Karlovy Vary International Film Festival 

Danny DeVito talks about The Good Night and working with first-time director Jake Paltrow, his friendship with Czech director Milos Forman (who directed DeVito’s film debut One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest), being typecast as a “comic actor” and letting your rubber ball float its own course on the great river of life…

You must get so many scripts through the mail – what was it about The Good Night that caught your imagination?
“It was first the dreaming aspect of it. I always wanted to delve into that a little bit. And then the second thing was Jake – Jake Paltrow, who is a first-time director, just starting out and very passionate about the story. I was infected by his enthusiasm and what he was trying to work out in his mind. It’s always interesting. You go into a project where sometimes the director has everything worked out, sometimes he has a lot of things worked out, and sometimes he’s finding his way. If you trust the process, you have to trust the person, and I do trust him. You get in there with him and go along, and the result is really pleasant. I really enjoyed it.”

You made your Hollywood debut in 1975 with the role of Martini in One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, by the Czech director Milos Forman. Did Milos have any good advice for you when you made your own directing debut a decade later with Throw Momma From The Train?
“I showed Milos the movie. Milos and I have a really good relationship, he’s really positive and supportive. I don’t remember exactly what he said, but I know it was encouraging. He’s a really good man. We worked together on Man on the Moon as well, and we had a really good time on that. He’s out there. He’s a very special person, and I’m fortunate to be his friend.”

You’re primarily known as a comedy actor, but personally I think you’re also a great straight actor. You were brilliant in LA Confidential as the tabloid reporter. Even in Batman Returns, the character the Penguin was really dark and disturbing. Do you ever wish that you’d concentrated a bit more on straight roles rather than taking all those comedy parts?
“I always feel that the thing is that you do what you do at the time that you do it, and you go for it. You‘re very fortunate in this business to work and to carve out a niche, whether it’s as Louis de Palma or as the Penguin or whoever. I don’t think it’s something to dwell on. I think it’s a cool thing to allow life to go its own way – I’ll get Zen on you – you’re this rubber ball that’s floating down the river and you come up against things and you can go with the flow of the river. You can also make choices, and that’s what’s the great thing about it. If something comes along, whether it’s a small part or a big part - you know, it doesn’t have to be Richard III – it could be a small part but if I feel at the time that I’m right, ready and able to do it, I’ll jump in wholeheartedly.”