– Actor Danny DeVito not only directed and starred in the Matilda (Mara Wilson) film, but also cared for and practically adopted her during filming. The young actress’s mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, and unable to care for her, Danny and his wife decided to help her through her difficult family life. They built a home theater, ate and played with her, and made her part of their family. After a long and painful process, her mother sadly passed away. Mara was deeply affected that her mother couldn’t see the film she was making, as it was an adaptation of a book they loved, but she didn’t have Danny’s big heart.
De Vito told her that he personally went to the hospital days before his mother died to show her the first unedited cut; in fact, she was the first to see the film.
At the end of the day, Danny was the worst father on screen, but the best in real life