These Are The Famous Taxi Drivers You Didn't Know About - The Taxi Centre
Did you know these famous faces once worked in the taxi trade? Find out some of the former taxi drivers you are sure to recognise.
Ever wondered if there are famous people in your industry?
You may think as a taxi driver there are few celebrities to have dabbled in the trade, though you’ll be surprised to find out that there are indeed!
Read on to learn more.
Larry David
Born Lawrence Gene David, Larry is the American comedian, writer, and actor behind the television sitcom Seinfeld. He also starred in the HBO series Curb Your Enthusiasm. David underwent several odd roles in his early career, including a limousine driver, bra salesman, and a taxi driver.
When working as a cabbie, he was reportedly living across the hall from Kenny Kramer, who would inspire the character of Michael Richards on Seinfeld.
David Mamet
Mamet is a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright who spent a brief period in Chicago as a taxi driver, which served as training for his later career. Mamet disagreed with the notion that ‘real writers’ came from prestigious Ivy League institutions. Instead, he was inspired by Jack London, Nelson Algren, and Ernest Hemingway.
He received awards for his plays Glengarry Glen Ross as well as Speed-the-Plow.
Danny Glover
Best known for his role as the police officer in the Lethal Weapon films, Glover also formerly worked as a San Francisco taxi driver.
He was actively working to raise awareness of discrimination between black and white passengers. His work led to Rudolph Giuliani’s Operation Refusal being launched. It suspended the licenses of drivers who passed over black passengers for white ones.
Jimmy Smits
The American actor came from an educated background with a Masters degree in Dramatic Arts from Cornell University.
In the ‘80s, Smits spent a brief period as a taxi driver in New York. After several months as a taxi driver, he received a pilot script for Steven Bocho’s new show – LA Law – which he then went to audition for.
Paul Stanley
That’s right – Kiss frontman Paul Stanley also spent some time in the taxi trade. As one of many aspiring musicians in New York, Stanley’s music career got off to a rough start, his parents unconvinced of his chosen career.
To make ends meet, Stanley started working as a taxi driver part-time, frequently taking fares to Madison Square Garden. In an interview with Arizona Central, Stanley said:
“I was a cab driver in New York City, and I remember driving people to Madison Square Garden to see Elvis Presley. I remember sitting in that front seat thinking, ‘One of these days, people are going to be coming here to see me. So, to go from that cab to the stage was a pretty good walk.”
Philip Glass
The Julliard-trained composer also turned to taxi driving to make a living. This was before his big break came along working on opera Einstein on the Beach.
Working in the trade for some time, Glass enjoyed the independence it brought him. This would lead to him later producing scores for The Truman Show and Notes on a Scandal – some of his best-known works.
Robert De Niro
You read that right. It’s no secret that De Niro starred in the 1976 film Taxi Driver, in which he played the main role. But what you may not know is that to prepare for the role, De Niro became temporarily licensed as a taxi driver in New York. He did this for around a month, ferrying about passengers in the city in one of its iconic yellow cabs.
You may also be surprised to hear that plenty of other famous faces owned a black cab as a personal vehicle in their time, including:
- Prince Phillip
- Arnold Schwarzenegger
- Kate Moss
- Noel Edmonds
- Stephen Fry
- Sid James
- Laurence Olivier
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