Jeff Daniels | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Daniels at the 2018Montclair Film Festival | |
| Born | Jeffrey Warren Daniels (1955-02-19)February 19, 1955 (age 70) Athens, Georgia, U.S. |
| Education | Central Michigan University |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1976–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
| Website | jeffdaniels |
Jeffrey Warren Daniels (born February 19, 1955)[1] is an American actor. He is known for his work on stage and screen playing diverse characters switching between comedy and drama. He is the recipient ofseveral accolades, including twoPrimetime Emmy Awards, in addition to nominations for fiveGolden Globe Awards, fiveScreen Actors Guild Awards, and threeTony Awards.
He made his film debut inMiloš Forman's dramaRagtime (1981) followed byJames L. Brooks'sTerms of Endearment (1983), andMike Nichols'sHeartburn (1986). He then received threeGolden Globe Award nominations forWoody Allen'sThe Purple Rose of Cairo (1985),Jonathan Demme'sSomething Wild (1986), andNoah Baumbach'sThe Squid and the Whale (2005). He starred in a variety of genre films such asArachnophobia (1990),Gettysburg (1993),Speed (1994),Dumb and Dumber (1994),101 Dalmatians (1996),Pleasantville (1998),Because of Winn-Dixie (2005),RV (2006) andDumb and Dumber To (2014). He also took roles in critically acclaimed films such asThe Hours (2002),Good Night, and Good Luck (2005),Infamous (2006),Looper (2012),Steve Jobs (2015), andThe Martian (2015).
From 2012 to 2014, Daniels starred asWill McAvoy in theHBOpolitical drama seriesThe Newsroom, for which he won the2013Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series and receivedGolden Globe andScreen Actors Guild Award nominations. He won a secondPrimetime Emmy Award in2018 for his performance in theNetflixminiseriesGodless (2017). He has portrayed real life figures such asJohn P. O'Neill in theHulu miniseriesThe Looming Tower (2018) andFBI directorJames Comey inThe Comey Rule (2020) forShowtime.
Daniels is also known for his roles on stage, making hisBroadway debut inGemini (1977). He went on to receive three nominations for theTony Best Actor in a Play for his roles inYasmina Reza'sGod of Carnage (2009),David Harrower'sBlackbird (2016), andAaron Sorkin'sTo Kill a Mockingbird (2018–2021). He is the founder and current executive director of theChelsea, MichiganPurple Rose Theatre Company.
Daniels was born inAthens, Georgia, to Marjorie J. (née Ferguson) and Robert Lee "Bob" Daniels.[2][3][4][5] He spent the first six weeks of his life in Georgia where his father was teaching[6] before the family moved to his parents' nativeMichigan where he grew up inChelsea. His father owned the Chelsea Lumber Company and was a one-time mayor of the town.[7][8]
Daniels briefly attendedCentral Michigan University and participated in the school's theater program. In the summer of 1976, he attended theEastern Michigan University drama school to participate in a special Bicentennial Repertory program, where he performed inThe Hot L Baltimore and three other plays.Marshall W. Mason was the guest director at EMU, and he invited Daniels to come to New York to work at the Circle Repertory Theatre, where he performed inFifth of July byLanford Wilson in the 1977–78 season. Daniels performed in New York inThe Shortchanged Review (1979) atSecond Stage Theatre.[9]
Daniels starred in several New York productions, on and off Broadway. On Broadway, he made his debut as the assistant stage manager and various roles in theAlbert Innaurato playGemini (1977).[10] He also acted inLanford Wilson'sFifth of July (1980) alongsideWilliam Hurt, for which he was nominated for aDrama Desk Award for Best Supporting Actor, and starred inA. R. Gurney'sThe Golden Age (1984) withStockard Channing. Daniels made his screen debut inMiloš Forman'sRagtime in 1981.[11] His next film was inJames L. Brooks'sTerms of Endearment, which won theAcademy Award for Best Picture. The film follows an emotional relationship between mother (Shirley MacLaine) and daughter (Debra Winger). Daniels plays Winger's callow and unfaithful husband, a role which would prove to be his breakthrough.[12]
In 1985, Daniels starred inWoody Allen'sPurple Rose of Cairo alongsideMia Farrow andDanny Aiello. The film was met with critical praise earning a 91% onRotten Tomatoes with the consensus reading, "lighthearted and sweet,Purple Rose stands as one of Woody Allen's more inventive – and enchantingly whimsical – pictures."[13] Daniels garnered aGolden Globe Award nomination for his performance.[14] It was the film that inspired the name for the theater company he established.[15] In 1986, he starred inJonathan Demme'sSomething Wild as an unassuming businessman swept up into a wild night by a mysterious woman (Melanie Griffith) and earned his second Golden Globe nomination. Also that year, Daniels had a supporting role alongsideJack Nicholson andMeryl Streep inHeartburn, directed byMike Nichols. In 1988, he co-starred withKelly McGillis inPeter Yates' neo-noirThe House on Carroll Street, and appeared in the ensemble dramedySweet Hearts Dance withSusan Sarandon,Don Johnson andElizabeth Perkins. He had the lead inChecking Out (1989), which received only a limited theatrical release.
Daniels starred in a pair of romantic comedies,Love Hurts (1990) andThe Butcher's Wife (1991), playingDemi Moore's love interest in the latter. His sci-fi vehicleTimescape (1992) went straight to video. His next significant role was as ColonelJoshua Chamberlain inGettysburg (1993). Daniels reprised the role of Chamberlain 10 years later in the prequel filmGods and Generals.[16]
Daniels continued his work in the theater withRedwood Curtain (1993). Off-Broadway, he starred inLanford Wilson'sLemon Sky withCynthia Nixon where he received a Drama Desk nomination for and anObie Award for his performance in theCircle Repertory Company production ofJohnny Got His Gun.
In 1994, Daniels co-starred withJim Carrey in one of his most commercially successful films,Dumb and Dumber. It was a noted departure for Daniels, owing to his status as a dramatic actor. Earlier that year, Daniels appeared withKeanu Reeves in the action blockbusterSpeed; the film was an enormous hit, grossing over $350 million at the box office.[17] Daniels would then hostSaturday Night Live a second time before the release of the 1996Disney live-action remake of101 Dalmatians. Daniels starred as the owner of a litter of dalmatians stolen by the evilCruella De Vil (Glenn Close). The film was successful, grossing $320 million. Daniels plays a grungy cop Alvin Strayer along withEric Stoltz in2 Days in the Valley. Also in 1996 was the family hit filmFly Away Home with Daniels as the supportive single father ofAnna Paquin's goose-raising preteen. Daniels then had a critical and commercial misfire withTrial and Error (1997). He would rebound, however, with 1998'sPleasantville as diner owner Bill Johnson, who learns to act as an individual and rebel against the norm at the urging ofTobey Maguire's David. Also starringReese Witherspoon,Joan Allen, andDon Knotts,Pleasantville was nominated for three Academy Awards. Daniels starred alongsideChristopher Lloyd's comedyMy Favorite Martian.[18]
Daniels starred in the TV filmsThe Crossing,Cheaters, and the direct-to-video releaseChasing Sleep. At this point, in the early 2000s, he began to focus more on his theater work at ThePurple Rose Theatre as well as writing, starring, and directing the filmsEscanaba in da Moonlight andSuper Sucker.[19][20] Daniels's next major film role would be inClint Eastwood'sBlood Work, which received mixed reviews and was a commercial failure. He would rebound later that year withStephen Daldry's Academy Award-winningThe Hours alongsideMeryl Streep,Julianne Moore, andNicole Kidman. The film was also a financial success, grossing well over $100 million.Gods and Generals followed in 2003, as did the action filmI Witness, which co-starredJames Spader. Daniels then starred inImaginary Heroes and the 2004 television film adaptation of fellow Michigander and friendMitch Albom's bestsellerThe Five People You Meet in Heaven.[21]
The year 2005 proved to be a strong year for Daniels as he garnered notice as the star of the laudedNoah Baumbach filmThe Squid and the Whale withLaura Linney. Daniels received his thirdGolden Globe nomination for the film, about a divorcing couple and the effect the split has on their children. That year Daniels also starred in the family film adaptation ofBecause of Winn-Dixie. He would round out the year with a supporting role in George Clooney's Oscar-nominated filmGood Night and Good Luck, starringDavid Straithairn,Patricia Clarkson,Robert Downey Jr., andFrank Langella.[22][23] In 2006, Daniels appeared in theTruman Capote biopicInfamous starringToby Jones,Sandra Bullock,Gwyneth Paltrow, andSigourney Weaver. The film was compared by critics toBennett Miller's 2005 filmCapote starringPhilip Seymour Hoffman,Catherine Keener, andChris Cooper.[24]
Daniels appeared in an Off-Broadway production ofDavid Harrower'sBlackbird in 2007 alongsideAllison Pill, with whom he would later reunite inAaron Sorkin'sThe Newsroom. Daniels then starred inBarry Sonnenfeld's family filmRV, alongsideRobin Williams, as the redneck comic foil to Williams' uptight businessman. He also starred in two other independent films,Mama's Boy andThe Lookout, for which he was nominated for aSatellite Award andTraitor (2008) withDon Cheadle.[25]
In 2009, after a 16-year-long absence, Daniels returned to Broadway inYasmina Reza's original playGod of Carnage alongsideHope Davis,James Gandolfini, andMarcia Gay Harden. The play centers around two sets of parents who agree to meet because of a fight among their respective sons. Their meeting starts out civilized, however, as the evening goes on, the parents become increasingly childish, resulting in the evening's devolving into chaos. The play debuted at TheBernard B. Jacobs Theatre in previews on February 28, 2009, and officially on March 22, 2009. Originally planned for a limited engagement to close July 19, 2009, the run was extended through February 28, 2010, before converting to an open-ended run. Daniels received his firstTony Award nomination, forTony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his performance. The show won theTony Award for Best Play. That same year Daniels acted in four films indie hitAway We Go,State of Play (2008) In 2010, Daniels continued his theater work and had a starring role in the little-seen indieHowl, alongsideJames Franco asAllen Ginsberg.[26] Daniels was featured on the cover of the April–May 2011 issue ofGuitar Aficionado magazine[27] as well as the July–August 2011 issue ofMaking Music, where he discussed his experiences with music. In 2012 Daniels became the new announcing voice forApple with theiPhone 5 ads.
Daniels had a career resurgence with his turn inAaron Sorkin'sHBO drama seriesThe Newsroom (2012–2014) as fictional news anchor Will McAvoy. The opening scene of the pilot episode "We Just Decided To", in which Daniels gives a monologue on the state of American greatness, has been viewed more than 23 million times.[28] While the show received mixed reviews, Daniels won thePrimetime Emmy Award forLead Actor in a Drama Series for the first season.[29] The series ran for two more seasons, for which Daniels was nominated for thePrimetime Emmy Award. The show also starredEmily Mortimer,John Gallagher Jr.,Sam Waterston,Olivia Munn,Alison Pill,Dev Patel, andJane Fonda. In 2015, Daniels reunited with Sorkin in the biographical drama filmSteve Jobs, portrayingCEOJohn Sculley. Daniels starred alongsideMichael Fassbender, andKate Winslet, both of whom receivedAcademy Award nominations for their performances. The film was directed byAcademy Award-winnerDanny Boyle and written byAcademy Award winner Aaron Sorkin. The film was a critical success earning an 86% onRotten Tomatoes with the consensus reading, "Like the tech giant co-founded by its subject, Steve Jobs gathers brilliant people to deliver a product whose elegance belies the intricate complexities at its core."[30] Sorkin won theGolden Globe for its screenplay.[31] He played David inThe Divergent Series: Allegiant and was set to reprise the role in the plannedThe Divergent Series: Ascendant.[32] In 2014 he reprised his role as Harry Dunne inDumb and Dumber To reuniting withJim Carrey.
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In 2016, Daniels returned to Broadway in the Revival ofDavid Harrower'sBlackbird alongsideMichelle Williams.[33] The play depicts a young woman (Williams) meeting a middle-aged man (Daniels), 15 years after being sexually abused by him when she was twelve. The play ran at theBelasco Theatre on February 5, 2016 (37 previews), and opened officially on March 10 (through June 11, 108 performances) where it was directed byJoe Mantello and received widespread critical acclaim.[33] Daniels was nominated for his secondTony Award for Best Actor in a Play.[33] Williams received aTony Award nomination as well.[33]
In 2017, Daniels starred inNetflix's western miniseriesGodless where he portrayed the villain Frank Griffin. He starred alongsideMichelle Dockery,Merritt Wever, andSam Waterston. Daniels won critical praise for his performance and was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award forSupporting Actor in a Miniseries, which he won. In 2018, Daniels'sHulu miniseriesThe Looming Tower traces the rising threat ofOsama bin Laden andAl-Qaeda in the late 1990s and how the rivalry between theFBI andCIA during that time may have inadvertently set the path for the tragedy of9/11. Daniels playedJohn O'Neill, the chief of theNew York FBI'sCounter-terrorism Center. The ensemble includedBill Camp,Michael Stuhlbarg, andPeter Sarsgaard. Daniels won widespread critical acclaim and received aPrimetime Emmy Award nomination forBest Actor in a Limited Series.
In 2018, Daniels starred asAtticus Finch, reuniting withAaron Sorkin in his stage adaptation ofTo Kill a Mockingbird. The play opened on Broadway at theShubert Theatre. The production began previews on November 1, 2018, prior to its official opening on December 13, 2018. During the week ending on December 23, 2018, the production grossed over $1.5 million, breaking the record for box office grosses for a non-musical play in a theater owned byThe Shubert Organization. Daniels received his thirdTony Award nomination forBest Actor in a Play. The show received 8 other Tony Award nominations. In June 2019, producerScott Rudin announced that Daniels would leave the production in November 2019 and would be succeeded byEd Harris.[34] His last performance was on November 3, 2019.
Daniels narrated theHistory Channel miniseries onGeorge Washington titledWashington (2020). The 3-part documentary series premiered on February 16, 2020. On September 27, 2020, Daniels portrayedFBI directorJames Comey in the 2-part limited series,The Comey Rule which debuted onShowtime. The project is based on Comey's memoir,A Higher Loyalty (2018), and was written and directed byBilly Ray. The cast includedBrendan Gleeson asDonald Trump,Jennifer Ehle as Patrice Comey,Holly Hunter asSally Yates, andMichael Kelly asAndrew McCabe. Daniels won critical praise for his performance as Comey and received aGolden Globe Award nomination.[35][36] In 2019, it was announced thatShowtime had given a straight-to-series order toAmerican Rust, a drama based onPhilipp Meyer’s debutnovel of the same name. Daniels was an executive producer on the project and starred alongsideMaura Tierney andBill Camp.[37] In June 2021, it was announced that Daniels would be returning to his role of Atticus Finch in theBroadway production ofTo Kill a Mockingbird starting in October.[38] Daniels narrated the 9/11 documentary from Apple TV+ entitled9/11: Inside the President's War Room; it was released on September 1, 2021.[39]
Daniels has appeared as the TV spokesman for theMichigan Economic Development Corporation.[40]
In 2020, Daniels endorsedJoe Biden in thepresidential election against Donald Trump. He narrated a campaign ad for Biden titled "America Needs Michigan", focusing on the swing state of Michigan.[41][42]
In 1991, Daniels founded thePurple Rose Theatre Company, a nonprofit stage company in Chelsea, Michigan.[43] He has written more than a dozen plays for the company.[44]
In 1979, Daniels married his college girlfriend, a fellow Michigan resident also from Chelsea, Kathleen Rosemary Treado. They have three children.[45]
In 1986, he moved back to his hometown of Chelsea, Michigan; as of 2016, he primarily resided there.[46]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Hawaii Five-O | Neal Forrester | Episode: "The Flight of the Jewels" |
| A Rumor of War | Chaplain | 2 episodes | |
| Breaking Away | College Kid | Episode: "Pilot" | |
| 1982 | Catalina C-Lab | Rick Guthrie | Television film |
| American Playhouse | Jed Jenkins | Episode: "The Fifth of July" | |
| 1983 | An Invasion of Privacy | Francis Ryan | Television film |
| 1988 | The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial | Lieutenant Stephen Maryk | |
| Tanner '88 | Park Ranger | Episode: "The Girlfriend Factor" | |
| 1989 | No Place Like Home | Mike Cooper | Television film |
| 1991 | Saturday Night Live | Himself (host) | Episode: "Jeff Daniels/Color Me Badd" |
| 1992 | Teamster Boss: The Jackie Presser Story | Tom Noonan | Television film |
| 1993 | Frasier | Doug | Voice; Episode: "Here's Looking at You" |
| 1995 | Saturday Night Live | Himself (host) | Episode: "Jeff Daniels/Luscious Jackson" |
| Redwood Curtain | Lyman Fellers | Television film | |
| 2000 | The Crossing | George Washington | |
| Cheaters | Dr. Gerard Plecki | ||
| 2004 | The Goodbye Girl | Elliot Garfield | |
| The Five People You Meet in Heaven | The Blue Man | ||
| 2008 | Sweet Nothing in My Ear | Dan Miller | |
| 2012–2014 | The Newsroom | Will McAvoy | Main role |
| 2013 | Family Guy | Himself | Voice; Episode: "A Fistful of Meg" |
| 2014 | The Graham Norton Show | Guest | Episode: "Jim Carrey/Jeff Daniels/Jude Law" |
| 2015 | 30 for 30 | Narrator | Episode: "Of Miracles and Men" |
| 2017 | Godless | Frank Griffin | Main role |
| 2018 | The Looming Tower | John O'Neill | |
| The Emperor's Newest Clothes | The Emperor | Voice; television special | |
| 2020 | Washington | Narrator | 3 episodes |
| The Comey Rule | James Comey | 2 episodes[47] | |
| Impractical Jokers | Himself | Episode: "Rock Bottom" | |
| Impractical Jokers: Dinner Party | Himself | Episode: "The Steak and Potatoes Episode" | |
| 2021 | Hemingway | Ernest Hemingway | Voice; Television documentary |
| 2021 | 9/11: Inside the President's War Room | Narrator | Television documentary |
| 2021–2024 | American Rust | Del Harris | Main role[48] |
| 2024 | A Man in Full | Charlie Croker | Main role |
| 2025 | The American Revolution (TV series) | Thomas Jefferson | Voice; TV documentary |
| † | Denotes series that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Role | Theatre |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | The Farm | Arthur | Circle Theatre, Off-Broadway |
| 1977 | Gemini | Assistant Stage Manager | Little Theatre, Broadway |
| My Life | Young Eddie | Circle Theatre, Off-Broadway | |
| 1978 | Lulu | Schwarz / Mr. Hunidei | |
| Two from the Late Show | Nephew (Brontosaurus) | ||
| Fifth of July | Jed Jenkins | ||
| 1980–1982 | New Apollo Theatre, Broadway | ||
| 1982 | Johnny Got His Gun | Joe Bonham | Circle Repertory Theatre, Off-Broadway |
| Three Sisters | Andrei Sergeevich Prozorov | New York City Center, Off-Broadway | |
| 1984 | The Golden Age | Tom | Jack Lawrence Theatre, Broadway |
| 1985 | Lemon Sky | Alan | McGinn/Cazale Theatre, Off-Broadway |
| 1993 | Redwood Curtain | Lyman | Brooks Atkinson Theatre, Broadway |
| 2007 | Blackbird | Ray Brooks | New York City Center, Off-Broadway |
| 2009–2010 | God of Carnage | Alan / Michael | Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, Broadway |
| 2016 | Blackbird | Ray Brooks | Belasco Theatre, Broadway |
| 2018–2019, 2021 | To Kill a Mockingbird | Atticus Finch | Shubert Theatre, Broadway |
| Year | Artist | Song | Role | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Crash Test Dummies featuringEllen Reid | "The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead" | Harry Dunne | Dumb and Dumber: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack |
Daniels has written and recorded six full-length albums with proceeds benefitting ThePurple Rose Theater.[49]
He was inducted into theMichigan Walk of Fame on May 25, 2006, inLansing, Michigan.[citation needed]
In December 2009, he was granted an Honorary Doctorate in Fine Arts and was selected to deliver the winter commencement address at theUniversity of Michigan.[40]
In 2022, anematode parasite that killstarantulas was namedTarantobelus jeffdanielsi to honor his role inArachnophobia.[60][61]
For 30 years, I've lived in a little town called Chelsea, Michigan.
