Jeff Daniels

Jeff Daniels Headshot

Actor

Birth Name: Jeffrey Warren Daniels

Birth Date: February 19, 1955

Age: 69 years old

Birth Place: Athens, Georgia

American actor Jeff Daniels built a versatile career where he moved easily between comedy and dramatic roles. Born in Athens, Georgia, he grew up in Chelsea, Michigan. He studied theater in college, but left to pursue a professional career in New York. He gained notice with his Off-Broadway performance in "Fifth of July," and recreated his role for the Broadway production. He began landing small television roles, including a guest appearance on "Hawaii Five-O" (CBS, 1968-80).

The actor moved into film work with a role in Milos Forman's "Ragtime" (1981). His profile took a huge jump when he starred with Shirley MacLaine, Jack Nicholson, and Debra Winger in the Academy Award-winning "Terms of Endearment" (1983). He was given the chance to step into a starring role when Woody Allen cast him as one of the leads, along with Mia Farrow, in "The Purple Rose of Cairo" (1985). The role would earn Daniels a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor. His role opposite Melanie Griffith in Jonathan Demme's "Something Wild" (1986) earned him another Golden Globe nom.

He began working steadily, starring in an array of films. One stretch of the 1990s showcased his diversity. He was part of the ensemble of the Civil War epic "Gettysburg" (1993). He played Keanu Reeves's partner in the thriller "Speed" (1994), and joined Jim Carrey for the blockbuster sophomoric comedy "Dumb and Dumber" (1994). Then he starred in the family films "Fly Away Home" (1996) and "101 Dalmatians" (1996). The actor never forgot his theater roots, returning to the stage on a regular basis and added playwright to his resume as well.

He later directed the film version of one of his plays, "Escanaba in da Moonlight" (2001). He earned critical raves for his role as a father struggling through a divorce in Noah Baumbach's "The Squid and the Whale" (2005). Daniels turned to television for what would become one of his most acclaimed roles. The actor starred as TV news anchor Will McAvoy in Aaron Sorkin's drama "The Newsroom" (HBO, 2012-14). The role earned Daniels an Emmy Award.

On the big screen, he re-teamed with Carrey for the sequel "Dumb and Dumber To" (2014), and joined the ensembles of "The Martian" (2015) and "Steve Jobs" (2015). His strong work on television continued with a starring role in the miniseries "The Looming Tower" (Hulu, 2018) as real-life counter-intelligence agent John O'Neill, who was convinced that the U.S. was being targeted by Al-Qaeda and died in the World Trade Center attacks. He also starred as outlaw Frank Griffin in the Western drama "Godless" (Netflix, 2018).

Daniels earned Emmy nominations for both projects, winning for "Godless." On stage, he earned critical raves and a Tony nomination for his role as Atticus Finch in a 2018 production of "To Kill a Mockingbird."

Credits

Village of Death: Oradour-Sur-Glane 1944

Narrator
Show
2024

A Man in FullStream

Actor
Charlie Croker
Series
2024
50%

Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve StoryStream

Self
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2024
98%

Bye Bye BarryStream

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Movie
2023
91%

The Saint of Second ChancesStream

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2023
100%

Ukraine: Answering the Call

Self
Special
2022

American RustStream

Actor
Del Harris
Series
2021
54%

American RustStream

Executive Producer
Series
2021
54%

CBS Mornings

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News
2021

9/11: Inside the President's War Room

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2021

Ken Burns: Hemingway

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2021

HemingwayStream

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Hemingway
Docuseries
2021
90%

The Comey RuleStream

Actor
James Comey
Docudrama
2020
66%

The Comey Rule

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James Comey
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2020

GMA3: What You Need to Know

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Show
2020

WashingtonStream

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Miniseries
2020

Television Event

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Movie
2020

The Kelly Clarkson Show

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Talk
2019

Guest Artist

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Joseph Harris
Movie
2019

Guest Artist

Producer
Movie
2019

Guest Artist

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Movie
2019

The Emperor's Newest Clothes

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The Emperor
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2018

Couch Surfing

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Show
2018

The Looming TowerStream

Actor
John O'Neill
Miniseries
2018
88%

The Russian Five

Self
Movie
2018

The Catcher Was a SpyStream

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William J. Donovan
Movie
2018
33%

GodlessStream

Actor
Frank Griffin
Miniseries
2017
83%

Rolling Stone: Stories From the Edge

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2017

Live with Kelly and Ryan

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Talk
2017

Sunday Today With Willie Geist

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2016

Celebrity PageStream

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News
2016

The Divergent Series: AllegiantStream

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David
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2016

The Late Show With Stephen ColbertStream

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2015

Close Up With The Hollywood Reporter

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2015

The Late Late Show With James Corden

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2015

The Nightly Show With Larry WilmoreStream

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Talk
2015
100%

Songs at the Center

Music Performer
Show
2015

The MartianStream

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Teddy Sanders
Movie
2015
91%

Steve JobsStream

Actor
John Sculley
Movie
2015
85%

Variety Studio: Actors on Actors

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2014

Dumb and Dumber To: HBO First Look

Actor
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2014

The Rich Eisen Show

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2014

The Meredith Vieira Show

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Talk
2014

Late Night With Seth MeyersStream

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Talk
2014

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy FallonStream

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Talk
2014

Off Camera with Sam Jones

Self
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2014

Dumb and Dumber ToStream

Actor
Harry
Movie
2014
30%

Gettysburg

Actor
Show
2013

Live! With Kelly and Michael

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Talk
2012

Entertainment Studios.TV

Guest
Show
2012

The NewsroomStream

Actor
Will McAvoy
Series
2012

Making: The Newsroom

Actor
Show
2012

Finding Your RootsStream

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Reality
2012

CBS This Morning

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Show
2012

LooperStream

Actor
Abe
Movie
2012
93%

Impractical JokersStream

Self
Reality
2011

ConanStream

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Talk
2010

The TalkStream

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Talk
2010

Howl

Actor
David Kirk
Movie
2010

Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

Guest
Talk
2009

State of PlayStream

Actor
George Fergus
Movie
2009
84%

Away We Go

Actor
Jerry
Movie
2009

The Answer ManStream

Actor
Arlen Faber
Movie
2009
32%

Paper ManStream

Actor
Richard
Movie
2009
33%

Space Chimps

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Zartog
Movie
2008

Sweet Nothing in My Ear

Actor
Dan Miller
Movie
2008

TraitorStream

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Carter
Movie
2008
65%

Chelsea Lately

Actor
Talk
2007

Mama's Boy

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Mert
Movie
2007

The LookoutStream

Actor
Lewis Canfield
Movie
2007
87%

A Plumm Summer

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Movie
2007

etalk

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Show
2006

Infamous

Actor
Alvin Dewey
Movie
2006

RVStream

Actor
Travis Gornicke
Movie
2006
24%

The Colbert Report

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Talk
2005

The Martha Stewart Show

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Reality
2005

The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson

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Talk
2005

Because of Winn-DixieStream

Actor
Preacher
Movie
2005
55%

Good Night, and Good LuckStream

Actor
Sig Mickelson
Movie
2005
93%

The Squid and the WhaleStream

Actor
Bernard Berkman
Movie
2005
92%

The Insider

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Show
2004

Tavis Smiley

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Talk
2004

The Goodbye Girl

Actor
Elliot Garfield
Movie
2004

Mitch Albom's The Five People You Meet in Heaven

Actor
Blue Man
Movie
2004

Imaginary Heroes

Actor
Ben Travis
Movie
2004

Texas Monthly Talks

Guest
Show
2003

Jimmy Kimmel Live!Stream

Guest
Talk
2003

Gods and Generals

Actor
Colonel Joshua Chamberlain
Movie
2003

I Witness

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James Rhodes
Movie
2003

Super Sucker

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Fred Barlow
Movie
2003

Super Sucker

Director
Movie
2003

Super Sucker

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Movie
2003

Super Sucker

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2003

Last Call With Carson Daly

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Talk
2002

Blood Work

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Buddy Noone
Movie
2002

The HoursStream

Actor
Louis
Movie
2002
79%

Live With Regis and Kelly

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Show
2001

Cheaters

Actor
Dr. Gerard Plecki
Movie
2000

The Crossing

Actor
Gen. George Washington
Movie
2000

Chasing Sleep

Actor
Ed Saxon
Movie
2000

Escanaba in da Moonlight

Actor
Reuben Soady
Movie
2000

Escanaba in da Moonlight

Director
Movie
2000

Escanaba in da Moonlight

Producer
Movie
2000

Escanaba in da Moonlight

Writer
Movie
2000

Family Guy

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Himself
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1999

Family GuyStream

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Himself
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1999

The Daily Show With Jon StewartStream

Guest
Talk
1999

My Favorite Martian

Actor
Tim O'Hara
Movie
1999

All the Rage

Actor
Movie
1999

Kickin' It: With Byron Allen

Guest
Show
1998

PleasantvilleStream

Actor
Mr. Bill Johnson
Movie
1998
86%

The View

Guest
Talk
1997

Trial and Error

Actor
Charles 'Charlie' Tuttle
Movie
1997

Theater Talk

Guest
Show
1996

Le Monde merveilleux de Disney

Actor
Show
1996

Fly Away Home

Actor
Thomas Alden
Movie
1996

2 Days in the ValleyStream

Actor
Alvin Strayer
Movie
1996
62%

101 DalmatiansStream

Actor
Roger Darling
Movie
1996
41%

Redwood Curtain

Actor
Lyman Fellers
Movie
1995

Cortina de Secuoyas

Actor
Movie
1995

Entertainers: With Byron Allen

Guest
Show
1994

Inside the Actors Studio

Guest
Talk
1994

SpeedStream

Actor
Det. Harold 'Harry' Temple
Movie
1994
95%

Dumb and DumberStream

Actor
Harry Dunne
Movie
1994

FrasierStream

Guest Voice
Doug
Series
1993
95%

Late Show With David Letterman

Guest
Talk
1993

GettysburgStream

Actor
Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain
Movie
1993
77%

The Tonight Show With Jay Leno

Guest
Talk
1992

Allí Se Va el Vecindario

Actor
Movie
1992

Jefe de la Unión de Camioneros

Actor
Movie
1992

Teamster Boss: The Jackie Presser Story

Actor
Tom Noonan
Movie
1992

Rain Without Thunder

Actor
Jonathan Garson
Movie
1992

Timescape

Actor
Ben Wilson
Movie
1992

There Goes the Neighborhood

Actor
Willis Embry
Movie
1992

Charlie RoseStream

Guest
Talk
1991

The Butcher's Wife

Actor
Alex
Movie
1991

Máscara y la Gloria

Actor
Movie
1990

Bienvenida Roxy Carmichael

Actor
Movie
1990

ArachnophobiaStream

Actor
Dr. Ross Jennings
Movie
1990
93%

Love Hurts

Actor
Paul Weaver
Movie
1990

Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael

Actor
Denton Webb
Movie
1990

Checking Out

Actor
Ray Macklin
Movie
1989

No Place Like Home

Actor
Mike Cooper
Movie
1989

The House on Carroll Street

Actor
Cochran
Movie
1988

The Caine Mutiny Court-MartialStream

Actor
Lt. Steve Maryk
Movie
1988

Sweet Hearts Dance

Actor
Sam Manners
Movie
1988

The Caine Mutiny

Actor
Movie
1988

Radio DaysStream

Actor
Biff Baxter
Movie
1987
92%

HeartburnStream

Actor
Richard
Movie
1986
45%

Something WildStream

Actor
Charles Driggs
Movie
1986
91%

The Purple Rose of CairoStream

Actor
Tom Baxter/Gil Shepherd
Movie
1985
93%

Marie

Actor
Eddie Sisk
Movie
1985

An Invasion of Privacy

Actor
Francis Ryan
Movie
1983

Terms of EndearmentStream

Actor
Flap Horton
Movie
1983
81%

Catalina C-Lab

Actor
Show
1982

RagtimeStream

Actor
P.C. O'Donnell
Movie
1981
83%

A Rumor of War

Actor
Chaplain
Show
1980

CBS News Sunday MorningStream

Guest
News
1979

Good Morning America

Guest
News
1975

Saturday Night LiveStream

Host
Series
1975

60 MinutesStream

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News
1968

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny CarsonStream

Guest
Talk
1962

Today

Guest
News
1952

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