Philip Perlman, "Cheers" Barfly and Father of Rhea Perlman, Dies at 95

[JamesG]

Philip Perlman, "Cheers" Barfly and Father of Rhea Perlman, Dies at 95
by Mike Barnes
5/7/2015


Philip Perlman, whose Emmy-winning daughter Rhea got him a job on a bar stool on the long-running sitcom "Cheers", setting in motion a late-blooming second career as a character actor, has died. He was 95.

Perlman, who also showed up in several films with Rhea’s husband, Danny DeVito, died April 29 at his home in Los Angeles after a long illness, his daughter said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.





Philip Perlman appeared on more than 30 episodes of the hit NBC comedy "Cheers", on which Rhea made an indelible mark — and reeled in four Emmy Awards — as the wisecracking waitress Carla Tortelli.

Perlman had made his living in the toy business. (Rhea fondly recalled once going with him to a warehouse that was filled with "lots of dolls' arms and eyeballs.") After he retired in the mid-1980s, he and his wife, Adele, moved from Brooklyn to Los Angeles to be closer to their daughter and her family.



"He was always enamored of show business," said Rhea. "He was a huge movie and TV buff and knew every character actor on the planet. He once told Danny, 'You know, I want to be in one of your movies and say, 'Dinner is served.'"

Perlman came to the set of "Cheers" in 1986 and, as his daughter tells it, "went up to [director] Jimmy Burrows and said, 'Think I could be an extra?' Jimmy said, 'Sure! Anyone can sit at the bar.'"





After regular "Cheers" barfly Al Rosen died in 1990, Perlman (as the character "Phil") made the most of the chance to deliver the zingers that Rosen had been known for. And in one episode, Rhea got to splash water in her father's face.

The father and daughter also worked together in Class Act (1992) and on a 2002 episode of the "Cheers" spinoff "Frasier".







Perlman also worked with his son-in-law in The War of the Roses (1989), Other People’s Money (1991), Hoffa (1992), Out of Sight (1998), Man on the Moon (1999), Drowning Mona (2000), Duplex (2003), Marilyn Hotchkiss’ Ballroom Dancing & Charm School (2005) and Even Money (2006).

Perlman's last onscreen appearance came in a 2006 episode of DeVito’s FX comedy "It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia".



"I've known him for more than 40 years," DeVito told THR. "He was a helluva guy."

In addition to his wife of more than 65 years and his daughter and son-in-law, Perlman's survivors include his daughter Heide Perlman, who wrote and produced for "Cheers", "The Tracey Ullman Show", "Frasier" and "Kirstie", and grandchildren Lucy (an actress on Hulu’s Deadbeat), Jake, Ruby and Gracie.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/new...-barfly-792445

[Zoneboy]

Can't believe I missed this one.

[king of comedy]

R.I.P.

[Latka Gravas]

RIP Phil Perlman. Though this news if 4 years old, I just saw this & also recently saw the Cheers episodes he was in. Very funny guy; his one liners were hilarious. The fact that he & Carla were father & daughter IRL made his interactions with her (on the show) all the more comedic