Danny DeVito Compares The One And Only Ivan Role To Himself

Quick, think of a Danny DeVito character. Think of another. Both very different but also VERY Danny DeVito right? Throughout his acting career, the 75-year-old actor has taken on countless different types of characters, from a Batman villain, an alien business tycoon, and even The Lorax. In his new film The One and Only Ivan, DeVito takes on the challenging role of Bob the dog. Speaking with ComicBook.com about his part, DeVito opened up about his process for getting into a role like that, which would no doubt sound like an easy paying gig, but the Academy Award nominee reveals he infused the character with himself to make him whole.

“Kind of a blending of my personal life and what’s going on in the screen because Bob is a very free spirit, ‘I feel like I can do anything,’” DeVito said. “Myself, I always feel like I can come and go. I don’t have to worry about anything, I’m not inhibited in any way. And Bob is the same way. He comes and goes and eats a piece of pizza off the ground and just goes with the flow realizing, of course, in The One and Only Ivan that one of the most important things, if not the most important thing, is to have friendship and family. And if you have a friendship, or a mate, or a buddy, which in this case is Sam Rockwell playing Ivan, it kind of rounds you out. It fills you out and gives Bob a purpose other than just his every whim.”

In case you want a glimpse into the life of Danny DeVito (and how it likely played into the part of Bob the dog), he broke down how he’s handling life in quarantine, which sounds pretty great.

“I have to always be on the go, you know, I’m always doing something. I mean, of course I can’t go anywhere. I’ll go go from my house to another house, put the mask on always. Sit in the yard, 10 feet away from somebody and have a drink, that kind of thing. It’s sequestered, it’s not fun, but I do have a couple of things in development and I’m doing a show called ‘A Little Demon’ for FX, which is an animated show. So, that’s good because you get to do that at home. It’s a pilot that we’re doing for John Landgraf. And…once in a while, see the kids, I have three. A lot of television, Sopranos again, Higher again.”

The One and Only Ivan is available on Disney+ on August 21.