Nostalgia
This Beloved Sitcom Turns 44 — and One Recurring Bar Patron Was Actually a Star’s Real-Life Father
A beloved ’80s sitcom is celebrating its 44th anniversary, and one familiar bar regular was actually the real-life father of one of its stars.
Forty-four years ago, Cheers introduced viewers to one of television’s most beloved bars. Over its 11-season run, the sitcom became famous for its unforgettable regulars, but one familiar face had a particularly surprising connection to the cast: he was actually the father of one of the show’s stars.
Philip Perlman played Phil, one of the bar’s recurring patrons, alongside his daughter Rhea Perlman, who played Carla Tortelli. However, he didn’t arrive on the Cheers set as a seasoned actor. His role came after a visit to the set and an offhanded request.
Director James Burrows said yes, and a memorable late-in-life acting career was born.
Everybody remembers the characters of Sam Malone, Cliff Clavin, Norm Peterson, Tortelli, and Woody Boyd. Of course, there was also Diane Chambers as Sam’s love interest in the early seasons, and later, Rebecca Howe became the object of Sam’s affection.
However, there was also Phil, an office worker who was a “barfly” at the establishment. He was often around but rarely drew much attention to himself. That’s who Rhea’s father played.
While Phil wasn’t as integral to the day-to-day happenings at the bar as others like Sam and Woody, according to IMDb, he appeared in more episodes than some of the other regulars.
The Television Academy website credits Philip with 33 episodes, and The Hollywood Reporter noted “more than 30” episodes when reporting on Philip’s death at 95 in 2015.
Cheers aired for 11 seasons, and Ted Danson, Rhea, John Ratzenberger (Cliff), and George Wendt (Norm) appeared in all 270 episodes. Kelsey Grammer (Dr. Frasier Crane) and Woody Harrelson (Woody) both appeared in over 200 episodes, as well.
Shelley Long and Kirstie Alley were each cast members for only part of the show’s run, and both appeared in more than 100 episodes.
Once Philip started his late-in-life acting career, he embraced a handful of opportunities outside of Cheers. Oftentimes, his other appearances were in projects starring his son-in-law, Danny DeVito. Some of his other appearances included Hoffa, Out of Sight, Frasier, and It’s Always Sunny in Pennsylvania.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Philip’s acting career only began after he retired from the toy business. He and his wife, Adele Perlman, decided to leave New York and move to Los Angeles, where their daughters and their families lived.
Rhea said, “He was always enamored of show business. He was a huge movie and TV buff and knew every character actor on the planet.”
One day in 1986, she revealed, he visited the Cheers set. Rhea said he “went up to [director] Jimmy Burrows and said, ‘Think I could be an extra?’ Jimmy said, ‘Sure! Anyone can sit at the bar.'” At that point, a star was born.
