Jeff Daniels facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jeff Daniels
Daniels at the 2018 Montclair Film Festival
Born	Jeffrey Warren Daniels (1955-02-19) February 19, 1955 (age 70) Athens, Georgia, U.S.
Education	Central Michigan University
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1976–present
Spouse(s)	Kathleen Rosemary Treado ​ (m. 1979)​
Children	3

Jeffrey Warren Daniels (born February 19, 1955) is an American actor. He is famous for his work in movies, TV shows, and plays. He can play many different kinds of characters, from funny to serious.

Jeff Daniels has won several awards. These include two Primetime Emmy Awards. He has also been nominated for five Golden Globe Awards and three Tony Awards.

He started his movie career in Ragtime (1981). Then he appeared in Terms of Endearment (1983) and Heartburn (1986). He was nominated for Golden Globe Awards for The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985), Something Wild (1986), and The Squid and the Whale (2005).

He has starred in many popular films. These include Gettysburg (1993), Speed (1994), and Dumb and Dumber (1994). Other well-known movies are 101 Dalmatians (1996) and Pleasantville (1998). He also acted in acclaimed films like The Hours (2002) and The Martian (2015).

From 2012 to 2014, Daniels played Will McAvoy in the HBO series The Newsroom. He won a Primetime Emmy Award for this role in 2013. He won another Primetime Emmy in 2018 for the Netflix series Godless (2017). He has also played real people, like John P. O'Neill in The Looming Tower (2018). He played FBI director James Comey in The Comey Rule (2020).

Jeff Daniels is also a well-known stage actor. He first appeared on Broadway in Gemini (1977). He has been nominated for three Tony Awards. These nominations were for God of Carnage (2009), Blackbird (2016), and To Kill a Mockingbird (2018–2021). He also started his own theater company, the Purple Rose Theatre Company, in Chelsea, Michigan.

Early Life and Education

Jeff Daniels was born in Athens, Georgia, on February 19, 1955. His parents were Marjorie and Robert Daniels. His family moved to Michigan when he was very young. He grew up in Chelsea. His father owned a lumber company and was once the mayor of Chelsea.

Daniels went to Central Michigan University for a short time. He was part of the school's theater program. In 1976, he attended a special drama program at Eastern Michigan University. There, he performed in several plays. A director named Marshall W. Mason invited him to work at the Circle Repertory Theatre in New York. Daniels performed in plays there, including Fifth of July.

His Acting Journey

Starting Out: 1977-1989

Jeff Daniels acted in many plays in New York, both on and off Broadway. His first Broadway role was in Gemini (1977). He also acted in Fifth of July (1980). For this role, he was nominated for a Drama Desk Award.

His first movie was Ragtime in 1981. His next film was Terms of Endearment. This movie won the Academy Award for Best Picture. In the film, Daniels played the husband of the daughter, which helped him become more famous.

In 1985, Daniels starred in Purple Rose of Cairo with Mia Farrow. This movie was highly praised by critics. Daniels received a Golden Globe Award nomination for his acting. The movie even inspired the name of his own theater company. In 1986, he starred in Something Wild. He played a businessman who gets into a wild adventure. This role earned him another Golden Globe nomination. That same year, he was in Heartburn with Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep. In 1988, he acted in The House on Carroll Street and Sweet Hearts Dance.

Becoming a Well-Known Actor: 1990-2008

Daniels starred in romantic comedies like Love Hurts (1990) and The Butcher's Wife (1991). In 1993, he played Colonel Joshua Chamberlain in Gettysburg. He played this role again ten years later in Gods and Generals.

He continued his theater work, including Redwood Curtain (1993). He also won an Obie Award for his performance in Johnny Got His Gun.

In 1994, Daniels starred with Jim Carrey in the very successful movie Dumb and Dumber. This was a new kind of role for him, as he was known for serious acting. Earlier that year, he was in the action movie Speed with Keanu Reeves. This film made over $350 million. Daniels also hosted Saturday Night Live twice. In 1996, he starred in the Disney movie 101 Dalmatians. He played Roger Dearly, the owner of the dalmatians. This movie also did very well, earning $320 million. He also appeared in Fly Away Home (1996) and Pleasantville (1998). In Pleasantville, he played a diner owner who learns to be himself.

In the early 2000s, Daniels focused more on his theater company. He also wrote, starred in, and directed the films Escanaba in da Moonlight and Super Sucker. He then appeared in Blood Work (2002). Later that year, he was in the Oscar-winning film The Hours. This movie also made over $100 million. In 2005, Daniels starred in The Squid and the Whale. He received his third Golden Globe nomination for this film. He also appeared in Because of Winn-Dixie and Good Night, and Good Luck. In 2006, he was in Infamous, a movie about Truman Capote.

In 2007, Daniels performed in the play Blackbird. He also starred in the family movie RV with Robin Williams. He appeared in other independent films like The Lookout and Traitor (2008).

Big Comeback with The Newsroom: 2009-2015

Daniels promoting The Newsroom at the 2013 PaleyFest

In 2009, after a 16-year break, Daniels returned to Broadway. He starred in the play God of Carnage. The play is about two sets of parents meeting after their sons fight. The meeting starts politely but quickly turns into chaos. Daniels received his first Tony Award nomination for this role. The play won the Tony Award for Best Play.

In 2012, Daniels became the new voice for Apple's iPhone 5 ads. He had a big career boost with his role in Aaron Sorkin's HBO series The Newsroom (2012–2014). He played a news anchor named Will McAvoy. The first scene of the show, where Daniels gives a speech about America, has been watched over 21 million times. Daniels won a Primetime Emmy Award for his acting in the first season. The show ran for three seasons, and he was nominated for more Emmys.

In 2015, Daniels worked with Aaron Sorkin again in the movie Steve Jobs. He played John Sculley, a CEO. Daniels also starred in The Martian (2015) with Matt Damon. He played Teddy Sanders, the head of NASA.

Expanding His Career: 2016-Present

Daniels attending the premiere of The Martian at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival

In 2016, Daniels returned to Broadway in the play Blackbird with Michelle Williams. The play was highly praised. Daniels was nominated for his second Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play.

In 2017, Daniels starred in the Netflix western series Godless. He played the villain, Frank Griffin. He won critical praise and a Primetime Emmy Award for this role. In 2018, Daniels starred in the Hulu series The Looming Tower. He played John P. O'Neill, an FBI chief. This series was about the rising threat of Osama bin Laden and Al-Qaeda. Daniels received another Primetime Emmy Award nomination for his performance.

In 2018, Daniels played Atticus Finch in the Broadway play To Kill a Mockingbird. This play was also written by Aaron Sorkin. The show was very successful and broke box office records for a non-musical play. Daniels received his third Tony Award nomination for this role.

Daniels narrated the History Channel series Washington (2020). In September 2020, he played FBI director James Comey in the series The Comey Rule for Showtime. He received a Golden Globe Award nomination for this role. In 2021, Daniels returned to the Broadway production of To Kill a Mockingbird. He also narrated the Apple TV+ documentary 9/11: Inside the President's War Room. In 2021, he began starring in the series American Rust.

Beyond Acting: Other Activities

Daniels has been a TV spokesperson for the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. He helped promote Michigan's efforts to attract new businesses.

In 1991, Daniels started the Purple Rose Theatre Company. This is a non-profit theater in Chelsea, Michigan. He has written many plays for his company.

Family Life

In 1979, Jeff Daniels married his college sweetheart, Kathleen Rosemary Treado. They are still married and have three children.

In 1986, he moved back to his hometown of Chelsea, Michigan. He still lives there today.

Movies and TV Shows

Film

Television

Key

Denotes television series that have not yet been released

Stage Performances

Awards and Honors

Other Cool Facts

He was added to the Michigan Walk of Fame on May 25, 2006. This is in Lansing, Michigan.

In December 2009, he received an honorary doctorate degree. He also gave the graduation speech at the University of Michigan.

In 2022, a tiny worm that kills tarantulas was named Tarantobelus jeffdanielsi. This was done to honor his role in the movie Arachnophobia.

His Music Albums

Daniels has written and recorded six music albums. The money from these albums helps support The Purple Rose Theater.

• Jeff Daniels Live and Unplugged
• Jeff Daniels Live at The Purple Rose Theatre
• Grandfather's Hat
• Keep It Right Here
• Together Again
• Days Like These

Images for kids

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  The Purple Rose Theatre, founded by Jeff Daniels.

See also

In Spanish: Jeff Daniels para niños