Danny Wells

At 72 years old, Danny Wells has this physical status:

Early life and career

Wells was born in Montreal, Canada, to Eli Westelman (died April 4, 1996) and Eunice Trottenberg (died September 20, 1987) on April 7, 1941. His acting career spanned more than four decades, beginning in 1972 on the comedy television show Love, American Style.

Wells' debut in 1975 in The Strongest Man in the World made his debut. He went on to appear in a string of hits including Private Benjamin (1980) starring Goldie Hawn and Eileen Brennan, The Woman in Red (1999), and The Last Kiss (2006), where he played Izzy's uncle.

Wells did the majority of his television appearances, including Sanford and Son, CHiPs, The Fall Guy, and The Fall Guy. On the hit television show The Jeffersons, he appeared in the most prominent role of his career, "Charlie the Bartender." Wells appeared in Charlie during the entire 11 seasons until the show was cancelled in 1985.

In television ads for Kmart department stores in the 1970s, he portrayed the store manager.

Wells began doing voice work in 1982 when he played Stomper #1 in Ralph Bakshi's film Hey Good Looking. He went on to voice several characters for film, television, and video games, including Descent 3 and Wizardry 8. Heathcliff and The Catillac Cats (1984), which led to the film Heathcliff: The Movie in 1986, was his first television series.

Wells produced several other animated series, including Batman: The Animated Series, Grossology, and Johnny Bravo, but it was in 1989 that Wells starred in and introduced the animated character that is perhaps best remembered by younger audiences as Luigi from The Super Mario Bros.

Wells recalled the show's adulation: "We went on the air three o'clock in the afternoon, with no publicity or P.R. At all. There was no pre-build-up to this performance, nothing... they just threw us out. We became the first in three weeks. This show went to the nation's biggest daytime cartoon competition, beating Disney and killing everybody. We were up against Mickey Mouse, but it didn't matter because we beat them. It was amazing.

Wells starred Jack L. Warner in the made-for-television film "Gleason" starring Brad Garrett as Jackie Gleason in 2002.

Wells, a composer, produced the music for George Kennedy and Anne Schedeen's 1979 CBS television film Never Say Never.

Wells continued to work in the 1970s and 1980s, according to his cousin, television reviewer Alan Sepinwall. Wells earned the role of "Charlie the Bartender" on the CBS television show The Jeffersons in 1975. Charlie's Bar" was located on the first floor of the Colby East luxury apartment building where the Jeffersons and Willises lived. Wells' character would give residents' tips on the program. As George would have already sneaked out before paying, a running joke throughout the show's run would be that someone (more often than not, Lionel) will have drinks with George Jefferson (played by Sherman Hemsley).

Charlie the Bartender became a regular role, and towards the end of the series, he had a few central episodes written specifically for him. Charlie borrows money from Tom Willis (played by Franklin Cover) in the hopes of expanding his bar and hiring staff by the use of risque dressed waitresses in season 9, episode 5 ("Charlie's Angels"). When they complain that the changes are exploiting the women, Louise (played by Isabel Sanford) and Helen (played by Roxie Roker) protest. Charlie is facing eviction at the start of the season. George becomes a partner with Charlie and purchases the bar. Charlie has been sleeping in the back room due to a serious drinking problem that has estranged him from his wife, according to episode 17 of season 11, "A Secret in the Back Room." George and Louise are assisting him in restoring his happiness. Charlie's bar is already breaking even in another episode. Louise wants to turn the bar back in the black with the help of a biker club ("The Gang's All Here").

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