This ’80s Heartthrob Survived a Near-Fatal Skiing Accident & the Loss of His Mother – See His Transformation

“Ali trained at Gleason's while I was there,” he said. Then, fate intervened when a television producer spotted the future star at the gym in the late '70s.

That chance encounter led to his role on “Taxi,” a sitcom that ran for five years and made him a star. “I had always been the class clown, the guy looking for attention. So it sort of fit,” the actor shared.

He followed that success with an eight-year run as a professional baseball player turned housekeeper on “Who's the Boss?” cementing his place as one of television's most beloved leading men.

While his career flourished, his personal life was equally eventful. He married his first wife, Rhonda, in the 1970s, and the couple welcomed two children. But one of the most defining moments of his life came in 1993 when he suffered a near-fatal skiing accident in Deer Valley, Utah.

What should have been a routine run down the slopes turned disastrous when he lost control and took a severe fall. He woke up in an intensive-care unit, on a respirator, with months of grueling rehabilitation ahead.

His publicist at the time, Frank Lieberman, assured the public that the “Taxi” star was “coherent and conscious…he knows where he is and what happened.” While there were rumors of paralysis, Lieberman dismissed them.

More than 20 years later, the actor revealed what had been on his mind that day — a heartbreaking distraction that contributed to his fall. “The reason I fell is because I lost my mother,” he admitted during an interview with Dr. Mehmet Oz in 2015.

“What happened is, I lost my mother in June. I was thinking it was the first Christmas, and I had her on my mind,” he added. His mother had died of cancer. Following her passing, the actor wrote a film, “Mama Mia,” in her loving memory.

On the day of his accident, overcome with grief, he momentarily lost focus, and in an instant, his life changed. Doctors later showed him X-rays of three other patients with similar injuries — all of whom had been left paraplegic.

Miraculously, he defied the odds. “I've got five screws and three pins in me — I'm setting off alarms in airports all over the country — but I'm walking now and my doctors say it's a miracle,” he said.

He credited a professional for helping him through the mental and emotional aftermath of the accident, “I had a great therapist who said to me one of the greatest lines of all time. He said, ‘You've gotta take part in your own recovery.' And I got that.”

Even decades later, the effects of the accident lingered. “I am vain. I had a ski accident 25 years ago, and when the operation happened — there were screws and rods involved — something went wrong and now I'm always a little crooked,” the actor candidly revealed.

“I kind of lean to the left. I think about it. I don't want people to see me at my worst. If I get a pimple, I don't want to go out. That's me. I can't help it,” he further admitted.

Every Christmas, he still reflects on those he has lost, saying, “You go through this thing where you list the people that aren't there.” The TV star was overcome with emotion during his Dr. Oz interview, calling himself “a bit of a crybaby” and apologizing to the audience for his tears.

Despite the hardships, he continued to work in Hollywood and found ways to give back. He started a youth acting program that encouraged development through performance and remained connected to the entertainment industry in meaningful ways.

“I'm a big believer that as a society we've totally abdicated any responsibility for nurturing our children. […] So we started an acting program — a teen acting program — the slogan of which is, ‘Teen acting because when you teach how to act you teach a kid how to act!'” he shared.

As for his personal life, following his divorce from his first wife, the “Taxi” star married for the second time and welcomed two more children.

However, in 2011, TMZ reported that the actor had filed for divorce from his second wife after 24 years of marriage, citing irreconcilable differences. Court documents revealed the couple had been separated since 2006, but the divorce wasn't finalized until years later due to court delays.

However, as time passed, this star, who is none other than Tony Danza, embraced new chapters in his life. In 2018, he shared that he was a grandfather and humorously revealed that his youngest grandson called him “grampy.”

The star has also maintained close friendships with his “Taxi” co-stars, including a close bond with fellow actor Danny DeVito, proving that the bonds formed in those early years of fame never faded.

“41 years after Taxi premiered, we still hang whenever we can! Love the Taxi family. Friends for life,” Danza captioned an Instagram post of him and his castmates in 2019.

“Thanks for coming to my show, guys! Love you!! #oldfriends #taxi,” he added in another post of him and his former co-stars. The actor was also showered with praise for his timeless good looks. “I love your hair little short like that ❤️long, but not too long,” one social media user commented.

“Handsome,” another typed while a third shared, “Wow 😍 so amazing! You're the best! 💯👏 Thank you so much for share this great pics (sic)! I love it and you look so good! ❤️” “Still looking good 💯” another person commented. A fifth shared, “You look amazing Tony.”

As he approaches his 74th birthday in 2025, Tony Danza reflected on aging, calling 73 a “tipping point.” Yet, he continues to embrace life, cherishing his role as a grandfather and giving back to young actors.

From his early days in the boxing ring to his rise as a television icon, his near-fatal accident, and his journey through love and loss, his story is one of resilience and reinvention.