How Danny DeVito Left Michael Douglas Hanging for Lunch

The duo had been positioned for the film’s climactic sequence, tasked with clinging to the prop before their characters’ fatal plunge. After confirming the actors were ready, DeVito famously announced, “OK, that’s lunch,” leaving them dangling for several minutes. When he finally returned to the set, he made his motivation clear to Douglas: “What you put me through for Romancing, this is payback time, Mikey!”

This prank served as a comedic settlement for the grueling production conditions of the 1984 film Romancing the Stone, where the trio endured heat, mud, and location-heavy shooting. Douglas, who described DeVito as having a “wiggy” sense of humor, noted that his longtime friend has an instinct for finding absurdity in uncomfortable situations. The two share a history that predates their Hollywood stardom, having lived together as struggling actors in 1960s New York. Their creative partnership, which spans from One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest to Solitary Man, remains anchored by this mutual, dark-humored rapport.