Tony Danza explains why he always plays guys named Tony

[TMC]

https://www.indiewire.com/2018/09/th...ew-1202005694/

However the character of Big Tony got his name, Danza is used to playing characters named Tony, going all the way back to the classic 1978-1983 sitcom “Taxi.” “The part was written for an Irish heavyweight named Phil Ryan. And I went and read for the part, and I got the part and they made it Phil Banta, an Italian middleweight,” he said.

“And then they changed it to Tony Banta. And of course I made up a joke which has now become legend: When the producer came down, put his arm around me and said, ‘Hey, we’re gonna change the name of the character from Phil Banta to Tony Banta,’ and I was so naïve, I was like ‘Wow, they’re doing that for me,’ and then I realized it was a reflection on my acting ability. They were afraid I wouldn’t answer to Phil. That’s become sort of an urban legend. It’s weird, it was just a stupid joke that I made up.”

Following “Taxi,” though, Danza noted that when “Who’s the Boss?” creators Marty Cohan and Blake Hunter wrote the show for him, “they used the name Tony and it stayed Tony… Writers, they just write and then it can change. But, I don’t know, ya know? You know what I say? I always say, we tried Dennis, it didn’t work.”

For Danza, what really mattered wasn’t the character name, but the writing itself. “It’s always about the writing. And this was such a good script,” he said of “The Good Cop.” “I have this little stupid idiosyncratic [thing] — I read to the first joke. If it makes me laugh. then I’m really excited about reading for the rest of it. We laughed, so that’s basically … It’s a no-brainer.”

[80s Dude]

He probably took too many shots to the head during his boxing career and only can remember his first name.

[TMC]

I don't really understand why Tony Danza is often singled out for frequently playing characters that share his name, to the point in which TV Tropes has an entire subject on it. Lucille Ball always played a woman named Lucy on her TV shows. Charlie Sheen always played a man named Charlie on his sitcoms, be it Spin City, Two and a Half Men, or Anger Management. Joey Lawrence first gained notoriety for playing a little boy also named "Joey" on Gimme a Break!, which transferred over to his roles on Blossom and naturally, Melissa & Joey. Woody Harrelson played a man named Woody Boyd on Cheers, even though he wasn't exactly a "name" actor at the time.

[TMC]

Tony Danza discusses getting cast on Who's the Boss? - EMMYTVLEGENDS.ORG

[PracTz]

Originally Posted by TMC

I don't really understand why Tony Danza is often singled out for frequently playing characters that share his name, to the point in which TV Tropes has an entire subject on it. Lucille Ball always played a woman named Lucy on her TV shows. .

Ah, but the irony is that, until she was courted by Desi, she was always called her given name of 'Lucille' by her family and friends. He's the one who first started to call her the nickname of 'Lucy' because 'other men had called [her] Lucille but Lucy is all MINE!'. Yeah, that didn't last long and within a short time 'Lucy' was ALL any new friends,etc. would call her even decades after she split from him.