Jeff Daniels

Acting

Jeff Daniels

Born February 19, 1955Athens, Georgia, USA139 credits

Jeffrey Warren "Jeff" Daniels (born February 19, 1955) is an American actor. 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).

Known For

The American Revolution
5.5

The American Revolution

TV

2025

Paddy Chayefsky: Collector of Words

Paddy Chayefsky: Collector of Words

Movie

2025

Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story
8.1

Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story

Movie

2024

A Man in Full
6.3

A Man in Full

TV

2024

Bye Bye Barry
7.8

Bye Bye Barry

Movie

2023

The American Buffalo
7.4

The American Buffalo

TV

2023

Filmography

The American Revolution
2025The American Revolutionas Thomas Jefferson (voice)TV
Paddy Chayefsky: Collector of Words
2025Paddy Chayefsky: Collector of Wordsas SelfMovie
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story
2024Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Storyas SelfMovie
A Man in Full
2024A Man in Fullas Charlie CrokerTV
Bye Bye Barry
2023Bye Bye Barryas SelfMovie
The American Buffalo
2023The American Buffaloas (voice)TV
The Saint of Second Chances
2023The Saint of Second Chancesas Narrator (voice)Movie
Shrinking
2023ShrinkingTV
American Rust
2021American Rustas Det. Del HarrisTV
9/11: Inside the President's War Room
20219/11: Inside the President's War Roomas Self - Narrator (voice)Movie
Broadway: Beyond the Golden Age
2021Broadway: Beyond the Golden Ageas SelfMovie
Hemingway
2021Hemingwayas Ernest Hemingway (voice)TV
The Comey Rule
2020The Comey Ruleas James ComeyTV
Adam
2020Adamas MickeyMovie
Impractical Jokers: Dinner Party
2020Impractical Jokers: Dinner Partyas HimselfTV
Washington
2020Washingtonas Self - NarratorTV
The Kelly Clarkson Show
2019The Kelly Clarkson Showas SelfTV
Guest Artist
2019Guest Artistas Joseph HarrisMovie
The Emperor's Newest Clothes
2018The Emperor's Newest Clothesas The EmperorMovie
The Catcher Was a Spy
2018The Catcher Was a Spyas Bill DonovanMovie
The Russian Five
2018The Russian Fiveas selfMovie
The Looming Tower
2018The Looming Toweras John O'NeillTV
Godless
2017Godlessas Frank GriffinTV
The Hunt for the Zodiac Killer
2017The Hunt for the Zodiac KillerCreatorTV
Rolling Stone: Stories From the Edge
2017Rolling Stone: Stories From the Edgeas NarratorTV
Allegiant
2016Allegiantas DavidMovie
Hunting Hitler
2015Hunting HitlerCreatorTV
Steve Jobs
2015Steve Jobsas John SculleyMovie
The Martian
2015The Martianas Theodore "Teddy" SandersMovie
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
2015The Late Show with Stephen Colbertas SelfTV
Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter
2015Close Up with The Hollywood Reporteras SelfTV
ARES: live
2015ARES: liveas Teddy SandersTV
"That's Awesome!": The Story of 'Dumb and Dumber To'
2015"That's Awesome!": The Story of 'Dumb and Dumber To'as SelfMovie
Of Miracles and Men
2015Of Miracles and Menas Self - NarratorMovie
Variety Studio: Actors on Actors
2014Variety Studio: Actors on Actorsas SelfTV
Dumb and Dumber To
2014Dumb and Dumber Toas Harry DunneMovie
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
2014The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallonas SelfTV
Off Camera with Sam Jones
2014Off Camera with Sam Jonesas SelfTV
James Gandolfini: Tribute to a Friend
2013James Gandolfini: Tribute to a Friendas SelfMovie
Looper
2012Looperas AbeMovie
The Newsroom
2012The Newsroomas Will McAvoyTV
Impractical Jokers
2011Impractical Jokersas SelfTV
Howl
2010Howlas Professor David KirkMovie
Paper Man
2009Paper Manas Richard DunnMovie
Away We Go
2009Away We Goas Jerry FarlanderMovie
State of Play
2009State of Playas George FergusMovie
The Answer Man
2009The Answer Manas Arlen FaberMovie
Traitor
2008Traitoras CarterMovie
Space Chimps
2008Space Chimpsas Zartog (voice)Movie
A Plumm Summer
2008A Plumm Summeras NarratorMovie
Sweet Nothing in My Ear
2008Sweet Nothing in My Earas Dan MillerMovie
Mama's Boy
2007Mama's Boyas Mert RosenbloomMovie
The Lookout
2007The Lookoutas LewisMovie
The Graham Norton Show
2007The Graham Norton Showas SelfTV
Infamous
2006Infamousas Alvin DeweyMovie
Barry Sonnenfeld: The Kosher Cowboy
2006Barry Sonnenfeld: The Kosher Cowboyas SelfMovie
R
2006RV Nation: The Culture of Road Warriorsas SelfMovie
Robin Williams: A Family Affair
2006Robin Williams: A Family Affairas SelfMovie
RV
2006RVas Travis GornickeMovie
Still Dumb After All These Years
2006Still Dumb After All These Yearsas SelfMovie
The Colbert Report
2005The Colbert Reportas SelfTV
The Squid and the Whale
2005The Squid and the Whaleas Bernard BerkmanMovie
Good Night, and Good Luck.
2005Good Night, and Good Luck.as Sig MickelsonMovie
Because of Winn-Dixie
2005Because of Winn-Dixieas PreacherMovie
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
2005The Late Late Show with Craig Fergusonas SelfTV
The Five People You Meet In Heaven
2004The Five People You Meet In Heavenas Blue ManMovie
Remembering Ragtime
2004Remembering Ragtimeas P. C. O'Donnell (archive footage)Movie
Imaginary Heroes
2004Imaginary Heroesas Ben TravisMovie
The Goodbye Girl
2004The Goodbye Girlas Elliot GarfieldMovie
Dumb and Dumber - Making Of
2004Dumb and Dumber - Making Ofas SelfMovie
Saturday Night Live: The Best of Chris Farley
2003Saturday Night Live: The Best of Chris Farleyas Self (archive footage) (uncredited)Movie
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
2003The Ellen DeGeneres Showas SelfTV
I Witness
2003I Witnessas James RhodesMovie
Gods and Generals
2003Gods and Generalsas Lt. Col. Joshua Lawrence ChamberlainMovie
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
2003Jimmy Kimmel Live!as SelfTV
The Hours
2002The Hoursas Louis WatersMovie
Blood Work
2002Blood Workas Jasper 'Buddy' NooneMovie
Super Sucker
2002Super Suckeras Fred BarlowMovie
Chasing Sleep
2001Chasing Sleepas Ed SaxonMovie
Escanaba in da Moonlight
2001Escanaba in da Moonlightas Rueben SoadyMovie
Cheaters
2000Cheatersas Dr. Gerard PleckiMovie
The Crossing
2000The Crossingas Gen. George WashingtonMovie
All the Rage
1999All the Rageas Warren HardingMovie
My Favorite Martian
1999My Favorite Martianas Tim O'HaraMovie
Family Guy
1999Family Guyas Jeff Daniels (voice)TV
Pleasantville
1998Pleasantvilleas Mr. JohnsonMovie
Saturday Night Live: A Tribute to Chris Farley
1998Saturday Night Live: A Tribute to Chris Farleyas SelfMovie
The View
1997The Viewas SelfTV
Trial and Error
1997Trial and Erroras Charles TuttleMovie
Walt Disney World's 25th Anniversary Party
1997Walt Disney World's 25th Anniversary Partyas SelfMovie
101 Dalmatians
1996101 Dalmatiansas RogerMovie
Fly Away Home
1996Fly Away Homeas Thomas AldenMovie
2 Days in the Valley
19962 Days in the Valleyas Alvin StrayerMovie
The Daily Show
1996The Daily Showas SelfTV
Redwood Curtain
1995Redwood Curtainas Lyman FellersMovie
Dumb and Dumber
1994Dumb and Dumberas Harry DunneMovie
Speed
1994Speedas HarryMovie
Gettysburg
1993Gettysburgas Col. Joshua ChamberlainMovie
Frasier
1993Frasieras Doug (voice)TV
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
1993Late Night with Conan O'Brienas Self - GuestTV
Late Show with David Letterman
1993Late Show with David Lettermanas Self - GuestTV
Rain Without Thunder
1993Rain Without Thunderas Jonathan GarsonMovie
There Goes the Neighborhood
1992There Goes the Neighborhoodas Willis EmbryMovie
Teamster Boss: The Jackie Presser Story
1992Teamster Boss: The Jackie Presser Storyas Tom NoonanMovie
HBO First Look
1992HBO First LookTV
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
1992The Tonight Show with Jay LenoTV
Timescape
1992Timescapeas Ben WilsonMovie
America's Classic Ballparks
1991America's Classic Ballparksas NarratorMovie
The Butcher's Wife
1991The Butcher's Wifeas Dr. Alex TremorMovie
B
1991Breakfast with the ArtsTV
Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael
1990Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichaelas Denton WebbMovie
Arachnophobia
1990Arachnophobiaas Ross JenningsMovie
Love Hurts
1990Love Hurtsas Paul WeaverMovie
No Place Like Home
1989No Place Like Homeas Mike CooperMovie
Checking Out
1988Checking Outas Ray MacklinMovie
Sweet Hearts Dance
1988Sweet Hearts Danceas Sam MannersMovie
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
1988LIVE with Kelly and MarkTV
The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial
1988The Caine Mutiny Court-Martialas Lt. Steve MarykMovie
The House on Carroll Street
1988The House on Carroll Streetas CochranMovie
T
1987Trying Timesas JimTV
Radio Days
1987Radio Daysas Biff BaxterMovie
Something Wild
1986Something Wildas Charles DriggsMovie
Heartburn
1986Heartburnas RichardMovie
Marie: A True Story
1985Marie: A True Storyas Eddie SiskMovie
The Purple Rose of Cairo
1985The Purple Rose of Cairoas Tom Baxter / Gil ShepherdMovie
MTV Video Music Awards
1984MTV Video Music Awardsas Self - PresenterTV
Terms of Endearment
1983Terms of Endearmentas Flap HortonMovie
An Invasion of Privacy
1983An Invasion of Privacyas Francis RyanMovie
Fifth of July
1982Fifth of Julyas Jed JenkinsMovie
Ragtime
1981Ragtimeas P.C. O'DonnellMovie
A Rumor of War
1980A Rumor of Waras ChaplainTV
CBS News Sunday Morning
1979CBS News Sunday Morningas SelfTV
Saturday Night Live
1975Saturday Night Liveas Self - HostTV
Hawaii Five-O
1968Hawaii Five-Oas Neal ForresterTV
Hallmark Hall of Fame
1951Hallmark Hall of Fameas Lyman FellersTV
Broadway: The Next Generation
—Broadway: The Next Generationas SelfMovie
G
—Gerald R. Ford: A Test of Characteras NarratorMovie
Blind Logic: The Ralph R. Teetor Story
—Blind Logic: The Ralph R. Teetor Storyas Ralph Teetor (voice)Movie
R
—Reykjavikas Ronald ReaganMovie