For millions of fans, Taxi was the sitcom that defined an era — a quirky, heartfelt ensemble of misfits navigating New York City’s grind. Its warmth and humor made legends out of Danny DeVito, Tony Danza, and Andy Kaufman. But in a shocking twist, Judd Hirsch, the show’s moral center as Alex Rieger, has confessed at 90 that he never truly enjoyed making it.

This revelation, delivered during a press tour, has stunned fans who assumed the camaraderie onscreen reflected reality off it. Instead, Hirsch describes a different truth: long hours of carrying the show’s emotional weight left him isolated and drained. “I felt responsible for making it believable,” he admitted. “But while everyone else laughed, I felt the pressure.”
Hirsch revealed that he was reluctant to join the cast in the first place, having built his reputation as a stage actor. He saw television as a compromise, and though he eventually embraced the role of Alex, the burden of grounding the chaos of Kaufman’s antics and DeVito’s firebrand energy often left him exhausted. Between takes, while others joked, Hirsch would retreat to quiet corners, rehearsing lines with a seriousness that alienated him from the group.

Fans adored Taxi for its warmth, but Hirsch recalls it as an isolating climb. Even its success — 18 Emmys, critical acclaim — felt hollow. The world laughed, but Hirsch felt trapped, his soul tethered to a character he could not escape.
Now, decades later, his confession has reframed the show’s legacy. Fans, rewatching episodes, can see the weight in his eyes, the seriousness behind his smile. What once seemed like the calm anchor of the show now appears as the burden of an actor shouldering too much.

At 90, Hirsch has nothing left to prove, and perhaps nothing left to lose. His revelation is not bitterness, but closure. “I’m grateful,” he said, “but I want people to know it wasn’t always joy. It was work. Hard work.”
The confession stuns because it strips away nostalgia. Taxi wasn’t just laughter and love — it was sweat, sacrifice, and the silent suffering of a man who gave everything to make it real.