Who’s Still Alive From ‘Taxi’?
Can you believe it has been four decades since Taxi first pulled onto our screens? The classic sitcom premiered on September 12, 1978, and quickly found its way into the hearts of viewers. The series ran until 1983, but in that five-year span it managed to make a lasting impact, earning both critical praise and a loyal fanbase.
At the center of Taxi was the Sunshine Cab Company, a garage full of drivers who were each trying to make ends meet while secretly dreaming of something bigger. Alex Rieger, played by Judd Hirsch, often served as the voice of reason, while Tony Danza, Marilu Henner, Christopher Lloyd and Andy Kaufman brought unforgettable energy. Have you ever wondered what the cast is up to now?
It appears that some of them made lifelong friendships as some of the cast members reunited last year, with Christopher Lloyd sharing a photo of the reunion on social media.
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Marilu Henner (73)
Elaine Nardo
Paramount Television/Everett Collection
Henner became a household name after starring in Taxi. She was able to host her own talk show called Marilu for about 150 episodes. She also appeared in four seasons of the show Evening Shade. In more recent years, she has been working with the Hallmark Channel appearing in the Aurora Teagarden Mysteries series, Love on a Limb, A Kiss Before Christmas, and more. Henner also appeared on Broadway in several shows including Social Security and Chicago.
Allister Foster/Hallmark Movie Channel/Everett Collection
In her personal life, she has been married three times. First to Frederic Forrest from 1980 to 1982, then to Robert Lieberman from 1990 until 2001, and most recently to Michael Brown. She has two sons, Nicholas and Joseph with her second husband. Henner has a condition called hyperthymesia which allows her to remember more life experiences than the average person in vivid details. Only under 100 people in the world have been diagnosed with this condition, making it extremely rare.
Tony Danza (74)
Tony Banta
Paramount/Everett Collection
Danza was actually discovered in a boxing gym and his role in Taxi started his long and successful career. After the show ended, he starred on Who’s the Boss? for eight seasons. Like Henner, he has appeared on TV, in movies, and on Broadway. Some of his notable roles have been in Baby Talk, Crash, and Angels in the Outfield. He also hosted his own talk show called The Tony Danza Show. More recently, he has appeared in And Just Like That…, Blue Bloods, and Darby and the Dead.
Craig Blankenhorn/Max/Everett Collection
He has been married twice, first to Rhonda Teoman from 1970 to 1974 and later to Tracy Robinson from 1986 to 2013. He has four children altogether, two with Rhonda, and two with Tracy.
Danza has expressed interest in a reboot or revival of the show and told Entertainment Weekly, “When I think about Taxi and how integral it was to my life and who I am, it’s almost like a temple. It was so great to work there. I would love to see it.”
Danny DeVito (80)
Louis De Palma
Paramount/Everett Collection
Like Danza, this was a breakout role for DeVito. His role as Louis De Palma earned him both an Emmy and Golden Globe award. He went on to appear in movies such as Terms of Endearment, Romancing the Stone, and Batman Returns. Besides Taxi, he is perhaps best known as Frank Reynolds in the long-running series It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. He has also produced several big films including Pulp Fiction with his production company Jersey Films. DeVito most recently starred in the new Haunted Mansion movie, based on the Disney attraction.
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures/Everett Collection
DeVito married Cheers actress Rhea Perlman (find out what the cast of Cheers is up to now after this!) in 1982 and they have three children together. They separated in 2017 but remain good friends.
Judd Hirsch (90)
Alex Rieger
Everett Collection
While starring in Taxi, Hirsch also starred in the film Ordinary People and earned an Academy Award nomination. He then starred in the show Dear John and films Independence Day, A Beautiful Mind, Numb3rs, and more. He also starred in several Broadway plays. Hirsch recently appeared in Uncut Gems and The Fablemans and was praised for his performances. Just this year, he made history for the longest time between Oscar nominations, over 41 years.
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures/Everett Collection
He has been married twice, first to Elisa Sadaune from 1963 to 1967 and later to Bonni Chalkin from 1992 to 2005. He has three children.
Christopher Lloyd (86)
Reverend Jim Ignatowski
Paramount/Everett Collection
Lloyd has played some stand-out characters. You probably know him as Uncle Fester Addams in The Addams Family, Doc Brown in the Back to the Future franchise, or Judge Doom in Who Framed Roger Rabbit. He earned two Emmy awards for his role in Taxi. Most recently, he appeared in A Million Little Things, The Mandalorian, and the upcoming film Camp Hideout. He also loves to reunite with his Back to the Future co-star Michael J. Fox for events.
Roadside Attractions/Everett Collection
He has been married five times but has no children. He is currently with Lisa Loiacono whom he has been married to since 2016. His nephew, the late Sam Lloyd, was best known for playing Ted, the lawyer on Scrubs.
Carol Kane (73)
Simka Dahblitz-Gravas
Paramount Television/Everett Collection
Kane had already appeared in some classics including Annie Hall when she was cast in Taxi. Later, she appeared in films such as The Princess Bride, Scrooged, and Flashback as well as shows Seinfeld, Chicago Hope, and The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.
Health Point Productions/Everett Collection
For Broadway fans, she was well-known as Madame Morrible in the national tour of Wicked for almost a decade. Most recently, she voiced a character in the film Migration.
Jeff Conaway (d. 2011)
Bobby Wheeler
Paramount Television/Everett Collection
Conaway found fame as Kenickie in the popular film Grease. The same year he appeared on Taxi and stayed on for four seasons of the show. Unfortunately, his time on Grease led to an addiction that would change the course of his life. He sustained an injury on set that led to struggles with drug addiction. Before his death in 2011 at the age of 60, he did appear in the films The Patriot, Elvira: Mistress of Darkness, and more. Conaway was also known for being on the soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful.
Babylonian Productions/Everett Collection
Like many of his Taxi co-stars, he was married several times. He married former Grease co-star Olivia Newton-John‘s sister Rona Newton-John in the ’80s and later settled down with Kerri Young from 1990 to 2000. Sadly, he died from a drug overdose.
Andy Kaufman (d. 1984)
Latka Gravas
Everett Collection
Kaufman was inspired to play Latka Gravas by a character he played on Saturday Night Live. He was a talented sketch comedian who died far too young. He passed away in 1984 at the age of 35 after battling lung cancer. He was never married but he did have one child, Maria Bellu-Colonna.
Where to Watch Taxi
You can stream all five seasons of Taxi on Paramount+, catch episodes for free on Pluto TV and Catchy Comedy.
Remind 
1970s Fall TV
September 2023
Take a trip back to the ’70s by looking at the TV Guide Magazine Fall Preview primetime lineups.
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