Almost everyone loves a good workplace sitcom, and the 1978 New York City-set series *Taxi* was one of the greatest of all time. But what have the show’s stars been up to since the series went off the air in 1983?
*Taxi* followed the employees of the fictional Sunshine Cab Company in Manhattan as they went about their lives. It starred a cast of future entertainment titans. While comedian Andy Kaufman, who played oddball immigrant mechanic Latka, died less than a year after the series ended, and Jeff Conaway, who played struggling actor Bobby Wheeler, passed away in 2011 after a long and public battle with drug and alcohol addiction, other cast members have gone on to massive success.
### Origins and Legacy of *Taxi*
*Taxi* was created by former *Mary Tyler Moore Show* writers and producers James L. Brooks, Stan Daniels, David Davis, and Ed. Weinberger. Over the course of its five seasons, the show received an impressive 34 Emmy nominations and won 18 awards.
Not only that, but head writers Glen and Les Charles went on to create the wildly popular *Cheers*, forever changing the sitcom landscape.
*(Note: Randall Carver, who played John Burns in the first season, and Carol Kane, who played Simka in the last two seasons, are not included here due to their brief roles. However, both have enjoyed successful acting careers in movies and television.)*
### Judd Hirsch – Alex Reiger
Judd Hirsch was already somewhat well-known before *Taxi*, having earned an Emmy nomination for a guest spot on the comedy *Rhoda*. However, he truly came into the spotlight as Alex Reiger, the even-keeled but cynical cab driver who mostly played the straight man to everyone else’s ridiculous antics.
Hirsch won the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for this role in 1981 and again in 1983. Since *Taxi*, he has made numerous guest appearances on shows as diverse as *Law & Order: Special Victims Unit*, *The Big Bang Theory*, *American Dad!*, *The Good Wife*, and *Maron*. He also starred as the title character on the sitcom *Dear John* and co-starred in the short-lived *Superior Donuts*.
On the big screen, Hirsch has appeared in blockbusters like *Independence Day* as well as independent films. Notably, he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Boris Podgorny in Steven Spielberg’s 2022 film *The Fabelmans*.
Hirsch has also had a storied stage career, winning Tony Awards for Best Actor in a Play for *Conversations with My Father* and *I’m Not Rappaport*.
### Marilu Henner – Elaine Nardo
Among the female cast members, Marilu Henner stood out as Elaine Nardo, a single mother, taxi driver, and art lover. Elaine always held her own with the guys at the shop and acted as Sunshine Cab’s surrogate mother to everyone—except Louie, who lusted after her cartoonishly.
Since *Taxi*, Henner has taken on mostly smaller roles in movies and television, including a one-off appearance on *NCIS*. She has also played the title character’s mother in multiple Hallmark Channel *Aurora Teagarden Mysteries* TV movies.
Henner appeared as a contestant on the first season of *The Celebrity Apprentice* in 2008 and on the 23rd season of *Dancing With the Stars* in 2016, even performing a *Taxi*-themed foxtrot with her dance partner, Derek Hough.
Beyond acting and reality TV, Henner is a vocal brain-research activist. She has a rare condition called Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory (HSAM), which allows her to recall memories with extraordinary detail.
### Tony Danza – Tony Banta
Before *Taxi*, Tony Danza was a professional middleweight boxer. He was discovered at a boxing gym and cast as Tony Banta, the lovable but unlucky Italian-American cab driver and former boxer. While the character Tony was terrible in the ring, Danza had been quite good.
After *Taxi*, Danza found success starring on the hit sitcom *Who’s the Boss?*, which ran on ABC for eight seasons. While he has had bit parts in films like *Don Jon* and *Angels in the Outfield*, his primary success has been on television.
He has had major guest roles on shows like *Blue Bloods* and the *Sex and the City* sequel *And Just Like That…*. Danza also starred in the short-lived Netflix series *The Good Cop*, opposite actor and singer Josh Groban, who played his character’s son.
Danza additionally hosted his own daytime variety talk show, *The Tony Danza Show*, which ran for two seasons (330 episodes) from 2004 to 2006. He also starred in a sitcom of the same name in 1997, which aired for five episodes.
### Danny DeVito – Louie De Palma
At Sunshine Cab Company, the crew were friendly with one another but universally despised their boss, Louie De Palma, played by Danny DeVito. Louie was a morally bankrupt jerk who barked orders and sexually harassed nearly every woman younger than his mother.
DeVito famously landed the role by walking into the audition, throwing his script on the table, and yelling, “Who wrote this s***? Pure Louie!”
Following *Taxi*, DeVito has enjoyed a prolific career across movies, theater, and television. He made impactful one-off appearances such as a male stripper on *Friends*, but also had major roles like The Penguin in Tim Burton’s *Batman Returns* (1992) and Sid Hudgens in Curtis Hanson’s noir *L.A. Confidential* (1997).
As a director, he helmed excellent dark comedies such as *The War of the Roses* and *Throw Momma From the Train*, the children’s film *Matilda*, and the underrated *Death to Smoochy*.
DeVito is also a successful producer; his company, Jersey Films, produced notable movies including *Pulp Fiction*, *Get Shorty*, and *Garden State*.
Perhaps his greatest work since *Taxi* is his role as Frank Reynolds on the long-running FX sitcom *It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia*. Joining in the show’s second season, Frank is a magnified version of Louie’s bad behavior and has been the deranged fuel driving the series for over 16 seasons.
### Christopher Lloyd – Reverend Jim Ignatowski
Christopher Lloyd officially joined the *Taxi* cast in the second season after guest-starring in the first as Reverend Jim Ignatowski, a former college intellectual turned spacey hippie due to heavy drug use in the 1960s. Over the series, Jim developed a close relationship with Louie, who affectionately called him “Iggy,” revealing a softer side behind the madness.
Since *Taxi,* Lloyd has remained a highly active and beloved performer. He gained international fame for playing the eccentric inventor Doc Brown in the *Back to the Future* films.
Lloyd also starred as a Klingon commander in *Star Trek III: The Search for Spock*, Professor Plum in *Clue*, and the wild Uncle Fester in *The Addams Family* and *Addams Family Values*.
He has made numerous guest appearances on television shows such as *The Mandalorian*, *NCIS*, and *Hacks*, building an extensive IMDb resume.
Most recently, Lloyd appeared on the Netflix series *Wednesday* as Professor Orloff, and played the father of Bob Odenkirk’s character in the action movies *Nobody* and *Nobody 2*.
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*Taxi* may have ended nearly four decades ago, but its cast members have continued to influence entertainment in big ways—proving the show’s lasting impact on television and beyond.
https://www.tvline.com/2020171/what-happened-taxi-tv-series-cast/
