Jeff Daniels
Born: 1955-02-19 in Athens, Georgia, USA
Known For: Acting
Biography
Jeffrey Warren "Jeff" Daniels (born February 19, 1955) is an American actor, musician and playwright. 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).
Filmography
2025
- The American Revolution as Thomas Jefferson (voice)
- Paddy Chayefsky: Collector of Words as Self
2024
- Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story as Self
- A Man in Full as Charlie Croker
2023
- Shrinking
- The Saint of Second Chances as Narrator (voice)
- Bye Bye Barry as Self
- The American Buffalo as (voice)
2021
- 9/11: Inside the President's War Room as Self - Narrator (voice)
- American Rust as Det. Del Harris
- Broadway: Beyond the Golden Age as Self
- Hemingway as Ernest Hemingway (voice)
2020
- Adam as Mickey
- The Comey Rule as James Comey
- Impractical Jokers: Dinner Party as Himself
- Washington as Self - Narrator
2019
- The Kelly Clarkson Show as Self
- Guest Artist as Joseph Harris
2018
- The Looming Tower as John O'Neill
- The Emperor's Newest Clothes as The Emperor
- The Catcher Was a Spy as Bill Donovan
- The Russian Five as self
2017
- Godless as Frank Griffin
- Broadway: The Next Generation as Self
- The Hunt for the Zodiac Killer ... (Creator)
- Rolling Stone: Stories From the Edge as Narrator
2016
- Allegiant as David
2015
- The Late Show with Stephen Colbert as Self
- The Martian as Theodore "Teddy" Sanders
- Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter as Self
- Steve Jobs as John Sculley
- "That's Awesome!": The Story of 'Dumb and Dumber To' as Self
- ARES: live as Teddy Sanders
- Hunting Hitler ... (Creator)
- Of Miracles and Men as Self - Narrator
2014
- The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon as Self
- Variety Studio: Actors on Actors as Self
- Off Camera with Sam Jones as Self
- Dumb and Dumber To as Harry Dunne
2013
2012
- The Newsroom as Will McAvoy
- Looper as Abe
2011
- Impractical Jokers as Self
2010
- Howl as Professor David Kirk
2009
- Paper Man as Richard Dunn
- State of Play as George Fergus
- The Answer Man as Arlen Faber
- Away We Go as Jerry Farlander
2008
- Traitor as Carter
- Space Chimps as Zartog (voice)
- Sweet Nothing in My Ear as Dan Miller
- A Plumm Summer as Narrator
2007
- The Graham Norton Show as Self
- The Lookout as Lewis
- Mama's Boy as Mert Rosenbloom
2006
- RV as Travis Gornicke
- Infamous as Alvin Dewey
- Still Dumb After All These Years as Self
- Barry Sonnenfeld: The Kosher Cowboy as Self
- Robin Williams: A Family Affair as Self
- RV Nation: The Culture of Road Warriors as Self
2005
- The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson as Self
- The Colbert Report as Self
- The Squid and the Whale as Bernard Berkman
- Because of Winn-Dixie as Preacher
- Good Night, and Good Luck. as Sig Mickelson
2004
- Remembering Ragtime as P. C. O'Donnell (archive footage)
- Imaginary Heroes as Ben Travis
- The Five People You Meet In Heaven as Blue Man
- Dumb and Dumber - Making Of as Self
- The Goodbye Girl as Elliot Garfield
2003
- Jimmy Kimmel Live! as Self
- The Ellen DeGeneres Show as Self
- I Witness as James Rhodes
- Gods and Generals as Lt. Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain
- Saturday Night Live: The Best of Chris Farley as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
2002
- The Hours as Louis Waters
- Blood Work as Jasper 'Buddy' Noone
- Super Sucker as Fred Barlow
2001
- Chasing Sleep as Ed Saxon
- Escanaba in da Moonlight as Rueben Soady
2000
- The Crossing as Gen. George Washington
- Cheaters as Dr. Gerard Plecki
1999
- Family Guy as Jeff Daniels (voice)
- My Favorite Martian as Tim O'Hara
- It's the Rage as Warren Harding
1998
- Pleasantville as Mr. Johnson
- Saturday Night Live: A Tribute to Chris Farley as Self
1997
- The View as Self
- Trial and Error as Charles Tuttle
- Walt Disney World's 25th Anniversary Party as Self
1996
- The Daily Show as Self
- 101 Dalmatians as Roger
- Fly Away Home as Thomas Alden
- 2 Days in the Valley as Alvin Strayer
1995
- Redwood Curtain as Lyman Fellers
1994
- Dumb and Dumber as Harry Dunne
- Speed as Harry
1993
- Frasier as Doug (voice)
- Late Night with Conan O'Brien as Self - Guest
- Gettysburg as Col. Joshua Chamberlain
- Rain Without Thunder as Jonathan Garson
1992
- The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
- HBO First Look
- Timescape as Ben Wilson
- Teamster Boss: The Jackie Presser Story as Tom Noonan
- There Goes the Neighborhood as Willis Embry
1991
- The Butcher's Wife as Dr. Alex Tremor
- America's Classic Ballparks as Narrator
- Breakfast with the Arts
1990
- Arachnophobia as Ross Jennings
- Love Hurts as Paul Weaver
- Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael as Denton Webb
1989
- No Place Like Home as Mike Cooper
1988
- LIVE with Kelly and Mark
- Checking Out as Ray Macklin
- Sweet Hearts Dance as Sam Manners
- The House on Carroll Street as Cochran
- The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial as Lt. Steve Maryk
1987
- Radio Days as Biff Baxter
- Trying Times as Jim
1986
- Heartburn as Richard
- Something Wild as Charles Driggs
1985
- The Purple Rose of Cairo as Tom Baxter / Gil Shepherd
- Marie: A True Story as Eddie Sisk
1984
- MTV Video Music Awards as Self - Presenter
1983
- Terms of Endearment as Flap Horton
- An Invasion of Privacy as Francis Ryan
1982
- Fifth of July as Jed Jenkins
1981
- Ragtime as P.C. O'Donnell
1980
- A Rumor of War as Chaplain
1979
- CBS News Sunday Morning as Self
1975
- Saturday Night Live as Self - Host
1968
- Hawaii Five-O as Neal Forrester
1951
- Hallmark Hall of Fame as Lyman Fellers