Michael Douglas has revealed how Danny DeVito got hilarious revenge on him while filming the dark 1989 comedy “The War of the Roses.” By the time DeVito stepped behind the camera to direct Douglas and Kathleen Turner in the movie, the trio had already endured grueling shoots together on “Romancing the Stone” and “The Jewel of the Nile.” DeVito apparently had not forgotten what Douglas put him through and he found the perfect opportunity to settle the score during one of the film’s most dramatic scenes.
5The prank unfolded while Douglas and Turner were preparing to film the movie’s climactic chandelier sequence. In the scene, their bitterly feuding characters, Oliver and Barbara Rose, end up hanging high above the floor before plunging to their deaths. Filming required both actors to climb into position atop the chandelier while DeVito directed from below.
“We got up on the chandelier,” Douglas recalled in an interview for AARP The Magazine, “and they say, ‘OK, everybody ready?’ ‘Yeah, we’re ready.’ And Danny goes, ‘OK, that’s lunch!’”
Rather than immediately bringing his stars back down, DeVito walked away and left them suspended above the set. “He left us up on top of the chandelier for five, 10 minutes, and we’re yelling, ‘Danny! What’s going on?’” Douglas continued.
Danny DeVito allowed the joke to continue before returning and finally revealing his motivation. “Danny milked it for a while, and then he came back and said, ‘What you put me through for Romancing, this is payback time, Mikey!’ ” Michael Douglas shared.
The Prank Was Payback For ‘Romancing The Stone’
5The “Romancing the Stone” shoot had taken Douglas, Turner, and DeVito far outside the comfort of a traditional Hollywood set.
The 1984 adventure film required the cast to work through heat, mud, and difficult conditions while shooting on location. They reunited the following year for its sequel, “The Jewel of the Nile,” before joining forces again for “The War of the Roses.” That shared history meant Douglas and Turner already understood DeVito’s unpredictable sense of humor when he became their director.
The chandelier stunt allowed Danny DeVito to turn their past experiences into a joke without leaving his longtime friends stranded for too long. After enjoying their confusion for several minutes, he returned and allowed production to continue. The prank also fit the unusually dark comedic tone of “The War of the Roses,” which follows the spectacular collapse of a wealthy couple’s marriage as their hostility escalates into increasingly destructive acts.
Michael Douglas Praises Danny DeVito’s ‘Wiggy’ Humor
5Michael Douglas described Danny DeVito as someone who instinctively searches for comedy in unexpected and uncomfortable moments. “He’s got a wonderful, wiggy sense of humor,” Douglas said. “He sees the absurdity of situations and finds the humor in the absurdity. And he’s always testing boundaries.”
The chandelier story demonstrated that trait perfectly. DeVito took an already absurd visual, two major movie stars suspended in the air, and pushed it further by casually announcing lunch and walking away. Still, the prank never appeared to threaten their friendship. Instead, it became another memorable chapter in a relationship that began long before either man became famous.
Michael Douglas And Danny DeVito’s Friendship Predates Their Hollywood Success
5Douglas and DeVito first met while studying acting in New York during the 1960s and later shared an apartment as they attempted to establish their careers.
In a previous interview, Douglas described the two as sharing a similarly dark sense of humor, a connection that has remained intact across decades of friendship and numerous collaborations.
Danny DeVito And Michael Douglas Built A Decades-Long Creative Partnership
5Michael Douglas and Danny DeVito’s professional relationship extends beyond the three films they made with Turner. The two later reunited onscreen in the 2009 drama “Solitary Man,” and their shared history also includes the acclaimed 1975 film “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.” Douglas produced the movie, while DeVito portrayed Martini.
Their bond has allowed them to work together as actors, director and performer, and creative collaborators. For Douglas, DeVito’s ability to test boundaries is inseparable from the qualities that have made him such an enduring presence in entertainment.