Tony Danza compares getting older to “living in a bad neighborhood,” he told Yahoo Life. “That’s how you feel, like anything could happen.” But even after celebrating his 73rd birthday on April 21, the actor best known for classic TV shows Taxi It is Who is the boss? It’s not slowing down because of it.
“I happen to be very lucky,” Danza says of enjoying good health, being surrounded by loving family and friends, and continuing to work on projects that excite him. But he also puts in the work.
“I’m a dedicated trainer”, says the former boxer, who managed to maintain eight pack abs in his 70s. “I still train. I try to stay in shape as best I can.”
Working out, Danza adds, is an integral part of her morning ritual. “I’ve been in the business for almost 50 years and there’s never been a case of being on camera, doing an interview, being on TV, anything, without having worked first,” he says.
Breaking a sweat is especially important on days when he doesn’t feel like doing it. “It’s easy to work out when you feel good,” he says. “That’s what separates the men from the boys – when you don’t want to do it, believe me. And as you get older, as you get older, you find more and more days when that’s not particularly attractive.”
He jokes that simple movements, like bending down to pick something up off the floor, make him think, “Wow, I wonder how long I can do this.” But mobility is just one of the many benefits he experiences from exercising.
“Acting and acting is about confidence, and a big part [working out] it’s trust,” he says. “I feel better when I work out, I feel like I look better – so that works in my favor.”
Your daily habits also include journaling. “I write a page in a Tiffany leather journal, a page a day. I’ve been doing this since 1994,” he says. “It’s like a daily report of what happened that day, what’s going on in life and so on. (…) If you say to me: ‘What did you do on April 21, 1998?’ I could tell you exactly. And I can see what I was thinking that day too. I am honest in [the entries] also. That’s the thing.”
Although he regrets not starting his journaling practice earlier in life, Danza already has 30 completed journals. He is currently writing, at age 31, and jokes that he might use the material to “write a book.”
His last week’s diary alone would include not only his birthday, but also his performance at the International Myeloma FoundationThe annual comedy gala on April 18, in honor of his late friend, actor Peter Boyle, who passed away in 2006. “The sad part is, if he was sick with myeloma now, he would live a lot longer. [with the new treatments they have]”, says Danza about the Everyone loves Raymond It is Young Frankenstein star.
Danza, who sings alongside a four-piece band, would also write about auditioning new pianists for the Tony Danza: patterns and stories show, as well as his work with The Stars of Tomorrow Project and filming season 4 of the STARZ series Power Book III: Elevating Kanan.
“I’m telling you, I think it’s one of the best shows on TV. I’m serious,” he says, slyly admitting that he knows a thing or two about hit television series. “I had a few of those.”
