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Jeff Daniels

Jeff Daniels

Highest Rated: 100% The Saint of Second Chances (2023)

Lowest Rated: 8% Mama's Boy (2007)

Birthday: Feb 19, 1955

Birthplace: Athens, Georgia, USA

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 sophmoric comedy "Dumb and Dumber" (1994). Then he starred in the family films "Fly Away Home" (1996) and "101 Dalmations" (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-Queda 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."

Highest rated movies

95% 77% Speed
93% 82% Looper
93% 83% Good Night, and Good Luck.
93% 55% Arachnophobia
93% 84% Radio Days
93% 88% The Purple Rose of Cairo 92% 81% The Squid and the Whale 91% 91% The Martian

Filmography

Movies

Credit
100% 99% Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story Self - 2024
91% 98% Bye Bye Barry Narrator - 2023
100% 96% The Saint of Second Chances Narrator - 2023
No Score Yet 76% 9/11: Inside the President's War Room Narrator - 2021
92% No Score Yet Television Event Director,
Producer
- 2020
63% 33% Guest Artist Joseph Harris (Character),
Screenwriter,
Producer
$7.0K 2019
100% 98% The Russian Five Self $370.2K 2018
33% 52% The Catcher Was a Spy William J. Donovan (Character) $706.6K 2018
11% 41% The Divergent Series: Allegiant David (Character) $66.2M 2016
85% 73% Steve Jobs John Sculley (Character) $17.8M 2015
91% 91% The Martian Teddy Sanders (Character) $228.4M 2015
30% 35% Dumb and Dumber To Harry (Character) $86.2M 2014
93% 82% Looper Abe (Character) $66.3M 2012
63% 58% Howl David Kirk (Character) $617.3K 2010
32% 48% Paper Man Richard (Character) $15.4K 2009
32% 42% The Answer Man Arlen Faber (Character) $25.6K 2009
67% 74% Away We Go Jerry (Character) $9.4M 2009
84% 73% State of Play George Fergus (Character) $37.0M 2009
No Score Yet 73% Sweet Nothing in My Ear Dan Miller (Character) - 2008
65% 64% Traitor Carter (Character) $23.5M 2008
33% 33% Space Chimps Zartog (Voice) $30.1M 2008
20% 50% A Plumm Summer Narrator $53.8K 2007
8% 26% Mama's Boy Mert (Character) - 2007
87% 74% The Lookout Lewis Canfield (Character) $4.6M 2007
74% 69% Infamous Alvin Dewey (Character) $1.2M 2006
24% 45% RV Travis Gornicke (Character) $71.4M 2006
92% 81% The Squid and the Whale Bernard Berkman (Character) $7.4M 2005
93% 83% Good Night, and Good Luck. Sig Mickelson (Character) $31.5M 2005
55% 63% Because of Winn-Dixie Preacher (Character) $32.6M 2005
No Score Yet 44% The Goodbye Girl Elliot Garfield (Character) - 2004
35% 81% Imaginary Heroes Ben Travis (Character) $228.5K 2004
No Score Yet 82% Mitch Albom's The Five People You Meet in Heaven Blue Man (Character) - 2004
No Score Yet 32% I Witness James Rhodes (Character) - 2003
29% 41% Super Sucker Fred Barlow (Character),
Director,
Screenwriter
- 2003
8% 64% Gods and Generals Colonel Joshua Chamberlain (Character) $12.9M 2003
80% 84% The Hours Louis (Character) $41.6M 2002
52% 40% Blood Work Buddy Noone (Character) - 2002
50% 79% Escanaba in da Moonlight Reuben Soady (Character),
Director,
Writer,
Producer
$2.3M 2000
80% 60% Cheaters Dr. Gerard Plecki (Character) - 2000
50% 49% Chasing Sleep Ed Saxon (Character) - 2000
No Score Yet 60% The Crossing Gen. George Washington (Character) - 2000
27% 44% All the Rage Unknown (Character) - 1999
12% 31% My Favorite Martian Tim O'Hara (Character) $36.8M 1999
86% 79% Pleasantville Mr. Bill Johnson (Character) $40.6M 1998
50% 30% Trial and Error Charles 'Charlie' Tuttle (Character) $13.6M 1997
60% 54% 2 Days in the Valley Alvin Strayer (Character) $11.1M 1996
39% 40% 101 Dalmatians Roger Darling (Character) $136.2M 1996
88% 70% Fly Away Home Thomas Alden (Character) $24.6M 1996
No Score Yet No Score Yet Redwood Curtain Lyman Fellers (Character) - 1995
68% 84% Dumb & Dumber Harry Dunne (Character) $127.2M 1994
95% 77% Speed Det. Harold 'Harry' Temple (Character) $121.2M 1994
77% 89% Gettysburg Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain (Character) - 1993
50% 64% Rain Without Thunder Jonathan Garson (Character) $6.7K 1992
No Score Yet 47% Paydirt Willis Embry (Character) $8.2K 1992
No Score Yet 33% Teamster Boss: The Jackie Presser Story Tom Noonan (Character) - 1992
No Score Yet No Score Yet Timescape Ben Wilson (Character) - 1992
28% 30% The Butcher's Wife Alex (Character) $8.9M 1991
55% 47% Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael Denton Webb (Character) $3.5M 1990
93% 55% Arachnophobia Dr. Ross Jennings (Character) $53.2M 1990
No Score Yet 0% Love Hurts Paul Weaver (Character) - 1990
No Score Yet No Score Yet No Place Like Home Mike Cooper (Character) - 1989
20% 23% Checking Out Ray Macklin (Character) $12.7K 1989
No Score Yet 77% The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial Lt. Steve Maryk (Character) - 1988
44% 35% Sweet Hearts Dance Sam Manners (Character) $2.9M 1988
71% 27% The House on Carroll Street Cochran (Character) $161.7K 1988
93% 84% Radio Days Biff Baxter (Character) $11.1M 1987
48% 46% Heartburn Richard (Character) $24.3M 1986
91% 69% Something Wild Charles Driggs (Character) $6.4M 1986
No Score Yet 38% Marie: A True Story Eddie Sisk (Character) $1.9M 1985
93% 88% The Purple Rose of Cairo Tom Baxter/Gil Shepherd (Character) - 1985
82% 83% Terms of Endearment Flap Horton (Character) - 1983
No Score Yet No Score Yet An Invasion of Privacy Francis Ryan (Character) - 1983
No Score Yet No Score Yet Fifth of July Unknown (Character) - 1982
84% 76% Ragtime P.C. O'Donnell (Character) - 1981

TV

Credit
No Score Yet 62% The Kelly Clarkson Show Guest 2024
No Score Yet 14% The View Guest 2020 2024
50% 43% A Man in Full Charlie Croker (Character) 2024
No Score Yet 49% The Late Show With Stephen Colbert Guest 2016 2018-2021 2024
54% 76% American Rust Del Harris (Character),
Executive Producer
2021 2024
No Score Yet No Score Yet Finding Your Roots Guest 2023
No Score Yet 44% The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Guest 2014-2019 2021
90% 87% Hemingway Hemingway (Voice) 2021
66% 65% The Comey Rule James Comey (Character) 2020
No Score Yet 19% The Late Late Show With James Corden Guest 2015 2018 2020
No Score Yet 89% Impractical Jokers Self 2020
No Score Yet No Score Yet Washington Narrator 2020
No Score Yet 61% Late Night With Seth Meyers Guest 2016-2017 2019
No Score Yet No Score Yet 60 Minutes Guest 2018
No Score Yet 41% Jimmy Kimmel Live! Guest 2018
No Score Yet No Score Yet Close Up With The Hollywood Reporter Guest 2018
No Score Yet No Score Yet Variety Studio: Actors on Actors Guest 2018
88% 68% The Looming Tower John O'Neill (Character) 2018
No Score Yet No Score Yet Conan Guest 2012 2018
45% No Score Yet Rolling Stone: Stories From the Edge Narrator 2017
83% 85% Godless Frank Griffin (Character) 2017
No Score Yet No Score Yet Inside the Actors Studio Guest 2016
100% 29% The Nightly Show With Larry Wilmore Guest 2015
No Score Yet No Score Yet Last Call With Carson Daly Guest 2015
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Talk Guest 2015
No Score Yet 91% The Newsroom Will McAvoy (Character) 2012-2014
No Score Yet 100% The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson Guest 2014
100% 90% Late Show With David Letterman Guest 2014
No Score Yet 64% Family Guy Himself (Guest Voice) 2013
No Score Yet No Score Yet Late Night With Jimmy Fallon Guest 2010 2012-2013
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Colbert Report Guest 2005 2009
No Score Yet 58% Saturday Night Live Host 1991 1995
95% 94% Frasier Doug (Guest Voice) 1993