Fans of the movie Matilda were shocked to discover the actors who played her parents were married in real life.
The beloved 1996 fantasy film saw Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman star as Harry and Zinnia Wormwood, parents to Matilda (Mara Wilson), a booksmart young girl with telekinetic powers.
Danny also served as director of the film which was based on Roald Dahl’s book of the same name.
The characters are portrayed as obnoxious and superficial in the film, with neither having any interest in their daughter’s life.
Towards the end of the film, they agree to let Matilda’s teacher Miss Honey (Embeth Davidtz) adopt her after Matilda said she would like to live with her.
Matilda fans were shocked to discover the actors who played her parents were married in real life (Danny DeVito, Mara Wilson and Rhea Perlman pictured in Matilda, 1996)
Fans made the discovery after Danny gave his estranged wife a shoutout at the Emmys on Monday night (Danny and Rhea pictured at the Emmys with their daughter Lucy)
But despite the huge success of the film, many of its fans were unaware Danny and Rhea were married in real life.
The couple tied the knot in 1982 and had three children – Lucy, 40, Grace, 38, and Jacob – 36, before separating in 2017.
Fans made the discovery after Danny gave his estranged wife a shoutout at the Emmys on Monday night.
The actor was on stage when he sweetly pointed out how many awards Rhea had won in the past at the event.
Taking to X, fans wrote: ‘Matilda’s parents were really married wtf’… ‘How has it taken me 25+ years to discover Matilda’s parents were married for a long time.’
‘Today years old when I found out Matilda’s parents were a real life couple’… ‘Omg I never knew Matilda’s parents were married irl’.’
The pair announced their separation in October 2012. They later reconciled in March 2013, before splitting for good in March 2017 and have remained good friends.
Both Danny and Rhea served as presenters at the Emmys, which had been postponed amid the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes in 2023.
Danny also served as director of the film which was based on Roald Dahl’s book of the same name (Mara Wilson as Matilda)
The characters are portrayed as obnoxious and superficial in the film, with neither having any interest in their daughter’s life
They also walked the red carpet together where they were joined by their eldest daughter Lucy.
Rhea appeared onstage with fellow cast members from Cheers while Danny appeared with the cast of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia as part of the awards show’s tribute to some of the most iconic series in television.
During his time onstage, Danny gave his ex a kind shoutout, saying, ‘Even Rhea won four for Cheers.’
She was then seen laughing and looking delighted in the audience after he made the supportive comment.
Last June Rhea revealed that the pair are still legally married – despite officially separating back in 2012.
She dished on her relationship with the star on an episode of Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ podcast, Wiser Than Me.
‘Danny and I, we are still married … and we are still very good friends and we see each other a lot,’ said Rhea.
Taking to X, fans wrote: ‘Matilda’s parents were really married wtf’… ‘How has it taken me 25+ years to discover Matilda’s parents were married for a long time’
However, despite gushing about the ‘good’ relationship she now shares with her former spouse, the actress admitted that it has not always been such smooth sailing for the ex-couple, particularly in the early days after they separated.
‘I’m not gonna sugarcoat it – it was difficult, it was very difficult at first,’ she shared. ‘There were a lot of reasons that we separated – which I’m not gonna go into.
‘It took time for us to come to this – somehow – pretty decent understanding and relationship with each other.’
‘It sounds to me like you’re pretty peaceful about it now,’ Julia reflected of Rhea’s post-separation journey.
‘Well, I am at the moment. I live alone with my little dog – my partner in life now,’ Rhea added with a laugh.
‘I don’t like living alone!’ Rhea further confessed, before clarifying ‘I like being alone. I like having time to myself.’
Though the two reconciled between 2013 and 2017, neither have been publicly involved with anyone else since their split.
Rhea and Danny met back in the 1970s after the actress saw him in a stage production of The Shrinking Bride.
Danny was on stage when he sweetly pointed out how many awards Rhea had won in the past at the event after they posed on the red carpet together
Rhea was then seen laughing and looking delighted in the audience after he made the supportive comment
Both Danny and Rhea served as presenters at the Emmys, which had been postponed amid the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes in 2023 (Danny on stage with his It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia cast)
During his time onstage, Danny gave his ex a kind shoutout, saying, ‘Even Rhea won four for Cheers’
Emmys 2024 WINNERS: AT A GLANCE
Drama Series: Succession
Actor in a Drama Series: Kieran Culkin – Succession
Actress in a Drama Series: Sarah Snook – Succession
Supporting Actor in a Drama Series: Matthew MacFadyen – Succession
Supporting Actress in a Drama Series: Jennifer Coolidge – The White Lotus
Limited Series: Beef
Actor in a Limited Series or TV Movie: Steven Yeun – Beef
Actress in a Limited Series or TV Movie: Ali Wong – Beef
Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or TV Movie: Paul Walter Hauser – Black Bird
Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or TV Movie: Niecy Nash-Betts – Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story
Comedy Series: The Bear
Actor in a Comedy Series: Jeremy Allen White – The Bear
Actress in a Comedy Series: Quinta Brunson – Abbott Elementary
Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series: Ebon Moss-Bachrach – The Bear
Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series: Ayo Edebiri – The Bear
Reality Competition Program: RuPaul’s Drag Race
Talk Series: The Daily Show With Trevor Noah
Scripted Variety Series: Last Week Tonight With John Oliver
Succession nearly swept the board with wins for Matthew MacFadyen, Sarah Snook, and Kieran Culkin (left to right)
Succession and restaurant dramedy The Bear dominated the Emmy Awards on Monday, earning six trophies each as Hollywood handed out its top accolades for television at a star-studded ceremony which featured a star-studded red carpet.
The widely-acclaimed HBO series about the Roy family’s high-stakes battle for control of a global business empire, won the prestigious Best Drama prize for its fourth and final season.
The Bear was named best comedy at a ceremony that was delayed by four months because of last year’s labor turmoil in Hollywood. Road rage drama Beef, starring Ali Wong and Steven Yeun, claimed Best Limited Series.
Meanwhile, The Bear enjoyed a similar night to Succession as the FX series mauled the competition including the Best Comedy Series prize.
Jeremy Allen White took home Best Actor in a Comedy Series: Jeremy Allen White while castmates Ayo Edebiri and Ebon Moss-Bachrach earned Supporting Actress and Actor in a Comedy Series, respectively.
The 32-year-old actor cooked the competition which included: Bill Hader – Barry, Jason Segel – Shrinking, Martin Short – Only Murders in the Building, and Jason Sudeikis – Ted Lasso.
Last June Rhea (left) revealed that the pair are still legally married – despite officially separating back in 2012 (Danny seen right at the Emmys)
Ali Wong and Steven Yeun led Beef to an epic night in the limited series or movie categories as the 41-year-old actress and 40-year-old actor were presented with the Lead Actress and Actor in a Limited Series or TV Movie awards, respectively, as their Netflix series also earned top honor Best Limited Series.
Ali triumphed over the likes of: Lizzy Caplan – Fleishman Is in Trouble, Jessica Chastain – George & Tammy, Dominique Fishback – Swarm, Kathryn Hahn – Tiny Beautiful Things, and Riley Keough, Daisy Jones and the Six.
Just before that it was Steven’s moment as he won over: Taron Egerton – Black Bird, Kumail Nanjiani – Welcome the Chippendales, Evan Peters – Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, Daniel Radcliffe – Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, and Michael Shannon – George & Tammy.
The 75th Emmy Awards took place at the Peacock Theater in downtown Los Angeles on Monday evening.
75th Primetime Emmy Awards: All the major winners
Drama Series
Andor
Better Call Saul
The Crown
House of the Dragon
The Last of Us
Succession – WINNER
The White Lotus
Yellowjackets
Succession earned the top honor Best Drama Series in its final season
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Actor in a Drama Series
Jeff Bridges – The Old Man
Brian Cox – Succession
Kieran Culkin – Succession – WINNER
Bob Odenkirk – Better Call Saul
Pedro Pascal – The Last of Us
Jeremy Strong – Succession
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Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Jennifer Coolidge – The White Lotus – WINNER
Elizabeth Debicki – The Crown
Meghann Fahy – The White Lotus
Sabrina Impacciatore – The White Lotus
Aubrey Plaza – The White Lotus
Rhea Seehorn – Better Call Saul
J Smith-Cameron – Succession
Simona Tabasco – The White Lotus
Jennifer Coolidge continued her successful run as she won Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for The White Lotus
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Actress in a Comedy Series
Christina Applegate – Dead to Me
Rachel Brosnahan – The Marvelous Mrs Maisel
Quinta Brunson – Abbott Elementary – WINNER
Natasha Lyonne – Poker Face
Jenna Ortega – Wednesday
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Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Anthony Carrigan – Barry
Phil Dunster – Ted Lasso
Brett Goldstein – Ted Lasso
James Marsden – Jury Duty
Ebon Moss-Bachrach – The Bear – WINNER
Tyler James Williams – Abbott Elementary
Henry Winkler – Barry
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Limited Series
Beef – WINNER
Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story
Daisy Jones and the Six
Fleishman Is in Trouble
Obi-Wan Kenobi
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Actor in a Limited Series or TV Movie
Taron Egerton – Black Bird
Kumail Nanjiani – Welcome the Chippendales
Evan Peters – Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story
Daniel Radcliffe – Weird: The Al Yankovic Story
Michael Shannon – George & Tammy
Steven Yeun – Beef – WINNER
Steven Yeun triumphed in the Actor in a Limited Series or TV Movie category for Beef
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Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or TV Movie
Murray Bartlett – Welcome to Chippendales
Paul Walter Hauser – Black Bird – WINNER
Richard Jenkins – Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story
Joseph Lee – Beef
Ray Liotta – Black Bird
Young Mazino – Beef
Jesse Plemons – Love & Death
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Talk Series
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah – WINNER
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Late Night with Seth Meyers
The Daily Show With Trevor Noah earned Best Talk Series months after the titular host left the show
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Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
F Murray Abraham – The White Lotus
Nicholas Braun – Succession
Michael Imperioli – The White Lotus
Theo James – The White Lotus
Matthew Macfadyen – Succession – WINNER
Alan Ruck – Succession
Will Sharpe, The White Lotus
Alexander Skarsgård, Succession
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Actress in a Drama Series
Sharon Horgan – Bad Sisters
Melanie Lynskey – Yellowjackets
Elisabeth Moss – The Handmaid’s Tale
Bella Ramsey – The Last of Us
Keri Russell – The Diplomat
Sarah Snook – Succession – WINNER
Sarah Snook was crowned Best Actress in a Drama Series for her work on Succession
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Actor in a Comedy Series
Bill Hader – Barry
Jason Segel – Shrinking
Martin Short – Only Murders in the Building
Jason Sudeikis – Ted Lasso
Jeremy Allen White – The Bear – WINNER
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Comedy Series
Abbott Elementary
Barry
The Bear – WINNER
Jury Duty
The Marvelous Mrs Maisel
Only Murders in the Building
Ted Lasso
Wednesday
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Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Alex Bornstein – The Marvelous Mrs Maisel
Ayo Edebiri – The Bear – WINNER
Janelle James – Abbott Elementary
Sheryl Lee Ralph – Abbott Elementary
Juno Temple – Ted Lasso
Hannah Waddingham – Ted Lasso
Jessica Williams – Shrinking
Ayo Edebiri dazzled as she earned Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for The Bear
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Actress in a Limited Series or TV Movie
Lizzy Caplan – Fleishman Is in Trouble
Jessica Chastain – George & Tammy
Dominique Fishback – Swarm
Kathryn Hahn – Tiny Beautiful Things
Riley Keough, Daisy Jones and the Six
Ali Wong, Beef – WINNER
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Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or TV Movie
Annaleigh Ashford – Welcome to Chippendales
Maria Bello – Beef
Claire Danes – Fleishman is in Trouble
Juliette Lewis – Welcome to Chippendales
Camila Morrone – Daisy Jones & the Six
Niecy Nash-Betts – Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story – WINNER
Niecy Nash-Betts – Dahmer won Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or TV Movie for Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story
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Reality Competition Program
The Amazing Race
RuPaul’s Drag Race – WINNER
Survivor
Top Chef
The Voice
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Outstanding variety special (live)
“Elton John Live: Farewell From Dodger Stadium” – WINNER
“The Apple Music Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show Starring Rihanna”
“Chris Rock: Selective Outrage”
“The Oscars”
“75th Annual Tony Awards”
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Scripted variety series
A Black Lady Sketch Show
Last Week Tonight With John Oliver – WINNER
Saturday Night Live
Scripted Variety Series was earned by Last Week Tonight With John Oliver
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