also appeared on TV in Numbers, The Big Bang Theory, and Superior Donuts. Most recently, he was in 2022’s The Fabelmans as well as a regular on the TV show The Goldbergs.
Did you know? Hirsch initially didn’t want to play the role in Taxi. He said, “My agent had said, “Do you want to do this?’ And I read it, and I didn’t really want to go to television, so I said, ‘Make them an offer they can’t accept.'” Apparently, they accepted.
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Danny DeVito as Louie De Palma
Born November 17, 1944, in Neptune Township, New Jersey, Danny DeVito played the Sunshine Cab Company dispatcher Louie De Palma. For that role, he was nominated for four Emmys, winning outstanding supporting actor in a comedy in 1981.
Before landing his breakout role in Taxi, DeVito had parts in several movies including One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975).
After Taxi, he went on to start in several films including Romancing the Stone (1984), The Jewel of the Nile (1985), War of the Roses (1989), Matilda (1996) and Twins (1998). He played the role of Frank Reynolds in over 150 episodes of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia from 2006-2023.
In his personal life, he’s married to Rhea Perlman, who also guest-starred on Taxi. The couple met in 1971 and married in 1982. They share three children: Lucy, Grace, and Jacob. After 30 years of marriage, the couple separated in 2012, but they never officially divorce.
Did you know? DeVito was considered for the role of George Costanza in Seinfeld, but the part went to Jason Alexander.
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Marilu Henner as Elaine Nardo
Born in April 6, 1952, in Chicago, Illinois, Marilu Henner was born Mary Lucy Denise Pudlowski. Henner appeared in several Broadway plays including Grease, before landing her career-defining role of tough New York cabbie Elaine Nardo in the cast of Taxi. She was a fan favorite in part for being the only female in a legendary ensemble cast. Henner became a household name after starring in Taxi. She was even made an honorary New York City cabbie in recognition of her successful role.
Henner appeared in several films including Johnny Dangerously (1984) and Perfect (1985).
From 1990-1994 she starred in the TV series Evening Shade where she played the role of Ava Newton, Richard Burton’s on-screen wife. She also hosted her own talk show called Marilu in 1994-1995.
Both of her parents passed away in their 50s which inspired Henner to also have a career as a health and fitness guru. She wrote Total Health Makeover in 1998 and continuing to churn out nonfiction healthy-lifestyle titles over the next several years.
In recent years, she has worked with the Hallmark Channel appearing in the Aurora Teagarden Mysteries series and A Kiss Before Christmas.
In her personal life, she has been married three times and has two sons.
Did you know? Henner is gifted with Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory, or HSAM, which is the extremely rare ability for a person to remember specifically what they did on any given date. “It’s like having Google in your brain. You can always find things,” she told the Today show.
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Tony Danza as Tony Banta in the Taxi cast
Born April 21, 1951, in Brooklyn, New York, Tony Danza had pursued a career in professional boxing before transitioning to acting. In fact, he was still boxing professionally during the first few seasons of Taxi. After the show, he went on to star as Tony Micelli in the hit Who’s the Boss? He earned three Golden Globe nominations over the series’ eight-season run.
Danza also starred in the comedy series Hudson Street (1995) and The Tony Danza Show (1997), for which he was executive producer. He received an Emmy nomination for a guest-starring role in The Practice (1997) and he was met with critical acclaim for his performance in the Broadway revival of The Iceman Cometh. Danza also appeared in a several movies including Angels in the Outfield (1994), Crash (2004), Cloud 9 (2006), Don Jon (2013) and Darby and the Dead (2022).
Danza is also an author. In 2012 he published his book I’d Like to Apologize to Every Teacher I Ever Had: My Year as a Rookie Teacher at Northeast High, which premiered on the New York Times Best Sellers list.
Most recently, he appeared in the 2023-2024 series Power Book III: Raising Kanan.
Danza is twice-divorced and has four adult children.
Did you know? Tony Danza and Marilu Henner dated on the set. He refers to Henner as his first Hollywood girlfriend.
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Christopher Lloyd as Reverend Jim Ignatowski
Born in October 22, 1938, in Stamford, Connecticut, Christopher Lloyd appeared in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Barney Miller before landing the part on Taxi. He earned an Emmy for his role playing Reverend Jim Ignatowski.
Lloyd is perhaps best known for his role as the iconic Emmett “Doc” Brown, the inventor of the time-traveling DeLorean, in the Back to the Future movie series. “It’s amazing that after over 30 years the movie thrives the way it does and continues to grow,” Lloyd told People. “Kids who saw it when it first came out are adults with children now, and it’s cycling. It just keeps going on. It’s extraordinary, and the impact it’s had on so many people’s lives. It’s sort of stunning.”
Lloyd also been very prolific over the years. He played Uncle Fester in The Addams Family (1991) and Addams Family Values (1993). He appeared in family favorites like Dennis the Menace (1993), Angels in the Outfield (1994) and Baby Geniuses (1999), and he also was the voice of Hacker on the PBS Kids’ animated series Cyberchase from 2002 to 2022. Other film credits include The Tender Bar (2021), Spirit Halloween (2022) and Self Reliance (2023). Most recently, he has played the role of the therapist in the TV series Tooned Out (2023-2024).
Lloyd has been married five times.
Did you know? His Taxi character, Rev. Jim Ignatowski, was a huge fan of Star Trek and Lloyd went on to play Klingon Commander Kruge in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984).
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Cast of Taxi: Andy Kaufman as Latka Gravas
Born in January 17, 1949, in New York City, Andy Kaufman started performing comedy at a young age. He was doing stand-up at coffee shops and nightclubs when he was discovered by Lorne Michaels and asked to appear on the inaugural broadcast of Saturday Night Live in 1975. Kaufman appeared several times on SNL before landing the role of Latka Gravas on Taxi. He continued doing stand-up and was known for his eccentric performances.
Tragically, Kaufman passed away in 1984 at the age of 35, from cancer.
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