David Hyde Pierce facts for kids

Quick facts for kids David Hyde Pierce
Pierce in New York City in early 2010
Born	David Pierce (1959-04-03) April 3, 1959 (age 66) Saratoga Springs, New York, U.S.
Alma mater	Yale University (BA)
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1982–present
Spouse(s)	Brian Hargrove ​ (m. 2008)​

David Hyde Pierce (born David Pierce; April 3, 1959) is an American actor. He is famous for playing the smart psychiatrist Niles Crane on the TV show Frasier. This show was on from 1993 to 2004. For his role, he won four Emmy Awards and two Screen Actors Guild Awards.

David Hyde Pierce has also been nominated for five Golden Globe Awards. He won a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his role in the Broadway musical Curtains in 2007.

He has acted in many movies like Sleepless in Seattle (1993) and Nixon (1995). He also used his voice for characters in animated films such as Disney Pixar's A Bug's Life (1998) and Treasure Planet (2002). He played Henry Newman in the comedy movie Wet Hot American Summer and later in two Netflix series. David Hyde Pierce has also appeared in TV shows like The Good Wife (2014–2015) and Julia (2022–23).

Besides Curtains, he has been in other Broadway shows. These include Spamalot (2005) and Hello, Dolly! (2017). He was nominated for a Tony Award for these roles. He also directed a Broadway musical called It Shoulda Been You in 2015.

Early Life and Education

David Hyde Pierce was born in Saratoga Springs, New York. His dad, George Pierce, wanted to be an actor. His mom, Laura Marie Pierce, worked as an insurance agent. He is the youngest of four children. He has two older sisters, Barbara and Nancy, and an older brother, Thomas.

In 1993, he added "Hyde" to his name. This was to avoid being confused with another actor named David Pierce. When he was a child, he often played the organ at a local church. He also went to a summer camp called Kabeyun. There, he started acting in plays and even directed one.

After finishing Saratoga Springs High School in 1977, Pierce went to Yale University. He first studied music, focusing on playing the piano. But he later changed his studies to English literature and theater studies. While at Yale, he acted in and directed student plays. He graduated from Yale in 1981 with a Bachelor of Arts degree.

Career Highlights

Starting Out in the 1980s

After college, David Hyde Pierce moved to New York City. In the 1980s and early 1990s, he worked many different jobs. He sold ties and was a security guard while trying to become an actor. He also studied acting. During this time, he acted in a play called Hamlet and made his Broadway debut in 1982.

His first big TV role was in the early 1990s. It was in a comedy show called The Powers That Be. He played a Congressman named Theodore. Even though critics liked the show, it didn't last long. But his acting in this show helped him get his next big role in Frasier.

Becoming Famous with Frasier (1993–2004)

Pierce at the 1994 Emmy Awards

The creators of Frasier noticed that David Hyde Pierce looked a lot like Kelsey Grammer. Kelsey Grammer played Frasier Crane. So, they created the role of Niles Crane for Pierce. Niles was Frasier's younger brother. Before Frasier started, Pierce wanted to use just "David Pierce" as his acting name. But using his middle name in the show's credits helped make his character seem more "snooty."

For his work on Frasier, Pierce was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Emmy for eleven years in a row! He won four times: in 1995, 1998, 1999, and 2004. People praised his amazing physical comedy and quick reactions. One critic said he was a "great reactive comedian."

Pierce also appeared in movies like Little Man Tate and Sleepless in Seattle (1993). He was in Nixon (1995) with Anthony Hopkins. He also used his voice for many animated characters. He was Slim the stick insect in Pixar's A Bug's Life. He was Doctor Doppler in Disney's Treasure Planet. He also voiced Drix, a cold pill, in Osmosis Jones. In Hellboy, he voiced Abe Sapien. He didn't want credit for this role because he felt the actor Doug Jones brought the character to life with his movements.

In a fun inside joke, he voiced Cecil, the brother of Kelsey Grammer's character Sideshow Bob, on The Simpsons. This was a funny nod to their roles as brothers on Frasier.

Return to Broadway (2005–2016)

In 2005, Pierce joined the stage show Spamalot. In 2006, he starred as Lieutenant Frank Cioffi in a new musical called Curtains. This show opened on Broadway in 2007. On June 10, 2007, Pierce won a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical for his role in Curtains.

In 2010, Pierce was in a play called La Bête. He also had his first main movie role in the dark comedy The Perfect Host. From 2014 to 2015, Pierce was in the TV show The Good Wife. He also returned as Henry Newman in the Netflix series Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp (2015). David Hyde Pierce also directed the Broadway musical It Shoulda Been You in 2015.

Recent Work (2017–Present)

Pierce with Bette Midler at Hello, Dolly! on Broadway in 2017

In 2017, he was back on TV in a series called When We Rise. He also appeared as himself with Julie Andrews in Julie's Greenroom on Netflix. Pierce co-starred with Bette Midler in the Broadway revival of Hello, Dolly!. The show was very popular. Pierce was nominated for another Tony Award for his performance.

In 2020, Pierce took on the role of Paul Cushing Child in the TV series Julia, which started in 2022 on HBO Max. In 2021, he starred in the musical The Visitor. In late 2022, it was announced that Pierce would not return as Niles Crane in the 2023 Frasier revival. He felt there wasn't much more for Niles to do.

Pierce also starred in the final musical by Stephen Sondheim called Here We Are in 2023. In 2024, it was announced that he would star in a new version of The Pirates of Penzance starting in April 2025.

Personal Life

Maryland Senator Barbara Mikulski, Missouri Senator Kit Bond and Pierce at the Alzheimer's Press Conference to promote awareness

David Hyde Pierce is married to Brian Hargrove. They got married in California on October 24, 2008.

Pierce has spent many years working with the Alzheimer's Association. This group helps people with Alzheimer's disease. He has spoken in Washington, D.C., to ask for more money to find treatments. He also supported the National Alzheimer's Project Act. Pierce said in 2011 that it's up to everyone to face the challenges of this disease.

Filmography

Film

Television

Theatre

Video games

Awards and Nominations