Jeff Daniels
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- 19 February 1955 · Athens, Georgia, USA
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
Acting 100
- 20262034
- 2026Blind Logic: The Ralph R. Teetor Story as Ralph Teetor (voice)
- 2026The Reception
- 2026Broadway: The Next Generation as Self
- 2026Gerald R. Ford: A Test of Character as Narrator
- 2026The Brink of War as Ronald Reagan
- 2026Starman as Ed Watkins
- 2025Paddy Chayefsky: Collector of Words as Self
- 2024Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story as Self
- 2023Bye Bye Barry as Self
- 2023The Saint of Second Chances as Narrator (voice)
- 20219/11: Inside the President's War Room as Self - Narrator (voice)
- 2021Broadway: Beyond the Golden Age as Self
- 2020Adam as Mickey
- 2019Guest Artist as Joseph Harris
- 2018The Emperor's Newest Clothes as The Emperor
- 2018The Catcher Was a Spy as Bill Donovan
- 2018The Russian Five as self
- 2016Allegiant as David
- 2015Steve Jobs as John Sculley
- 2015The Martian as Theodore "Teddy" Sanders
- 2015"That's Awesome!": The Story of 'Dumb and Dumber To' as Self
- 2015Of Miracles and Men as Self - Narrator
- 2014Dumb and Dumber To as Harry Dunne
- 2013James Gandolfini: Tribute to a Friend as Self
- 2012Looper as Abe
- 2010Howl as Professor David Kirk
- 2009The Answer Man as Arlen Faber
- 2009Paper Man as Richard Dunn
- 2009Away We Go as Jerry Farlander
- 2009State of Play as George Fergus
- 2008Traitor as Carter
- 2008Space Chimps as Zartog (voice)
- 2008A Plumm Summer as Narrator
- 2008Sweet Nothing in My Ear as Dan Miller
- 2007Mama's Boy as Mert Rosenbloom
- 2007The Lookout as Lewis
- 2006Infamous as Alvin Dewey
- 2006RV Nation: The Culture of Road Warriors as Self
- 2006Barry Sonnenfeld: The Kosher Cowboy as Self
- 2006Robin Williams: A Family Affair as Self
- 2006Robin Williams: A Family Affair as Self
- 2006RV Nation: The Culture of Road Warriors as Self
- 2006RV as Travis Gornicke
- 2006Still Dumb After All These Years as Self
- 2005The Squid and the Whale as Bernard Berkman
- 2005Good Night, and Good Luck. as Sig Mickelson
- 2005Because of Winn-Dixie as Preacher
- 2004The Five People You Meet In Heaven as Blue Man
- 2004Remembering Ragtime as P. C. O'Donnell (archive footage)
- 2004Imaginary Heroes as Ben Travis
- 2004The Goodbye Girl as Elliot Garfield
- 2004Dumb and Dumber - Making Of as Self
- 2003Saturday Night Live: The Best of Chris Farley as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
- 2003I Witness as James Rhodes
- 2003Gods and Generals as Lt. Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain
- 2002The Hours as Louis Waters
- 2002Blood Work as Jasper 'Buddy' Noone
- 2002Super Sucker as Fred Barlow
- 2001Chasing Sleep as Ed Saxon
- 2001Escanaba in da Moonlight as Rueben Soady
- 2000Cheaters as Dr. Gerard Plecki
- 2000The Crossing as Gen. George Washington
- 1999All the Rage as Warren
- 1999My Favorite Martian as Tim O'Hara
- 1998Pleasantville as Mr. Johnson
- 1998Saturday Night Live: A Tribute to Chris Farley as Self
- 1997Trial and Error as Charles Tuttle
- 1997Walt Disney World's 25th Anniversary Party as Self
- 1996101 Dalmatians as Roger
- 1996Fly Away Home as Thomas Alden
- 19962 Days in the Valley as Alvin Strayer
- 1995Redwood Curtain as Lyman Fellers
- 1994Dumb and Dumber as Harry Dunne
- 1994Speed as Harry
- 1994The Making of 'Speed' as Self
- 1993Gettysburg as Col. Joshua Chamberlain
- 1993Rain Without Thunder as Jonathan Garson
- 1992There Goes the Neighborhood as Willis Embry
- 1992Teamster Boss: The Jackie Presser Story as Tom Noonan
- 1992Timescape as Ben Wilson
- 1991America's Classic Ballparks as Self - Narrator (voice)
- 1991The Butcher's Wife as Dr. Alex Tremor
- 1990Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael as Denton Webb
- 1990Arachnophobia as Ross Jennings
- 1990Love Hurts as Paul Weaver
- 1989No Place Like Home as Mike Cooper
- 1988Checking Out as Ray Macklin
- 1988Sweet Hearts Dance as Sam Manners
- 1988The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial as Lt. Steve Maryk
- 1988The House on Carroll Street as Cochran
- 1987Radio Days as Biff Baxter
- 1986Something Wild as Charles Driggs
- 1986Heartburn as Richard
- 1985Marie: A True Story as Eddie Sisk
- 1985The Purple Rose of Cairo as Tom Baxter / Gil Shepherd
- 1983Terms of Endearment as Flap Horton
- 1983An Invasion of Privacy as Francis Ryan
- 1982Fifth of July as Jed Jenkins
- 1981Ragtime as P.C. O'Donnell
Writing 2
- 2019Guest Artist · writer
- 2002Super Sucker · writer
Production 1
- 2019Guest Artist · producer
Directing 2
- 2002Super Sucker · director
- 2001Escanaba in da Moonlight · director