66 Facts About Jeff Daniels

Jeffrey Warren Daniels was born on February 19,1955 and is an American actor, musician and playwright, known for his work on stage and screen playing diverse characters switching between comedy and drama.

Jeff Daniels is the recipient of several accolades, including two Primetime Emmy Awards, in addition to nominations for three Tony Awards, five Screen Actors Guild Awards, and five Golden Globe Awards.

Jeff Daniels made his film debut in Milos Forman's drama Ragtime followed by James L Brooks' Terms of Endearment, and Mike Nichols' Heartburn.

Jeff Daniels then received three Golden Globe Award nominations for Woody Allen's The Purple Rose of Cairo, Jonathan Demme's Something Wild, and Noah Baumbach's The Squid and the Whale.

Jeff Daniels starred in critically acclaimed films such as The Hours, Good Night, and Good Luck, Infamous, Looper, Steve Jobs, and The Martian.

From 2012 to 2014, Daniels starred as Will McAvoy in the HBO political drama series The Newsroom, for which he won the 2013 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series and received Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award nominations.

Jeff Daniels won a second Primetime Emmy Award in 2018 for his performance in the Netflix miniseries Godless.

Jeff Daniels has portrayed real life figures such as John P O'Neill in the Hulu miniseries The Looming Tower, and FBI director James Comey in The Comey Rule for Showtime.

Jeff Daniels has received several award nominations for his work on stage, including Tony Award nominations for Best Actor for his roles in the plays Yasmina Reza's God of Carnage, David Harrower's Blackbird, and Aaron Sorkin's To Kill a Mockingbird.

Jeff Daniels is the founder and current executive director of the Chelsea, Michigan Purple Rose Theatre Company.

Jeff Daniels spent the first 6 weeks of his life in Georgia where his father was teaching before the family moved to his parents' native Michigan where he grew up in Chelsea.

Jeff Daniels briefly attended Central Michigan University and participated in the school's theater program.

Jeff Daniels performed in New York in The Shortchanged Review at Second Stage Theatre.

Jeff Daniels made his screen debut in Milos Forman's Ragtime in 1981.

Jeff Daniels plays Winger's callow and unfaithful husband, a role which would prove to be his breakthrough.

In 1985, Jeff Daniels starred in Woody Allen's The Purple Rose Of Cairo alongside Mia Farrow and Danny Aiello.

Jeff Daniels appeared in an Off-Broadway production of David Harrower's Blackbird alongside Allison Pill, with whom he would later reunite in Aaron Sorkin's The Newsroom.

In 1991 Jeff Daniels founded the Purple Rose Theatre Company, a nonprofit stage company in Chelsea, Michigan, named after the 1985 Woody Allen movie, The Purple Rose of Cairo, which Jeff Daniels starred in.

Jeff Daniels has written more than a dozen plays for the company.

Jeff Daniels reprised the role of Chamberlain 10 years later in the prequel film Gods and Generals.

That same year Jeff Daniels appeared with Keanu Reeves in the action blockbuster Speed; the film was an enormous hit, grossing over $350 million at the box office.

Jeff Daniels plays a grungy cop Alvin Strayer along with Eric Stoltz in 2 Days in the Valley.

Jeff Daniels starred as the owner of a litter of dalmatians stolen by the evil Cruella De Vil.

Jeff Daniels then had a critical and commercial misfire with Trial and Error.

Jeff Daniels starred alongside Christopher Lloyd in the critically and commercially unsuccessful film, My Favorite Martian.

Jeff Daniels starred in the TV films The Crossing, Cheaters, and the direct-to-video release Chasing Sleep.

Jeff Daniels's next major film role would be in Clint Eastwood's Blood Work, which received mixed reviews and was a commercial failure.

Jeff Daniels then starred in Imaginary Heroes and the 2004 television film adaptation of fellow Michigander and friend Mitch Albom's bestseller The Five People You Meet in Heaven.

Jeff Daniels received his third Golden Globe nomination for the film, about a divorcing couple and the effect the split has on their children.

That year Jeff Daniels starred in the family film adaptation of Because of Winn-Dixie.

In 2006, Jeff Daniels appeared in the Truman Capote biopic Infamous starring Toby Jones, Sandra Bullock, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Sigourney Weaver.

Jeff Daniels then starred in Barry Sonnenfeld's family film RV, alongside Robin Williams, as the redneck comic foil to Williams' uptight businessman.

Jeff Daniels starred in two other independent films, Mama's Boy and The Lookout, for which he was nominated for a Satellite Award.

Jeff Daniels then took back-to-back supporting roles in political thrillers: Traitor with Don Cheadle and State of Play with Russell Crowe and Rachel McAdams.

Also in 2009, Jeff Daniels appeared in the indie hit Away We Go.

In 2009, after a 16-year-long absence, Jeff Daniels returned to Broadway in Yasmina Reza's original play God of Carnage alongside Hope Davis, James Gandolfini, and Marcia Gay Harden.

Jeff Daniels received his first Tony Award Nomination for Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his performance.

In 2010, Jeff Daniels continued his theater work and had a starring role in the little-seen indie Howl, alongside James Franco as Allen Ginsberg.

In 2012 Jeff Daniels became the new announcing voice for Apple with the iPhone 5 ads.

Jeff Daniels had a career resurgence with his turn in Aaron Sorkin's HBO drama series The Newsroom as fictional news anchor Will McAvoy.

The opening scene of the pilot episode "We Just Decided To", in which Jeff Daniels gives a monologue on the state of American greatness, has been viewed more than 13 million times.

The series ran for two more seasons, for which Jeff Daniels was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award.

In 2015, Jeff Daniels reunited with Sorkin in the biographical drama film Steve Jobs with Michael Fassbender, and Kate Winslet.

Jeff Daniels starred alongside Michael Fassbender, and Kate Winslet, both of whom received Academy Award nominations for their performances.

Jeff Daniels played David in The Divergent Series: Allegiant and was set to reprise the role in the planned The Divergent Series: Ascendant.

In 2016, Jeff Daniels returned to Broadway in the Revival of David Harrower's Blackbird alongside Michelle Williams.

Jeff Daniels was nominated for his second Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play.

In 2017, Jeff Daniels starred in Netflix's western miniseries Godless where he portrayed the villain Frank Griffin.

Jeff Daniels starred alongside Michelle Dockery, Merritt Wever, and Sam Waterston.

Jeff Daniels won critical praise for his performance and was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Supporting Actor in a Miniseries, which he won.

Jeff Daniels played John O'Neill, the chief of the New York FBI's Counter-terrorism Center.

Jeff Daniels won widespread critical acclaim and received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Best Actor in a Limited Series.

In 2018, Jeff Daniels starred as Atticus Finch, reuniting with Aaron Sorkin in his stage adaptation of To Kill a Mockingbird.

Jeff Daniels received his third Tony Award nomination for Best Actor in a Play.

In June 2019, producer Scott Rudin announced that Jeff Daniels would leave the production in November 2019 and would be succeeded by Ed Harris.

Jeff Daniels narrated the History Channel miniseries on George Washington titled Washington.

On September 27,2020, Jeff Daniels portrayed FBI director James Comey in the 2 part limited series, The Comey Rule which debuted on Showtime.

Jeff Daniels won critical praise for his performance as Comey and received a Golden Globe Award nomination.

Jeff Daniels is set to executive produce the project and star alongside Maura Tierney and Bill Camp.

In June 2021, it was announced that Jeff Daniels would be returning to his role of Atticus Finch in the Broadway production of To Kill a Mockingbird starting in October.

In 1979, Jeff Daniels married his college sweetheart, a fellow Michigan resident from Chelsea, Kathleen Rosemary Treado.

Jeff Daniels has appeared as the TV spokesman for the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, promoting Michigan's effectiveness in bringing in new companies, featured on CNBC.

Jeff Daniels was inducted into the Michigan Walk of Fame on May 25,2006, in Lansing, Michigan, and delivered the winter commencement address at the University of Michigan on December 20,2009, at which he was granted an Honorary Doctorate in Fine Arts.

In 2020, Jeff Daniels endorsed Joe Biden in the presidential election against Donald Trump.

Jeff Daniels narrated a campaign ad for Biden titled "America Needs Michigan", focusing on the swing state of Michigan.

Jeff Daniels has written and recorded six full-length albums with proceeds benefitting The Purple Rose Theater.