AARP Hearing Center
Key takeaways
- Tony Danza reflects on his unlikely path from Brooklyn boxer to Hollywood stardom.
- Appreciate how supportive casts shaped Tony Danza’s early acting career.
- Learn simple health habits Tony Danza prioritizes to keep doing what he loves.
Summary
Tony Danza shares reflections on his journey from boxer to Hollywood star, describing how unexpected opportunities and generous collaborators shaped his career. He recalls joining a seasoned cast as a newcomer, feeling welcomed despite his lack of professional acting experience and recognizing how rare that support can be.
He also talks about the importance of gratitude, long-lasting relationships and staying healthy as he gets older. By focusing on sleep, regular workouts and enjoying life without wasting it, Tony Danza explains how he continues doing meaningful work and appreciating the time he has.
The key takeaways and summary were created with the assistance of generative AI. An AARP editor reviewed and refined the content for accuracy and clarity.
Full transcript:
[0:00:00] When I was a kid in Brooklyn, I, I would’ve taken the under on me.
[0:00:04] You know, I don’t know about the over.
[0:00:05] So I’m thrilled to be here, number one.
[0:00:09] Um, and I’m healthy, thankfully.
[0:00:23] When I got the break, think about this.
[0:00:26] So you have this crew of actors who have been knocking around Hollywood,
[0:00:33] and finally they get this show.
[0:00:36] And now this show is going to be so great because it’s got the best
[0:00:39] writers, and then they have the best director, Jimmy Burrows is going to do it.
[0:00:43] And it’s got the best time slot on TV.
[0:00:46] Oh, but, uh, there’s one thing.
[0:00:48] There’s this one little thing.
[0:00:50] We, we found this boxer in New York.
[0:00:53] Um, he’s never acted professionally, but we’re going to put him in the show.
[0:00:58] And I wonder how I would react now, you know what I mean?
[0:01:02] But they welcomed me with just the biggest open arms you can imagine.
[0:01:20] Taxi, we have, like, monthly Zooms.
[0:01:23] I know what’s going on in everybody’s life.
[0:01:25] It’s, it’s a really, really, really close group.
[0:01:29] And the Who’s the Boss? group, you know, me and Alyssa are very close.
[0:01:32] And, uh, and Judith and I, we, we pass in the night, but we,
[0:01:36] we send signals to each other.
[0:01:38] And Danny, Danny and I talk all the time.
[0:01:41] As you get older, I think you get a little bit more appreciative of things like that.
[0:01:52] I, I was afraid of the Italian trope and, uh, you know, I didn’t
[0:01:56] want to continue it, you know?
[0:01:58] But, uh, but, but it ended up being just the most terrific experience.
[0:02:03] Um, I loved playing the part.
[0:02:06] He was really, really fun to play, and I was surrounded by just the
[0:02:11] greatest bunch of actors and production and writing that you could ask for.
[0:02:16] I just feel like I’m so lucky to be able to do what I’m doing.
[0:02:26] You got to sleep.
[0:02:28] You got to sleep and you got to take care of yourself.
[0:02:30] You know, I just work out.
[0:02:31] I work out, I try to watch what I’m doing, but you know, I, I like to live.
[0:02:35] I know it’s finite.
[0:02:37] I know this is going to, you know, there’s going to be a day when I can’t do it, so
[0:02:40] I might as well do it as long as I can.
[0:02:42] Take advantage of the time.
[0:02:45] You can waste some of it, but don’t waste all of it.
