Tim Daly | |
|---|---|
 Tim Daly at the 2025 Woodstock Film Festival | |
| Born | James Timothy Daly (1956-03-01)March 1, 1956 (age 69) New York City,New York, U.S. |
| Other names | Timothy Daly |
| Alma mater | Bennington College, B.A. 1979 |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, producer voice actor |
| Years active | 1963–present |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 2, includingSam Daly |
| Father | James Daly |
| Relatives | Tyne Daly (sister),George Kirgo (uncle) |
James Timothy Daly (born March 1, 1956)[1] is an American actor voice actor and producer, best known for his roles as Joe Hackett on theNBC sitcomWings and his recurring role as drug-addicted screenwriterJ.T. Dolan onThe Sopranos. He starred asPete Wilder on theABC medical dramaPrivate Practice from 2007 to 2012. He is also known for his voice role asClark Kent/Superman inSuperman: The Animated Seriesand several animated Superman movies. From 2014 until 2019, he portrayedHenry McCord, husband of theSecretary of State, on theCBS political dramaMadam Secretary, starringTéa Leoni.
Daly was born atMount Sinai Hospital inManhattan,[2] the only son and youngest of four children of actorJames Daly (1918–1978) and actress Mary Hope Daly (née Newell; 1921–2009). He is ofIrish descent, his ancestors being fromLimerick andCounty Kerry.[3][4] He is the younger brother of actressTyne Daly.[5] He has two other sisters, Mary Glynn (wife ofMark Snow)[6] and Pegeen Michael. Daly attendedThe Putney School,[7] where he started to study acting.
Daly began his professional career while a student atVermont'sBennington College, where he studiedTheatre andLiterature, acted insummer stock, and earned aBachelor of Arts degree. He graduated from college in 1979, and returned to New York to continue studying acting and singing.[8]
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Daly debuted on stage when he was seven years old inJenny Kissed Me byJean Kerr, together with his parents and two sisters. He appeared for the first time on TV when he was 10 years old in an American Playhouse adaptation ofAn Enemy of the People byHenrik Ibsen, which starred his fatherJames Daly. He dreamed about a sports or music career and also considered becoming a doctor or a lawyer, but finally decided to become an actor. Daly started his professional acting career when he appeared in a 1978 adaptation ofPeter Shaffer's playEquus.
His first leading film role was in the filmDiner, directed byBarry Levinson, in which he shared screen time with actors includingKevin Bacon andMickey Rourke. Starring roles soon followed inAlan Rudolph's feature,Made in Heaven, theAmerican Playhouse production ofThe Rise & Rise of Daniel Rocket, and theCBS dramatic series,Almost Grown created byDavid Chase.
In theatre he has starred in the Broadway production ofCoastal Disturbances by playwrightTina Howe oppositeAnnette Bening and received a 1987Theatre World Award for his performance. He has also starred inOliver, Oliver at the Manhattan Theatre Club,Mass Appeal by Bill C. Davis andBus Stop byWilliam Inge atTrinity Repertory Company,The Glass Menagerie byTennessee Williams at the Santa Fe Festival Theatre,A Knife in the Heart andA Study in Scarlet at the Williamstown Playhouse, andParis Bound at the Berkshire Theatre Festival. During this time, Daly also starred in the CBS television miniseriesI'll Take Manhattan as Toby Amberville.
Daly describes himself as being highly self-critical in regard to his career. In an interview with New Zealand'ZM' radio personalityPolly Gillespie, Daly was quoted as saying, "I think part of it (his self-critical nature) is passed down to me from my parents who are actors. The theatre was our temple... When you entered you were expected to live up to the example of this glorious place."[9]
Wings is an American sitcom that ran onNBC from April 19, 1990, to May 14, 1997. It starred Daly andSteven Weber as brothers Joe and Brian Hackett. The show was set at Tom Nevers Field, a small airport inNantucket, Massachusetts, where the Hackett brothers operated the one-plane airline, Sandpiper Air.
In 1993, he gave a much-respected performance asDavid Koresh inIn the Line of Duty: Ambush in Waco (TV). The film was controversial because it was already in production while theWaco standoff was on-going.
Daly also became noted for voicingClark Kent/Superman inSuperman: The Animated Series during this time.
In 1997, he and J. Todd Harris formed Daly-Harris Productions,[10] through which he produced such films as:Execution of Justice (1999) (TV),Urbania (2000) andTick Tock (2000). In 1998, Daly appeared in several episodes of theEmmy award-winning,Tom Hanks-producedHBO mini-seriesFrom the Earth to the Moon playing astronautJim Lovell. Hanks had portrayed that person in the filmApollo 13.
During the 2000–2001 television season, Daly starred as Dr. Richard Kimble ina remake of the classic television seriesThe Fugitive. The series lasted only one season.
In 2002, Daly guest-starred as himself in the TV seriesMonk in the episode "Mr. Monk and the Airplane", briefly reuniting with hisWings castmateTony Shalhoub. In 2006, Daly returned to Broadway when he appeared on stage oppositeDavid Schwimmer andŽeljko Ivanek in the Broadway revival ofThe Caine Mutiny Court Martial.[11]
Daly made several appearances onThe Sopranos asJ.T. Dolan, an AA buddy ofChristopher Moltisanti (Michael Imperioli). Daly received a 2007Emmy nomination for his work on the series. He appeared on the midseasonABC crime seriesEyes, which got good reviews but was canceled after only five episodes.[citation needed] In 2006, Daly played the role ofNick Cavanaugh on the newABC dramaThe Nine. From 2007 to 2012, Daly played a love interest forKate Walsh's character on the TV seriesPrivate Practice.[citation needed]
As a voice-actor, Daly portrayed superheroSuperman and his alter egoClark Kent inSuperman: The Animated Series (1996–2000). He was unable to return as Superman (and was replaced byChristopher McDonald inBatman Beyond or asGeorge Newbern inJustice League andJustice League Unlimited), as he was under contract to star in a remake of the 1960s TV dramaThe Fugitive. He reprised his role as Superman in the video gameSuperman: Shadow of Apokolips and the direct-to-video releasesSuperman: Brainiac Attacks,Superman/Batman: Public Enemies,Superman/Batman: Apocalypse andJustice League: Doom.
Daly heads Red House Entertainment. Films produced through the company includeEdge of America, which won aPeabody Award and aHumanitas Prize, and Daly's directing debut, the independent filmBereft.[citation needed]
Daly also created Wandering Bark Productions, based at Paramount Pictures, a company designed to develop and produce a variety of film, television and theater projects. The company's producing credits include the Los Angeles premiere ofVincent J. Cardinal's playA Colorado Catechism, starring Daly. The play received favorable reviews and earned Daly the Drama-Logue Award for Best Actor.[citation needed] Daly co-produced a documentary,PoliWood, about the 2008 Democratic and Republican National conventions. The documentary, directed byBarry Levinson, had its premiere at the 2009Tribeca Film Festival.[citation needed]
In 2014, Daly guest starred in recurring roles onThe Mindy Project andHot in Cleveland.[citation needed] From mid-2014 until 2019, he played Henry McCord, the husband of the title character on the TV seriesMadam Secretary, played by Tea Leoni, about a US Secretary of State.[12]
Daly is an activist in variousliberal political and social causes.
In 2007, Daly joinedThe Creative Coalition (TCC), a liberal, politically active501(c)(3) nonprofit consisting of members of the American film entertainment industry; since 2008, he has served as its president.[13] As a member of TCC, Daly joined the National Task Force on Children's Safety, a program co-founded by TCC and Safety4Kids that calls itself "the first children's media brand focused solely on safety and health."[14][15] In August 2007, Daly became one of the three chairs for TCC's activity at the 2008Democratic andRepublican conventions, along with actressKerry Washington and writer/director Sue Kramer.[16][17] In November 2007, Daly interviewed SenatorJohn Edwards, one of theDemocratic presidential candidates.[18]
In June 2008, Daly, together withChandra Wilson, was named the 2008 ambassador for Lee National Denim Day – a fundraiser for breast cancer benefiting the Women's Cancer Programs of theEntertainment Industry Foundation.[19]
Daly married actressAmy Van Nostrand in 1982. They have two children. In 2010, Daly and Van Nostrand divorced. InMadam Secretary, their sonSam Daly played the ex-fiancé of White House Press Secretary Daisy Grant, and their daughter, Emelyn, played the niece of Daly's character, Henry McCord.[20]
Daly marriedTéa Leoni, hisMadam Secretary co-star,[21][22] on July 12, 2025, in New York. They had been dating since 2014.[23]
In 2012, Daly climbedMount Kilimanjaro. He was in the Virgin America first-class lounge during the2013 Los Angeles International Airport shooting.[24]
| † | Denotes films that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Diner | Billy | Credited as Timothy Daly |
| 1984 | Just the Way You Are | Frank Bantam | |
| 1987 | Made in Heaven | Tom Donnelly | |
| 1988 | Spellbinder | Jeff Mills | |
| 1989 | The More You Know | Himself | |
| 1990 | Love or Money | Chris Murdoch | |
| 1992 | Year of the Comet | Oliver Plexico | |
| 1994 | Caroline at Midnight | Detective Ray Dillon | |
| 1995 | Denise Calls Up | Frank Oliver | |
| Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde | Doctor Richard Jacks | ||
| 1996 | The Associate | Frank Peterson | |
| 1998 | The Object of My Affection | Dr. Robert Joley | |
| 1999 | Seven Girlfriends | Jesse Campbell | |
| 2003 | Basic | Colonel Bill Styles | |
| 2004 | Against the Ropes | Gavin Reese | |
| Bereft | Uncle 'Happy' | Also producer and director | |
| Return to Sender | Martin North | ||
| 2005 | My Neighbor Totoro | Professor Tatsuo Kusakabe | Voice (Disney English dub)[25] |
| 2006 | Superman: Brainiac Attacks | Clark Kent / Superman | Voice[25] |
| The Good Student | Ronald Gibb | ||
| Generation Boom | Himself | ||
| 2009 | The Skeptic | Bryan Becket | |
| Superman/Batman: Public Enemies | Clark Kent / Superman | Voice[25] | |
| PoliWood | Himself | Documentary | |
| 2010 | Superman/Batman: Apocalypse | Clark Kent / Superman | Voice[25] |
| Dilf | Jake Holt | Short film | |
| 2012 | Justice League: Doom | Clark Kent / Superman | Voice[25] |
| 2013 | Waking[26] | Jonathan | |
| After Darkness | Raymond Beaty Sr. | ||
| 2015 | A Rising Tide | Tom Blake | |
| 2023 | Finestkind | Dennis Sykes | |
| TBA | The Panic† | William Whitney | Post-production |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | An Enemy of the People | Morten Stockmann | Film |
| 1981 | Hill Street Blues | Dann | Episode: "Gatorbait" |
| 1983 | Ryan's Four | Dr. Edward Gillian | Episode: "Ryan's Four" |
| 1984 | I Married a Centerfold | Kevin Coates | Film |
| 1985 | Mirrors | Chris Philips | |
| 1986 | American Playhouse | Richard | Episode: "The Rise and Rise of Daniel Rocket" |
| Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Scott | Episode: "Enough Rope for Two" | |
| 1987 | I'll Take Manhattan | Toby Amberville | 2 episodes |
| 1988–1989 | Almost Grown | Norman Foley | 13 episodes |
| 1989 | Midnight Caller | Elliot Chase | Episode: "Watching Me, Watching You" |
| Red Earth, White Earth | Guy Pehrsson | Film | |
| 1990–1997 | Wings | Joe Montgomery Hackett | 172 episodes |
| 1993 | Alex Haley's Queen | Colonel James Jackson Jr. | 2 episodes |
| In the Line of Duty: Ambush in Waco | David Koresh | Film | |
| 1994 | Dangerous Heart | Angel Perno | |
| Witness to the Execution | Dennis Casterline | ||
| 1995 | The John Larroquette Show | Thor Merrick | Episode: "Bad Pennies" |
| 1996–2000 | Superman: The Animated Series | Clark Kent / Superman,Bizarro | Voice, main role[25] |
| 1998 | From the Earth to the Moon | Jim Lovell | 4 episodes |
| Invasion America | Additional Voices | 13 episodes | |
| 1999 | Storm of the Century | Mike Anderson | 3 episodes |
| Execution of Justice | Dan White | Film | |
| Intimate Portrait: Tyne Daly | Narrator | ||
| 2000 | A House Divided | Charles Dubose | |
| 2000–2001 | The Fugitive | Dr. Richard Kimble | 23 episodes |
| 2002 | Monk | Himself | Episode: "Mr. Monk and the Airplane" |
| The Outsider | Johnny Gault | Film | |
| 2003 | Judging Amy | Monty Fisher | Episode: "Shock and Awe" |
| Edge of America | Leroy McKinney | Film | |
| Wilder Days | John Morse | ||
| 2004–2007 | The Sopranos | J.T. Dolan | 4 episodes |
| 2005 | Eyes | Harlan Judd | 12 episodes |
| 2006 | Commander in Chief | Cameron Manchester | Episode: "Happy Birthday, Madam President" |
| 2006–2007 | The Nine | Nick Cavanaugh | 13 episodes |
| 2007 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Reverend Jeb Curtis | Episode: "Sin" |
| Grey's Anatomy | Dr. Peter "Pete" Wilder | 2 episodes | |
| 2007–2012 | Private Practice | 98 episodes | |
| 2013 | Hawaii Five-0 | Ray Harper | Episode: "A'ale Ma'a Wau" |
| 2014 | The Mindy Project | Charlie Lang | 3 episodes |
| Hot in Cleveland | Mitch | 5 episodes | |
| 2014–2019 | Madam Secretary | Henry McCord | 120 episodes |
| 2021–2023 | The Game | Colonel Ulysses S. Thatcher | 9 episodes |
| 2024 | Life & Beth | Mr. Pederson | Episodes: "MRI", “Shower Sex” |
| 2025 | Leanne | Andrew | 6 Episodes |
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Tick Tock | |
| 2003 | Edge of America | Executive producer, also actor |
| 2004 | Bereft | Also director and actor |
| 2009 | PoliWood | Documentary[27] |
| Year | Production | Playwright | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987–88 | Coastal Disturbances | Tina Howe | Leo Hart |
|
| 2006 | The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial | Herman Wouk | prosecutor Lt. Cmdr. John Challee |
|
| Year | Production | Playwright | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Fables For Friends | Trevor/Chris/Nicky/Victor/Eddie | ||
| 1985 | Oliver, Oliver | Paul Osborn | Oliver Oliver |
|
| 1986 | The Rise & Rise of Daniel Rocket | Peter Parnell | Richard[29] | |
| 1986–87 | Coastal Disturbances | Tina Howe | Leo Hart |
|
| 2003 | Fear of Flying at 30 | Erica Jong |
| |
| 2003 | The Exonerated[30] | Jessica Blank andErik Jensen |
| |
| 2023 | The Night of the Iguana[31] | Tennessee Williams | Rev. Shannon |
|
| Year | Production | Playwright | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | Jenny Kissed Me | Jean Kerr | ||
| 1978 | Equus | Peter Shaffer | Alan Strang |
|
| 1981 | The Fifth of July | Lanford Wilson | ||
| 1981 | Buried Child | Sam Shepard |
| |
| 1981 | Of Mice and Men | John Steinbeck |
| |
| 1983 | Mass Appeal | Bill C. Davis |
| |
| 1983 | Bus Stop | William Inge |
| |
| 1983 | The Cabaret |
| ||
| 1983 | A Knife in the Heart | Susan Yankowitz | Donald Holt |
|
| A Christmas Carol | Charles Dickens/Hall and Cumming adaptation |
| ||
| 1985 | Paris Bound | Philip Barry |
| |
| The Glass Menagerie | Tennessee Williams |
| ||
| The Lion in Winter | James Goldman |
| ||
| 1987 | A Study in Scarlet | SirArthur Conan Doyle | Jefferson Hope |
|
| Dugout |
| |||
| 1993 | The Colorado Catechism | Vincent J. Cardinal | Ty Wain |
|
| Love Letters | A. R. Gurney | Andrew Makepiece Ladd III |
| |
| 2000 | Ancestral Voices | A. R. Gurney | ||
| Love Letters | A. R. Gurney | Andrew Makepiece Ladd III |
| |
| 2004 | Cabaret & Main | Darius de Haas |
| |
| 2010 | Six Degrees of Separation | John Guare | Flan Kittredge |
|
| 2016 | The Ruins of Civilization | |||
| 2017 | Downstairs | Theresa Rebeck |
|
| Year | Association | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Theatre World Awards | Best Debut Performance in a Broadway production | Coastal Disturbances | Won | [35] |
| 1993 | Drama-Logue Awards | Outstanding Actor[citation needed] | The Colorado Catechism | Won | |
| 2000 | Golden Satellite Awards | Best Actor in a Television Series Drama | The Fugitive | Won | [36] |
| 2001 | Screen Actors Guild | Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series | The Fugitive | Nominated | [37] |
| TV Guide Awards | Actor of the Year in a New Series | The Fugitive | Nominated | ||
| 2005 | TV Land Awards | Favorite Airborne Character(s) | Wings(shared withSteven Weber) | Nominated | |
| Peabody Awards | Peabody Award | Edge of America | Won | [38][39] | |
| 2006 | Daytime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Performer in a Children/Youth/Family Special | Edge of America | Nominated | [40] |
| 2007 | Emmy Awards | Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series | The Sopranos | Nominated | |
| 2008 | Vail Film Festival | Excellence in Acting Award | an annual award | Won | [41] |
I am [a native New Yorker]! I was born in Mount Sinai Hospital.
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