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Jeff Daniels

Jeff Daniels

Department: Acting

Biography

Jeffrey Warren "Jeff" Daniels (born February 19, 1955) is an American actor. He founded a non-profit theatre company, the Purple Rose Theatre Company, in his home state of Michigan. He has performed in a number of stage productions, both on and off Broadway. He has been nominated for the Tony Award as Best Actor for the Broadway play God of Carnage (2009), along with his other three cast-mates. He has had a thriving film career, from his debut in 1981 in Ragtime, through State of Play in 2009. For his film work, he has received three Golden Globe Award nominations, including as Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy/Musical for Woody Allen's The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985) (hence the name of his theatre company). He has also received nominations by the Screen Actors Guild, Satellite Awards, and several for his work in The Squid and the Whale (London Critics Circle Awards, Independent Spirit Awards, Chlotrudis Awards and Gotham Awards).

Known For

The Hours

The Hours

2002

Speed

Speed

1994

Good Night, and Good Luck.

Good Night, and Good Luck.

2005

Gettysburg

Gettysburg

1993

Pleasantville

Pleasantville

1998

The Squid and the Whale

The Squid and the Whale

2005

The Purple Rose of Cairo

The Purple Rose of Cairo

1985

The Butcher's Wife

The Butcher's Wife

1991

The Answer Man

The Answer Man

2009

Terms of Endearment

Terms of Endearment

1983

Fly Away Home

Fly Away Home

1996

The Five People You Meet In Heaven

The Five People You Meet In Heaven

2004

Arachnophobia

Arachnophobia

1990

Something Wild

Something Wild

1986

Space Chimps

Space Chimps

2008

Radio Days

Radio Days

1987

All the Rage

All the Rage

1999

Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael

Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael

1990

101 Dalmatians

101 Dalmatians

1996

Dumb and Dumber

Dumb and Dumber

1994

The Lookout

The Lookout

2007

Chasing Sleep

Chasing Sleep

2001

Imaginary Heroes

Imaginary Heroes

2004

Ragtime

Ragtime

1981

RV

RV

2006

Blood Work

Blood Work

2002

2 Days in the Valley

2 Days in the Valley

1996

Infamous

Infamous

2006

My Favorite Martian

My Favorite Martian

1999

Mama's Boy

Mama's Boy

2007

Heartburn

Heartburn

1986

The Crossing

The Crossing

2000

Timescape

Timescape

1992

Cheaters

Cheaters

2000

I Witness

I Witness

2003

Gods and Generals

Gods and Generals

2003

Howl

Howl

2010

State of Play

State of Play

2009

The Saint of Second Chances

The Saint of Second Chances

2023

Because of Winn-Dixie

Because of Winn-Dixie

2005

Paper Man

Paper Man

2009

Trial and Error

Trial and Error

1997

The Goodbye Girl

The Goodbye Girl

2004

Escanaba in da Moonlight

Escanaba in da Moonlight

2001

Sweet Hearts Dance

Sweet Hearts Dance

1988

Away We Go

Away We Go

2009

A Plumm Summer

A Plumm Summer

2008

Checking Out

Checking Out

1988

The House on Carroll Street

The House on Carroll Street

1988

Looper

Looper

2012

Marie: A True Story

Marie: A True Story

1985

Dumb and Dumber To

Dumb and Dumber To

2014

The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial

The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial

1988

Redwood Curtain

Redwood Curtain

1995

Remembering Ragtime

Remembering Ragtime

2004

No Place Like Home

No Place Like Home

1989

The Catcher Was a Spy

The Catcher Was a Spy

2018

Love Hurts

Love Hurts

1990

Bye Bye Barry

Bye Bye Barry

2023

9/11: Inside the President's War Room

9/11: Inside the President's War Room

2021

Sweet Nothing in My Ear

Sweet Nothing in My Ear

2008

There Goes the Neighborhood

There Goes the Neighborhood

1992

The Martian

The Martian

2015

Saturday Night Live: The Best of Chris Farley

Saturday Night Live: The Best of Chris Farley

2003

Rain Without Thunder

Rain Without Thunder

1993

Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs

2015

Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story

Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story

2024

America's Classic Ballparks

America's Classic Ballparks

1991

Broadway: The Next Generation

Broadway: The Next Generation

Allegiant

Allegiant

2016

Of Miracles and Men

Of Miracles and Men

2015

Traitor

Traitor

2008

Gerald R. Ford: A Test of Character

Gerald R. Ford: A Test of Character

Blind Logic: The Ralph R. Teetor Story

Blind Logic: The Ralph R. Teetor Story

Teamster Boss: The Jackie Presser Story

Teamster Boss: The Jackie Presser Story

1992

Super Sucker

Super Sucker

2002

The Emperor's Newest Clothes

The Emperor's Newest Clothes

2018

Guest Artist

Guest Artist

2019

Fifth of July

Fifth of July

1982

Saturday Night Live: A Tribute to Chris Farley

Saturday Night Live: A Tribute to Chris Farley

1998

An Invasion of Privacy

An Invasion of Privacy

1983

Robin Williams: A Family Affair

Robin Williams: A Family Affair

2006

RV Nation: The Culture of Road Warriors

RV Nation: The Culture of Road Warriors

2006

Barry Sonnenfeld: The Kosher Cowboy

Barry Sonnenfeld: The Kosher Cowboy

2006

"That's Awesome!": The Story of 'Dumb and Dumber To'

"That's Awesome!": The Story of 'Dumb and Dumber To'

2015

Still Dumb After All These Years

Still Dumb After All These Years

2006

Adam

Adam

2020

Walt Disney World's 25th Anniversary Party

Walt Disney World's 25th Anniversary Party

1997

James Gandolfini: Tribute to a Friend

James Gandolfini: Tribute to a Friend

2013

Broadway: Beyond the Golden Age

Broadway: Beyond the Golden Age

2021

Reykjavik

Reykjavik

Dumb and Dumber - Making Of

Dumb and Dumber - Making Of

2004

The Russian Five

The Russian Five

2018

Paddy Chayefsky: Collector of Words

Paddy Chayefsky: Collector of Words

2025

The Ellen DeGeneres Show

The Ellen DeGeneres Show

2003

Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Jimmy Kimmel Live!

2003

Hawaii Five-O

Hawaii Five-O

1968

The View

The View

1997

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

1992

Frasier

Frasier

1993

The Colbert Report

The Colbert Report

2005

Late Night with Conan O'Brien

Late Night with Conan O'Brien

1993

Hallmark Hall of Fame

Hallmark Hall of Fame

1951

Breakfast with the Arts

Breakfast with the Arts

1991

The Newsroom

The Newsroom

2012

The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson

The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson

2005

A Man in Full

A Man in Full

2024

LIVE with Kelly and Mark

LIVE with Kelly and Mark

1988

The Daily Show

The Daily Show

1996

MTV Video Music Awards

MTV Video Music Awards

1984

Saturday Night Live

Saturday Night Live

1975

The Looming Tower

The Looming Tower

2018

Godless

Godless

2017

Rolling Stone: Stories From the Edge

Rolling Stone: Stories From the Edge

2017

ARES: live

ARES: live

2015

Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter

Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter

2015

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

2014

The American Buffalo

The American Buffalo

2023

A Rumor of War

A Rumor of War

1980

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

2015

American Rust

American Rust

2021

Trying Times

Trying Times

1987

Saturday Night Live

Saturday Night Live

1975

The Graham Norton Show

The Graham Norton Show

2007

The Kelly Clarkson Show

The Kelly Clarkson Show

2019

Family Guy

Family Guy

1999

Off Camera with Sam Jones

Off Camera with Sam Jones

2014

Washington

Washington

2020

The Comey Rule

The Comey Rule

2020

Hemingway

Hemingway

2021

HBO First Look

HBO First Look

1992

Impractical Jokers: Dinner Party

Impractical Jokers: Dinner Party

2020

Impractical Jokers

Impractical Jokers

2011

CBS News Sunday Morning

CBS News Sunday Morning

1979

Variety Studio: Actors on Actors

Variety Studio: Actors on Actors

2014

Shrinking

Shrinking

2023

The American Revolution

The American Revolution

2025

Shrinking

Shrinking

2023

Late Show with David Letterman

Late Show with David Letterman

1993