PERHAPS FOR his next acting role, Tony Danza can play a dental patient. The 58-year-old star of such hit series as "Taxi" and "Who's the Boss?" is eminently qualified to undertake such a portrayal, because getting him to talk about his latest TV project is like pulling teeth.

Danza, of course, is spending the 2009-10 school year teaching English at Northeast High School. The fruits of his labors will ultimately be seen in "Teach," a reality TV series that will air during some future season on the A&E cable channel. But as dictated by show producers, he was stingy with details during a recent phone chat.

The genial Brooklyn, N.Y., native, who will show a different side of his talents Saturday when he brings his nightclub act to the Atlantic City Hilton, did share a few thoughts with the Daily News about his unexpected career turn.

For instance, Danza made it clear that becoming a full-time teacher wasn't a decision made hastily or to further his show-business ambitions. Education is a field that has always been important to him, he said.

"I went to school to be a teacher. But let's be honest, I wasn't the greatest student. So I went on my way, and as I got older, I'd been thinking about [teaching]."

Thinking morphed into doing in the wake of the cancellation of his syndicated TV talk show, which ran a couple of seasons in the middle part of this decade. "Once my talk show was canceled, I really pulled back and started to re-evaluate my life," he said. "I just wasn't into [performing] as much as I was.

"Any time you put your heart and soul into something that has your name on it, it hurts when you fail. I'd be lying if I said, 'No big deal.' But one thing about the entertainment business is that you get fired.

"I was at a stage of life where I was looking at [and asking], 'What do you want to be able to say about your life?' "

The talk-show setback ultimately paved the way for "Teach."

"I happened to run into a friend who is a TV producer, and he said, 'Did you ever think about [teaching] as a TV show?' And here we are."

Danza declined to explain how, out of the thousands of high schools in the nation, he wound up at Northeast. But he did share a few clues.

"I wanted to go to an urban school," he explained. "In this country, we're willing to accept a 50 percent dropout rate. I think that's crazy. Urban education is where we are most stressed. And suffice it to say, I am a big fan of Philadelphia."

Plus, Mayor Michael Nutter got involved in the project and "gave a big boost," Danza said.

Nutter could not be reached for comment. But according to Sharon Pinkenson, executive director of the Greater Philadelphia Film Office, Northeast High was selected because it best conformed to a rigid set of requirements.

"The producers of the show and A&E had very specific guidelines," said Pinkenson, whose office lures TV and film productions to the region and works with them once they're here. "They wanted a large high school in a big city with a diverse student body.

"They wanted a school that was not too economically depressed or economically advantaged. And they wanted a school that had athletic programs, music, some arts and some theater, and one that had an active parent-teacher organization.

"A number of schools were recommended, visits were made and Northeast was selected."

Since his breakthrough role in the late-'70s sitcom "Taxi," Danza has pretty much been based in Los Angeles (he did live in New York while doing the talk show). Through next June, however, he is a Philadelphian, a designation he enthusiastically embraces.

"I feel very much at home. The food makes me feel like home," he said, adding that he spends a lot of time availing himself of the delights of the Italian Market.

Philly, he offered, is "a vibrant, exciting city. I just feel like I fit in."

He certainly has as far as the town's pro sports scene is concerned. Last week, he sang the "Star-Spangled Banner" before a Phillies-Astros game. And, of course, he announced he is "rooting for the Phillies."

Danza, who first put together a nightclub act in the late 1990s, had planned to do a series of performances this fall. But the "Teach" production schedule forced him to cancel all but Saturday's Hilton gig.

For those who are wondering what he does on stage, be advised it's an entertaining, old-school-style act that finds him doing a bit of everything: offering humorous anecdotes about his personal and professional lives; singing classic pop and show tunes; dancing; and screening bloopers from his hit TV shows.

As he put it, his live gig "has always been a variety show where I'm the host - and all the guests."

And, he promised, "I'm getting better on the ukulele."

Through the decades, we've seen Tony Danza the sitcom superstar and Tony Danza the nightclub star. Eventually we'll see Tony Danza the reality TV star.

Now, how does Tony Danza the literary star sound?

"I've been doing a lot of writing," said Danza, who blogs regularly at www.dailydanza.com. "One of these days, I'm gonna break out that book I've been writing."

As he's done in his performing career, Danza the author declined to be categorized.

"It's just a bunch of pages," he said. "Maybe it's a memoir. Maybe it's a novel based on my life. Right now, I'm just writing."

Chuck Darrow has covered Atlantic City and casinos for more than 20 years. Read his blog

http://go.philly.com/casinotes.

E-mail him at darrowc@phillynews.com.

And listen to his Atlantic City report Saturdays at 1:25 a.m. with Steve Trevelise on WIP (610-AM).

Atlantic City Hilton, Boardwalk at Boston Avenue, 8 p.m. Saturday, $30, 800-736-1420, www.hiltonac.com.