Lucy Chet DeVito (born March 11, 1983) is an American actress whose work spans theater, television, film, and animation. Known for her grounded performances and strong ties to New York’s stage scene, she has built a career that emphasizes character-driven storytelling over celebrity visibility. She is the daughter of actors Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman.
Early Life and Education
Lucy DeVito was born in Los Angeles, California, to two established performers: her father, Danny DeVito, and her mother, Rhea Perlman. She grew up in a creative household alongside her two younger siblings, sister Grace Fan DeVito and brother Jacob Daniel DeVito. Her upbringing reflected a blend of cultural traditions, with her father raised Catholic and her mother Jewish.
Despite her Hollywood lineage, DeVito gravitated early toward theater rather than screen stardom. She attended Brown University, where she studied theater, graduating in 2007. During her time there, she developed a deep interest in experimental and developmental stage work.
Career
DeVito’s professional acting career began in earnest in the theater world. In 2007, she starred as the non-speaking autistic title character in Lucy at Ensemble Studio Theater in New York. That same year, she became a long-term member of the company, which focuses on developing new plays and emerging voices.
In 2008, she portrayed Anne Frank in a production staged at the Intiman Theatre in Seattle, earning recognition for her restrained and emotionally precise performance. The following year, she appeared in The Miracle at Naples at the Huntington Theatre, continuing to establish herself as a serious stage actress.
Her first notable film role came in Leaves of Grass (2009). Later that year, she appeared alongside her mother in the off-Broadway production of Love, Loss, and What I Wore, adapted by Nora and Delia Ephron, marking a rare professional collaboration between the two.
DeVito expanded into television with a recurring role on the sitcom Melissa & Joey from 2010 to 2012, followed by a starring role in the Hulu comedy series Deadbeat (2014–2015). In 2016, she appeared in the film The Comedian, playing the on-screen daughter of her real-life father.
One of her most significant stage successes came in 2016, when she portrayed Annelle Dupuy-Desoto in Steel Magnoliasat the Bucks County Playhouse. Directed by Marsha Mason, the production became the highest-grossing show in the theater’s history and featured an ensemble cast of established television and stage actresses.
In 2017, she starred in the romantic comedy play Hot Mess, continuing her pattern of alternating between comedy and emotionally intimate material.
In animation, DeVito became a main voice actor and executive producer for the FXX animated series Little Demon(2022), further expanding her creative range behind the scenes.
Her Broadway debut came in 2023 with the play I Need That, marking a milestone in a career long rooted in theater rather than celebrity-driven projects.
Personal Life
In April 2024, DeVito announced that she was expecting her first child. She welcomed her son, Carmine, in July 2024.
Despite her famous background, Lucy DeVito has maintained a low public profile, focusing on craft, collaboration, and long-term artistic development rather than mainstream visibility.
