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