Rhea Jo Perlman is an American actress, best known for her role as Carla Tortelli on the sitcom Cheers, for which she won four Emmy Awards. Perlman was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Philip and Adele Perlman. Her father was an actor, and a doll-and toy-part salesman. Her sister Heide Perlman was a writer, story editor, and producer on the television shows Cheers and Frasier. Rhea Perlman attended Hunter College in New York and is an active Democrat. She began her acting career in 1972 when she played a bit role in the film Hot Dogs for Gauguin. That same year she appeared in Westbeth... Playwrights Feminist Collective's production of Up - An Uppity Revue, along with her future husband, Danny DeVito. Rhea Perlman began acting in the early 1970s with numerous appearances on TV films and short films. One of her first noticeable role was a recurring role on the television show Taxi as Zena, girlfriend of Louie DePalma . In 1982 she landed a role as Carla Tortelli on the hit sitcom Cheers. She won the Emmy four times, in 1984, 1985, 1986 and 1989. She was also nominated for a Golden Globe 6 times.
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