Editing Rhea Perlman (section)

===Career beginnings===

Perlman began her acting career with a small role as an attendant in the [[off-off-Broadway]] play ''Dracula Sabbat'', which ran from September 1970 to June 1971.<ref name="brant" /><ref>{{cite web|title=Dracula Sabbat at Judson Poets Theater and others 1970–1971|url=http://www.abouttheartists.com/productions/86265-dracula-sabbat-at-judson-poets-theater-and-others-september-11-1970-june-24-1971|website=About The Artists|access-date=May 6, 2017}}</ref> In 1972, she played a bit role in the film ''[[Hot Dogs for Gauguin]]''. That same year she appeared in [[Westbeth Playwrights Feminist Collective]]'s production of ''Up – An Uppity Revue'', along with her future husband, [[Danny DeVito]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Cheers: funniest lines|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2016/05/20/cheers-funniest-lines/cheers0/|access-date=May 6, 2017|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=May 20, 2016}}</ref>

One of her first notable parts was a recurring role on the television show ''[[Taxi (TV series)|Taxi]]'' as Zena, the sweet girlfriend of [[Louie De Palma]] (played by DeVito). Following that, she had a role in a small play portraying a much tougher character.<ref name="gq">{{cite news|last1=Raftery|first1=Brian|title=Cheers Oral History|url=https://www.gq.com/story/cheers-oral-history-extended|access-date=May 5, 2017|work=[[GQ]]|date=September 27, 2012}}</ref>  Producers [[Glen and Les Charles]] saw her in that play, which led to her landing the role as wisecracking barmaid [[Carla Tortelli]] on their sitcom ''[[Cheers]]'' in 1982.