Īs a waitress, she is more experienced than her nemesis Diane Chambers ( Shelley Long), who has a nice personality and upper-class traits, contrary to Carla, who treats regular customers with disdain and mostly negative sarcasm, including Cliff Clavin, a know-it-all bar patron. She also has a nephew Frankie, to whom Lilith and Rebecca are attracted while he works as a temporary bartender for one time. Norris delivers just Antonio's 'lucky quarter' to Carla, devastating her. Feeling bad about leaving his family behind, he gave his surviving legitimate family a will of $20 million, suppressed by his illegitimate son, Paolo, who 'squandered the entire fortune on fast horses and loose women.' The will was not discovered until Paolo's death in the previous month. Winker), representative of the estate of Carla's late grandfather, Antonio Lozuponi, Antonio deserted his wife in 1921, moved to Los Angeles with just his 'lucky quarter', and made fortune selling peach and oil products. In 'The Cranemakers' (1989), according to Whitney Norris (James R. They defy whoever is substituting for their mother Carla, including babysitters.Ĭarla has siblings, including two sisters (younger Annette (also played by Perlman) and Angeline) and two brothers (including Sal). All children but one turn out to be unruly, rotten, and spoiled. Bennett Ludlow ( James Karen) and twins Elvis (Danny Kramer) and Jesse (Thomas Tulak) by Eddie Lebec ( Jay Thomas), a then- ice hockey player who later becomes an ice show performer. Over time, she gives birth to four more children: Lucia (Sabrina Wiener) fathered by Nick Ludlow, nicknamed Lud (Jarrett Lennon), by Frasier's mentor Dr. During marriage, he was a deadbeat father and disloyal, unfaithful husband to Carla by cheating on her with other women. When the show premiered in 1982, 'feisty', 'worldly-wise', Catholic and highly superstitious waitress Carla Tortelli has four children to support, fathered by her ex-husband Nick Tortelli ( Dan Hedaya): Anthony ( Timothy Williams), Serafina ( Leah Remini), Gino (Josh Lozoff), and Anne Marie (Risa Littman). Rhea Perlman, The Associated Press, April 1983 Development

The character is well-written, but you always put a lot of yourself into it. I always think of something two hours later. I'm not like her, but she's a person who's always got a wisecrack. I think Carla's a lot of things I'd like to be.

Perlman previously appeared as Louie DePalma's ( Danny DeVito) sweet and kind girlfriend, in contrast to tomboy Carla, on Taxi. Also, she was trained in the Bull & Finch Pub (now called Cheers Beacon Hill) by a waitress to prepare her character. Before she starred as Carla, she worked once as a waitress in a New York City restaurant, serving meals like spaghetti and fish. Along with Sam Malone and Norm Peterson, she is one of only three characters to appear in every episode of Cheers.Ĭasting Perlman at the 1988 Primetime Emmy AwardsĪccording to an interview with Ted Danson, Perlman was the first person of all actors to be hired as part of a cast ensemble and then was cast as Carla Tortelli, 'a wisecracking, cynical waitress'. Elsewhere ' Fear of Flying', an episode of The Simpsons, and the pilot episode of the short-lived spinoff The Tortellis.

She has also appeared in 'Cheers', an episode of St. She had four children with her then-husband Nick when the series started and eight children with three different men when it ended.Ĭarla appeared in all 275 episodes of Cheers in 1982–1993 and guest-starred in 'Cheerful Goodbyes', an episode of the spin-off Frasier. Outwardly, at least, Carla is a mean-spirited woman who expresses disdain for many people. Carla Maria Victoria Angelina Teresa Apollonia Lozupone Tortelli LeBec, commonly known as Carla Tortelli, is a fictional character in the American television show Cheers, portrayed by Rhea Perlman.

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