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{{short description|American actor (born 1927)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2022}}
{{Other people|William Daniels}}
{{Other people|William Daniels}}
{{Infobox officeholder
{{Infobox person
| name = William Daniels
| name = William Daniels
| image = William Daniels.jpg
| image = William Daniels 1976.JPG
| image_size = 230px
| image_size =
| caption = Daniels at the Emmy Awards<br>September 20, 1987
| caption = Daniels in 1976
| birth_name = William David Daniels
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1927|3|31}}
| birth_place = [[New York City]], U.S.
| alma_mater = [[Northwestern University]]
| occupation = Actor
| years_active = 1943–present
| spouse = {{marriage|[[Bonnie Bartlett]]|June 30, 1951}}
| children = 3
| website = http://www.williamdanielstheactor.com
| module = {{infobox officeholder |embed=yes
| office = President of the [[Screen Actors Guild]]
| office = President of the [[Screen Actors Guild]]
| term_start = 1999
| term_start = March 5, 1999
| term_end = 2001
| term_end = October 15, 2001
|vicepresident = [[Richard Masur]] | predecessor = [[Richard Masur]]
| predecessor = Richard Masur
| successor = [[Melissa Gilbert]]
| successor = [[Melissa Gilbert]]
| birth_name = William David Daniels<ref name=filmr>{{cite web|url=http://www.filmreference.com/film/17/William-Daniels.html| title=William Daniels Biography (1927-)| work=filmreference.com|accessdate=May 23, 2017}}</ref>
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1927|3|31| 90mf=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Brooklyn]], [[New York (state)|New York]], U.S.
| alma_mater = [[Northwestern University]]
| occupation = Film, television, stage actor
| yearsactive = 1950–present
| spouse = [[Bonnie Bartlett]] (1951-present, 3 children)
| children =
}}
}}
| module2 = {{Infobox military person|embed=yes
| branch = [[United States Army]]
}}
}}

'''William David Daniels''' (born March 31, 1927) is an American actor who is known for his television roles, notably as [[List of St. Elsewhere characters|Mark Craig]] on the drama series ''[[St. Elsewhere]]'', for which he won two [[Primetime Emmy Award]]s; the voice of [[KITT]] on the television series ''[[Knight Rider (1982 TV series)|Knight Rider]]''; and [[List of Boy Meets World characters#Mr. Feeny|George Feeny]] on the sitcom ''[[Boy Meets World]]'', which earned him four [[People's Choice Awards|People's Choice Award]] nominations. He reprised his ''Knight Rider'' role in the sequel TV movie ''[[Knight Rider 2000]]'' and his ''Boy Meets World'' role in the sequel series ''[[Girl Meets World]]''. He also portrayed Carter Nash (the actual identity of the eponymous comedic superhero) in ''[[Captain Nice]]''.


Daniels's film roles include Mr. Braddock (Benjamin Braddock's father) in ''[[The Graduate]]'', Howard Maxwell-Manchester in ''[[Two for the Road (film)|Two for the Road]]'', and [[John Adams]] in the musical film ''[[1776 (film)|1776]]''. He was president of the [[Screen Actors Guild]] from 1999 to 2001 and led the union's efforts during the [[2000 commercial actors strike]].
'''William David Daniels''' (born March 31, 1927) is an American actor and former president of the [[Screen Actors Guild]] (1999 to 2001).


Daniels is also noted for having portrayed in film or on television the three most prominent members of the [[Adams political family]]: [[John Adams]], his cousin and fellow founding father, [[Samuel Adams]], and John Adams's son [[John Quincy Adams]].
He is known for his performance as [[Dustin Hoffman]]'s character's father in ''[[The Graduate]]'' (1967), as Howard in ''[[Two for the Road (film)|Two for the Road]]'', as [[John Adams]] in ''[[1776 (film)|1776]]'', as Carter Nash in ''[[Captain Nice]]'', as Mr. George Feeny in [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]'s ''[[Boy Meets World]]'' and its sequel, [[Disney Channel]]'s ''[[Girl Meets World]]'', as the [[voice acting|voice]] of [[KITT]] in ''[[Knight Rider (1982 TV series)|Knight Rider]]'', and as [[List of St. Elsewhere characters|Dr. Mark Craig]] in ''[[St. Elsewhere]]'', for which he won two [[Emmy Awards]].


==Early life==
==Early life==
William Daniels was born in [[Brooklyn, New York]], to Irene and David Daniels, although he has spoken with a [[Boston Brahmin accent]] (with some [[Mid-Atlantic English|transatlantic]] influence) in many of his roles. His father was a bricklayer.<ref name=filmr/> He has two sisters, Jacqueline and Carol.<ref>{{cite news| title=Sex sparked Mr. Feeny’s real-life marriage — William Daniels, Bonnie Bartlett reflect on relationship| url=https://article.wn.com/view/2017/03/11/watch_sex_sparked_mr_feeny_8217s_reallife_marriage_william_d|date=March 11, 2017|work=[[World News Network]]}}</ref>
William David Daniels was born on March 31, 1927, in [[Brooklyn]], New York,<ref>{{cite web |title=William Daniels |url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/852421%7C155428/William-Daniels/ |website=[[Turner Classic Movies]] |access-date=April 28, 2022}}</ref> to Irene and David Daniels. His father was a bricklayer, and his mother was a telephone operator.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Cho |first1=Diane |title=William Daniels' Celebrated Career and Life in Photos |url=https://people.com/tv/william-daniels-life-in-photos/ |website=People |access-date=April 28, 2022}}</ref> He has two sisters, Jacqueline and Carol.<ref>{{cite news|title=Sex sparked Mr. Feeny's real-life marriage — William Daniels, Bonnie Bartlett reflect on relationship|url=https://article.wn.com/view/2017/03/11/watch_sex_sparked_mr_feeny_8217s_reallife_marriage_william_d|date=March 11, 2017|work=[[World News Network]]}}</ref> He grew up in [[East New York, Brooklyn]].<ref name="EastNY">{{cite news |title=From Brooklyn to Boy Meets World: A Chat With William Daniels |url=http://www.bkmag.com/2017/03/07/brooklyn-boy-meets-world-william-daniels-mr-feeny-lin-manuel-miranda-new-memoir/ |access-date=February 20, 2019 |publisher=BKMag}}</ref>


He was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1945 and stationed in Italy, where he served as a [[disc jockey]] at an Army radio station. At the suggestion of [[Howard Lindsay]], co-author of ''[[Life With Father]]'', who recommended he use the [[GI Bill]] to attend a college with a good drama department, he enrolled at [[Northwestern University]].<ref name="WaPo 1985">{{cite news|last1=Mathews|first1=Jay|title=William Daniels, In Character|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1985/11/27/william-daniels-in-character/ef87847f-7b3e-4b90-be33-37442b028cb9/|accessdate=1 April 2017|work=The Washington Post|date=27 November 1985}}</ref> He graduated from Northwestern n 1949, and was a member of [[Sigma Nu]] fraternity.{{citation needed|date=November 2014}}
Daniels was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1945 and stationed in Italy, where he served as a [[disc jockey]] at an Army radio station. At the suggestion of [[Howard Lindsay]], co-author of ''[[Life with Father]]'', who recommended he use the [[GI Bill]] to attend a college with a good drama department, Daniels enrolled at [[Northwestern University]].<ref name="WaPo 1985">{{cite news|last1=Mathews|first1=Jay|title=William Daniels, In Character|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1985/11/27/william-daniels-in-character/ef87847f-7b3e-4b90-be33-37442b028cb9|access-date=April 1, 2017|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=November 27, 1985}}</ref> He graduated from Northwestern in 1949, and is a member of [[Sigma Nu]] fraternity.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.sigmanu.org/prospective-members/notable-sigma-nu-members | title = Prospective Members = Notable Sigma Nu Members | website = [[Sigma Nu|Sigma Nu Fraternity]] | access-date = October 13, 2020}}</ref>


==Career==
==Career==
{{moresources|section|date=May 2017}}
{{BLP sources section|date=May 2017}}
[[File:Nixon 1776 play C3006-34.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Daniels and other cast members of ''[[1776 (musical)|1776]]'' with [[Richard Nixon]] following a performance of the Tony Award-winning musical in the East Room of the White House (1971)]]
Daniels began his career as a member of the singing Daniels family in Brooklyn. He made his television debut as part of a variety act (along with other members of his family) in 1943, on NBC, then a single station in New York.<ref name="The Toronto Star 1982">[[Associated Press]] wire service story published in the Toronto Star, November 19, 1982, Page D1</ref> He made his Broadway debut in 1943 in ''[[Life With Father]]'',<ref name="official website">{{cite web|title=Official Site for Actor William Daniels|url=http://www.williamdanielstheactor.com/|website=www.williamdanielstheactor.com|accessdate=April 1, 2017}}</ref> and remained a busy Broadway actor for decades afterwards. His Broadway credits include roles in ''[[1776 (musical)|1776]]'', ''[[A Thousand Clowns]]'', ''[[On a Clear Day You Can See Forever]]'' and ''[[A Little Night Music]]''. He earned an [[Obie Award]] for ''[[The Zoo Story]]'' (1960).


Daniels began his career as a member of the singing Daniels family in Brooklyn. He made his television debut as part of a variety act (along with other members of his family) in 1943, on NBC, then a single station in New York.<ref name="The Toronto Star 1982">[[Associated Press]] wire service story published in the Toronto Star, November 19, 1982, Page D1</ref> He made his Broadway debut in 1943 in ''[[Life with Father]]'',<ref name="official website">{{cite web|title=Official Site for Actor William Daniels|url=http://www.williamdanielstheactor.com|website=www.williamdanielstheactor.com|access-date=April 1, 2017}}</ref> and remained a busy Broadway actor for decades afterwards. His Broadway credits include roles in ''[[1776 (musical)|1776]]'', ''[[A Thousand Clowns]]'', ''[[On a Clear Day You Can See Forever]]'', and ''[[A Little Night Music]]''. He received an [[Obie Award]] for ''[[The Zoo Story]]'' (1960).
Daniels's motion picture debut was as a school principal in the 1963 anti-war drama ''[[Ladybug Ladybug (film)|Ladybug Ladybug]]''. In 1965, he reprised his Broadway role as a child welfare worker in the screen version of ''[[A Thousand Clowns]]''.{{cn|date=May 2017}} In 1967 he starred in ''[[The Graduate]]'', with [[Dustin Hoffman]] and [[Anne Bancroft]]. In 1969, Daniels starred as John Adams in the Broadway musical ''[[1776 (musical)|1776]]''; he also appeared in the [[1776 (film)|film version]] in 1972. Two years later, he co-starred in [[Richard Donner]]'s telefilm ''[[Sarah T. - Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic]]''.{{cn|date=May 2017}}


Daniels's motion picture debut was as a school principal in the 1963 anti-war drama film ''[[Ladybug Ladybug (film)|Ladybug Ladybug]]''. In 1965, he reprised his Broadway role as a child welfare worker in the screen version of ''[[A Thousand Clowns]]''. In 1967 he appeared in ''[[The Graduate]]'' as the father of [[Dustin Hoffman]]'s character. In 1969, Daniels starred as [[John Adams]] in the Broadway musical ''[[1776 (musical)|1776]]''; he also appeared in the [[1776 (film)|film version]] in 1972. Two years later, he co-starred in [[Richard Donner]]'s telefilm ''[[Sarah T. - Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://whysoblu.com/sarah-t-portrait-teenage-alcoholic-blu-ray-review/|title=Sarah T. – Portrait Of A Teenage Alcoholic (Blu-ray Review)|date=January 19, 2019|website=Why So Blu?|language=en-US|access-date=February 16, 2020}}</ref> in 1979 he again reprised his role as the outspoken John Adams in the film ''Rebels'', again about the American revolution, without seeming to ever break character. He is known as the quintessential John Adams.
Daniels's first network television appearance came in 1952 when he portrayed the young [[John Quincy Adams]], eldest son of John and Abigail Adams in the ''[[Hallmark Hall of Fame]]'' drama ''A Woman for the Ages.'' In 1976, he reprised the role as the middle-aged and elder John Quincy Adams in the acclaimed [[Public Broadcasting Service|PBS]] miniseries ''[[The Adams Chronicles]]'' ([[George Grizzard]] played John Adams). He also starred in the short-lived series ''[[Captain Nice]]'' as police chemist Carter Nash. He appeared as acid-tongued (but well-meaning) Dr. Mark Craig in ''[[St. Elsewhere]]'' from 1982-88, for which he won two Emmy awards. Concurrently, he provided the voice of [[KITT]] in ''[[Knight Rider (1982 TV series)|Knight Rider]]'' from 1982 to 1986. Daniels said in 1982, "My duties on ''Knight Rider'' are very simple. I do it in about an hour and a half. I've never met the cast. I haven't even met the producer."<ref name="The Toronto Star 1982"/>


Daniels's first network television appearance came in 1952 when he portrayed the young [[John Quincy Adams]], eldest son of John and Abigail Adams in the ''[[Hallmark Hall of Fame]]'' drama ''A Woman for the Ages.'' In 1976, he reprised the role as the middle-aged and elder John Quincy Adams in the acclaimed [[Public Broadcasting Service|PBS]] miniseries ''[[The Adams Chronicles]]''. He starred in the short-lived series ''[[Captain Nice]]'' as police chemist Carter Nash. He appeared as acid-tongued Dr. Mark Craig in ''[[St. Elsewhere]]'' from 1982 to 1988, for which he won two Emmy awards. Concurrently, he provided the voice of [[KITT]] in ''[[Knight Rider (1982 TV series)|Knight Rider]]'' from 1982 to 1986. Daniels said in 1982, "My duties on ''Knight Rider'' are very simple. I do it in about an hour and a half. I've never met the cast. I haven't even met the producer."<ref name="The Toronto Star 1982"/>
He reprised the voice-only role of KITT in 1991 for the television movie ''[[Knight Rider 2000]]'', again in the movie ''[[The Benchwarmers]]''. He performed the role in [[AT&T Inc.|AT&T]] and [[General Electric|GE]] commercials about talking machines, and twice in ''[[The Simpsons]]'' as well as at the [[Comedy Central]] Roast of his co-star David Hasselhoff.<ref>{{cite web|title=William Daniels profile|url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0200122|publisher=[[IMDb]]|accessdate=July 10, 2012}}</ref> He reprised the role of KITT in the 2015 Lego-themed action-adventure video game [[Lego Dimensions]].
He performed the voice for a special edition GPS sold by Radio Shack.{{citation needed|date=November 2014}}


Daniels reprised the voice-only role of KITT in 1991 for the television movie ''[[Knight Rider 2000]]'', and again in the theatrical comedy movie ''[[The Benchwarmers]]''. He performed the role in [[AT&T Inc.|AT&T]] and [[General Electric|GE]] commercials about talking machines, and twice in ''[[The Simpsons]]'' as well as at the [[Comedy Central Roast]] of his co-star David Hasselhoff.<ref>{{cite web|title=William Daniels profile|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0200122|publisher=IMDb|access-date=July 10, 2012}}</ref> He reprised the role of KITT in the 2015 Lego-themed action-adventure video game ''[[Lego Dimensions]]''.{{citation needed|date=May 2017}}
Daniels portrayed teacher (later principal) [[George Feeny]] at John Adams High School in ''[[Boy Meets World]]'' from 1993 to 2000. In addition to the previously mentioned 1967 superhero sitcom ''[[Captain Nice]]'', he was a regular on the 1970s TV series ''[[Freebie and the Bean (TV Series)|Freebie and the Bean]]'' and ''[[The Nancy Walker Show]]''. A familiar character actor, he has appeared as a guest star on numerous TV comedies and dramas, including ''Soap'', ''[[The Rockford Files]]'', ''[[Quincy, M.E.]]'', ''[[Kolchak The Knightstalker]]'', and many others.
In 2012, Daniels appeared in the ninth season of ''[[Grey's Anatomy]]'' as Dr. Craig Thomas, an unlikely mentor to the character of Dr. [[Cristina Yang]] played by actress [[Sandra Oh]]. His character, Dr. Thomas, died in the operating room while performing a procedure to repair a heart defect midway through the season, which forced Yang to move back to Seattle.{{cn|date=May 2017}}


Daniels portrayed strict but loving educator [[George Feeny]] at John Adams High School in ''[[Boy Meets World]]'' from 1993 to 2000. In addition to the previously mentioned 1967 superhero sitcom ''[[Captain Nice]]'', he was a regular on the 1970s TV series ''[[Freebie and the Bean (TV series)|Freebie and the Bean]]'' and ''[[The Nancy Walker Show]]''.{{citation needed|date=May 2017}}
In 2014, Daniels reprised his role as Mr. Feeny in the pilot episode of the ''Boy Meets World'' spinoff, ''[[Girl Meets World]]''. His role was a cameo at the end credits praising the adult Cory Matthews for his parenting. He made two additional appearances in the second season.<ref>{{cite episode|title=Girl Meets World |series=Girl Meets World |network=[[Disney Channel]]|airdate=June 22, 2014}}(Originally uploaded to [[iTunes]] on June 16, 2014 as a free download)</ref>


A familiar character actor, he has appeared as a guest star on numerous TV comedies and dramas, including ''Soap'', ''[[The Rockford Files]]'', ''[[Quincy, M.E.]]'', ''[[Kolchak: The Night Stalker]]'', and many others. In 2012, Daniels appeared in the ninth season of ''[[Grey's Anatomy]]'' as Dr. Craig Thomas, an unlikely mentor to the character of Dr. [[Cristina Yang]] played by actress [[Sandra Oh]]. His character, Dr. Thomas, died in the operating room while performing a procedure to repair a heart defect midway through the season, which forced Yang to move back to Seattle.{{citation needed|date=May 2017}}
Bartlett and Daniels both served on the [[Screen Actors Guild]]'s Board of Directors.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.biography.com/people/william-daniels-21292283#synopsis|title=William Daniels profile|publisher=Biography.com|accessdate=November 26, 2014}}</ref>

In 2014, Daniels reprised his role as Mr. Feeny in the pilot episode of the ''Boy Meets World'' spinoff, ''[[Girl Meets World]]''. He cameoed in the final scene, praising the adult Cory Matthews for his parenting.<ref>{{cite episode|title=Girl Meets World |series=Girl Meets World |network=[[Disney Channel]]|airdate=June 22, 2014}} (Originally uploaded to [[iTunes]] on June 16, 2014, as a free download)</ref> He made additional appearances in the second<ref>{{cite episode|title=Girl Meets Gravity |series=Girl Meets World |network=Disney Channel|airdate=May 11, 2015}}</ref> and third seasons.<ref>{{cite episode|title=Girl Meets Goodbye |series=Girl Meets World |network=[[Disney Channel]]|airdate=January 20, 2017}}</ref>

In early 2023, he completed filming of the role of King Henry VI in the upcoming "Richard III".<ref name="Broadway World">{{cite web|website=Broadway World |title=William Daniels Joins RICHARD III Film From Christopher Carter Sanderson |first1=Michael |last1=Major |date=Feb 17, 2023 |url=http://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwtv/article/William-Daniels-Joins-RICHARD-III-Film-From-Christopher-Carter-Sanderson-20230217|access-date=June 30, 2023 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230323234641/http://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwtv/article/William-Daniels-Joins-RICHARD-III-Film-From-Christopher-Carter-Sanderson-20230217 |archive-date= Mar 23, 2023 }}</ref>


==Personal life==
==Personal life==
[[File:Williamdaniels bonniebartlett (cropped).jpg|thumb|Daniels with wife Bonnie Bartlett at the 1987 Emmy Awards]]
[[File:Williamdaniels bonniebartlett (cropped).jpg|thumb|Daniels with wife Bonnie Bartlett at the 1987 Emmy Awards]]
Daniels has been married to actress and fellow Emmy Award-winner [[Bonnie Bartlett]] since June 30, 1951. In 1961, Bartlett gave birth to a son, who died just 24 hours later. They later adopted two children: Michael, who became an assistant director and stage manager in Los Angeles, and Robert, who became an artist and computer graphics designer based in New York City.<ref name="ageinginhighheels.com">{{cite web| url=http://ageinginhighheels.com/ageless-amazing-women-bonnie-bartlett|title=Beverlye Hyman Fead, Aging in High Heels – Ageless Amazing Women Interview - Bonnie Bartlett|work=Beverlye Hyman Fead, Aging in High Heels| accessdate=March 29, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.nndb.com/people/350/000130957/|title=Bonnie Bartlett| publisher=[[NNDB]]|accessdate=March 29, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1129&dat=19870306&id=99Q0AAAAIBAJ&sjid=6G0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=5334,1921744&hl=en|title=Bonnie Bartlett goes 'downscale'|work=[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]]|first=Ron|last=Weiskind|date=March 6, 1987|page=19|accessdate=March 27, 2017}}</ref>
Daniels has been married to actress and fellow Emmy Award winner [[Bonnie Bartlett]] since June 30, 1951; at 73 years, it is the [[Hollywood marriage|longest active Hollywood marriage]] as of July 2024. In 1961, Bartlett gave birth to a son, [[Sudden infant death syndrome|who died 24 hours later]]. They adopted two sons: Michael, who became an assistant director and stage manager in Los Angeles, and Robert, who became an artist and computer graphics designer based in New York City.<ref name="ageinginhighheels.com">{{cite web |date=June 11, 2013 |title=Ageless Amazing Women Interview – Bonnie Bartlett |url=http://ageinginhighheels.com/ageless-amazing-women-bonnie-bartlett |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304225705/http://ageinginhighheels.com/ageless-amazing-women-bonnie-bartlett/ |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |access-date=March 29, 2016 |work=[[Beverlye Hyman Fead]], Aging in High Heels}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.nndb.com/people/350/000130957/|title=Bonnie Bartlett| publisher=[[NNDB]]|access-date=March 29, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1129&dat=19870306&id=99Q0AAAAIBAJ&pg=5334,1921744&hl=en|title=Bonnie Bartlett goes 'downscale'|work=[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]]|first=Ron|last=Weiskind|date=March 6, 1987|page=19|access-date=March 27, 2017}}</ref>

Bartlett and Daniels both served on the [[Screen Actors Guild]]'s board of directors.<ref>{{Cite web |title=William Daniels {{!}} SAG-AFTRA |url=https://www.sagaftra.org/william-daniels |access-date=2024-10-16 |website=www.sagaftra.org}}</ref>


==Awards and honors==
==Awards and honors==
Daniels refused the 1969 Tony Award nomination for Featured Actor in a Musical in ''[[1776 (musical)|1776]]'' due to his insistence that the part of John Adams was a leading role rather than supporting.<ref>{{cite web| title=Overview for William Daniels| url=http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/852421%7C155428/William-Daniels/| publisher=TCM| accessdate=10 February 2013}}</ref> He was ruled to be ineligible for the Best Actor nomination because of the technicality that his name was not billed above the title of the show.{{cn|date=May 2017}}
Daniels refused the 1969 Tony Award nomination for Featured Actor in a Musical in ''[[1776 (musical)|1776]]'' due to his insistence that the part of John Adams was a leading role rather than supporting.<ref>{{cite web| title=Overview for William Daniels| url=http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/852421%7C155428/William-Daniels/| publisher=TCM| access-date=February 10, 2013}}</ref> He was ruled to be ineligible for the Best Actor nomination because of the technicality that his name was not billed above the title of the show.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/852421%7C155428/William-Daniels/biography.html|title=Biography for William Daniels|website=Turner Classic Movies|access-date=October 8, 2018}}</ref>


In 1986, Daniels and Bartlett, who played his fictional wife on ''St. Elsewhere'' and ''Boy Meets World'', won Emmy Awards on the same night, becoming the first married couple to accomplish the feat since [[Alfred Lunt]] and [[Lynn Fontanne]] in 1965 for a production of ''[[The Magnificent Yankee]]'' for the [[Hallmark Hall of Fame]].<ref name=king>{{cite news|title=In 'Girl Meets World,' William Daniels reprises Mr. Feeny|url=http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/classichollywood/la-et-st-ca-william-daniels-classic-hollywood-20150510-story.html|last=King|first=Susan|date=May 9, 2015|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref>
From [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series#1980s|1983 to 1987]], Daniels' work in ''St. Elsewhere'' earned him five consecutive nominations for the [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series]], winning in 1985 and 1986. In 1986, Daniels and Bartlett, who played his fictional wife on ''St. Elsewhere'', won Emmy Awards on the same night (Bartlett for [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series|Supporting Actress in a Drama Series]]), becoming the first married couple to accomplish the feat since [[Alfred Lunt]] and [[Lynn Fontanne]] in 1965 for a production of ''[[The Magnificent Yankee (1965 film)|The Magnificent Yankee]]'' for the [[Hallmark Hall of Fame]].<ref name=king>{{cite news|title=In 'Girl Meets World,' William Daniels reprises Mr. Feeny|url=http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/classichollywood/la-et-st-ca-william-daniels-classic-hollywood-20150510-story.html|last=King|first=Susan|date=May 9, 2015|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref>


==Filmography==
==Filmography==
===Film===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+Film
|-
|-
! Year
! Year
Line 89: Line 103:
|-
|-
|1969
|1969
|''[[Marlowe (film)|Marlowe]]''
|''[[Marlowe (1969 film)|Marlowe]]''
|Mr. Crowell
|Mr. Crowell
|
|
Line 95: Line 109:
|1972
|1972
|''[[1776 (film)|1776]]''
|''[[1776 (film)|1776]]''
|John Adams
|[[John Adams]]
|
|
|-
|-
Line 105: Line 119:
|rowspan="2"|1977
|rowspan="2"|1977
|''[[Black Sunday (1977 film)|Black Sunday]]''
|''[[Black Sunday (1977 film)|Black Sunday]]''
|Pugh
|Harold Pugh
|
|
|-
|-
|''[[Oh, God!]]''
|''[[Oh, God! (film)|Oh, God!]]''
|George Summers
|George Summers
|
|
Line 121: Line 135:
|
|
|-
|-
|1979
|rowspan="2"|1979
|''[[Sunburn (film)|Sunburn]]''
|''[[Sunburn (1979 film)|Sunburn]]''
|Crawford
|Crawford
|
|-
|''The Rebels''
|John Adams
|
|
|-
|-
Line 164: Line 182:
|Commissioner Ebbers
|Commissioner Ebbers
|
|
|-
|2020
|''[[Superintelligence (film)|Superintelligence]]''
|KITT
|Voice
|}
|}


===Television===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+Television
|-
|-
! Year
! Year
Line 176: Line 199:
|1952
|1952
|''A Woman for the Ages''
|''A Woman for the Ages''
|John Quincy Adams
|[[John Quincy Adams]]
|TV movie
|TV movie
|-
|-
Line 184: Line 207:
|Episode: "Three Men From Tomorrow"
|Episode: "Three Men From Tomorrow"
|-
|-
|1956<br>1960<br>1961
|1956,<br>1960,<br>1961
|''[[Armstrong Circle Theatre]]''
|''[[Armstrong Circle Theatre]]''
|Leonard Gregory
|Leonard Gregory
Line 190: Line 213:
|-
|-
|1959
|1959
|''Brenner''
|''[[Brenner (TV series)|Brenner]]''
|Larry Dyer
|Larry Dyer
|Episode: "Man in the Middle"
|Episode: "Man in the Middle"
|-
|-
|1961<br>1962
|1961,<br>1962
|''[[Naked City (TV series)|Naked City]]''
|''[[Naked City (TV series)|Naked City]]''
|Herbert Grafton<br>Harry Culverin
|Herbert Grafton<br>Harry Culverin
|Episode: "A Kettle of Precious Fish"<br>Episode: "Idyllis of a Running Back"
|Episode: "A Kettle of Precious Fish"<br>Episode: "Idyllis of a Running Back"
|-
|-
|1962<br>1964
|1962,<br>1964
|''[[The Defenders (1961 TV series)|The Defenders]]''
|''[[The Defenders (1961 TV series)|The Defenders]]''
|Malloy<br>Mike Herman
|Malloy<br>Mike Herman
Line 209: Line 232:
|Episode: "I Before E Except After C"
|Episode: "I Before E Except After C"
|-
|-
|1963<br>1965
|1963,<br>1965
|''[[The Nurses (CBS TV series)|The Doctors and the Nurses]]''
|''[[The Nurses (CBS TV series)|The Doctors and the Nurses]]''
|Vernon Kane<br>Buddy
|Vernon Kane<br>Buddy
Line 227: Line 250:
|''[[Captain Nice]]''
|''[[Captain Nice]]''
|Carter Nash / Captain Nice
|Carter Nash / Captain Nice
|Main cast; 15 episodes
|
|-
|-
|1968
|1968
Line 255: Line 278:
|-
|-
|1973
|1973
|''[[Ironside (TV series)|Ironside]]''
|''[[Ironside (1967 TV series)|Ironside]]''
|Stillwald, the Bank Manager
|Stillwald, the Bank Manager
|Episode: "All Honorable Men"
|Episode: "All Honorable Men"
Line 269: Line 292:
|TV movie
|TV movie
|-
|-
|1973<br>1976
|1973,<br>1976
|''[[McCloud (TV series)|McCloud]]''
|''[[McCloud (TV series)|McCloud]]''
|Clayton Gills<br>Fred Pearson
|Clayton Gills<br>Fred Pearson
Line 285: Line 308:
|-
|-
|1975
|1975
|''[[Insight (TV series)|Insight]]''
|''[[Insight (American TV series)|Insight]]''
|Mike Madden
|Mike Madden
|Episode: "Hunger Knows My Name"
|Episode: "Hunger Knows My Name"
Line 300: Line 323:
|-
|-
|1975
|1975
|''[[Sarah T. - Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic]]''
|''[[Sarah T. – Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic]]''
|Matt Hodges
|Matt Hodges
|TV movie
|TV movie
Line 315: Line 338:
|-
|-
|1976
|1976
|''That Was the Year That Was - 1976''
|''That Was the Year That Was – 1976''
|Sketch Actor
|Sketch Actor
|TV movie
|TV movie
Line 321: Line 344:
|1976
|1976
|''[[The Adams Chronicles]]''
|''[[The Adams Chronicles]]''
|John Quincy Adams (age 50-81)
|[[John Quincy Adams]] (age 50–81)
|
|
|-
|-
Line 332: Line 355:
|''[[The Rockford Files]]''
|''[[The Rockford Files]]''
|Thomas Caine<br>Gary Bevins
|Thomas Caine<br>Gary Bevins
|Episode: ''[[The Rockford Files (season 2)|The Italian Bird Fiasco]]''<br>Episode: ''[[The Rockford Files (season 3)|So Help Me God]]''
|Episode: "[[The Rockford Files (season 2)|The Italian Bird Fiasco]]"<br>Episode: "[[The Rockford Files (season 3)|So Help Me God]]"
|-
|-
|1976–1977
|1976–1977
|''[[The Nancy Walker Show]]''
|''[[The Nancy Walker Show]]''
|Lt. Commander Kenneth Kitteridge
|Lt. Commander Kenneth Kitteridge
|Main cast; 13 episodes
|
|-
|-
|1976<br>1979<br>1980
|1976,<br>1979,<br>1980
|''[[Quincy, M.E.]]''
|''[[Quincy, M.E.]]''
|Paul Reardon<br>Charlie Trusdale<br>Dr. Charlie Volmer
|Paul Reardon<br>Charlie Trusdale<br>Dr. Charlie Volmer
Line 345: Line 368:
|-
|-
|1977
|1977
|''[[The Incredible Hulk (1977 TV series)|The Incredible Hulk]]''
|''[[The Incredible Hulk (1978 TV series)|The Incredible Hulk]]''
|Dr. John Bonifant
|Dr. John Bonifant
|Episode: "Death in the Family"
|Episode: "Death in the Family"
Line 352: Line 375:
|''Killer on Board''
|''Killer on Board''
|Marshall Snowden
|Marshall Snowden
|TV movie
|-
|1977
|''[[The Court-Martial of George Armstrong Custer]]''
|Colonel Marcus Reno
|TV movie
|TV movie
|-
|-
Line 376: Line 404:
|1978
|1978
|''[[The Bastard (miniseries)|The Bastard]]''
|''[[The Bastard (miniseries)|The Bastard]]''
|Samuel Adams
|[[Samuel Adams]]
|TV movie
|TV movie
|-
|-
Line 401: Line 429:
|1979
|1979
|''[[The Rebels (miniseries)|The Rebels]]''
|''[[The Rebels (miniseries)|The Rebels]]''
|John Adams
|[[John Adams]]
|TV movie
|TV movie
|-
|-
Line 425: Line 453:
|-
|-
|1980–1981
|1980–1981
|''[[Freebie and the Bean]]''
|''[[Freebie and the Bean (TV series)|Freebie and the Bean]]''
|District Attorney Walter W. Cruikshank
|District Attorney Walter W. Cruikshank
|4 episodes
|Recurring role; 4 episodes
|-
|-
|1981
|1981
Line 455: Line 483:
|-
|-
|1982
|1982
|''Rooster''
|''[[Rooster (film)|Rooster]]''
|Dr. DeVega
|Dr. DeVega
|TV movie
|TV movie
Line 467: Line 495:
|''[[Knight Rider (1982 TV series)|Knight Rider]]''
|''[[Knight Rider (1982 TV series)|Knight Rider]]''
|[[KITT]]
|[[KITT]]
|Voice
|Voice role; 84 episodes
|-
|-
|1982–1988
|1982–1988
|''[[St. Elsewhere]]''
|''[[St. Elsewhere]]''
|Dr. Mark Craig
|Dr. Mark Craig
|129 episodes
|Main cast; 137 episodes
|-
|-
|1986
|1986
Line 480: Line 508:
|-
|-
|1987
|1987
|''The Little Match Girl''
|''[[The Little Match Girl (1987 television film)|The Little Match Girl]]''
|Haywood Dutton
|Haywood Dutton
|TV movie
|TV movie
Line 495: Line 523:
|-
|-
|1991
|1991
|''The General Motors Playwright Theatre''
|''General Motors Playwright Theater''
|Detective Lieutenant Fine
|Detective Lieutenant Fine
|Episode: "Clara"
|Episode: "Clara"
Line 502: Line 530:
|''[[Knight Rider 2000]]''
|''[[Knight Rider 2000]]''
|[[KITT]]
|[[KITT]]
|TV movie; Voice
|TV movie; voice
|-
|-
|1992
|1992
Line 510: Line 538:
|-
|-
|1993
|1993
|''[[Nurses (TV series)|Nurses]]''
|''[[Nurses (American TV series)|Nurses]]''
|Mr. Kaplan
|Norm Kaplan
|Episode: "Family Outing"
|Episode: "Family Outing"
|-
|-
Line 517: Line 545:
|''[[Boy Meets World]]''
|''[[Boy Meets World]]''
|[[George Feeny]]
|[[George Feeny]]
|Main Cast
|Main cast; 148 episodes
|-
|1994
|''The American Revolution''
|John Adams
|Documentary<ref name="The American Revolution (1994)">{{Cite web|url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/458784/the-american-revolution#credits|title=The American Revolution (1994)|website=[[Turner Classic Movies]]|access-date=November 6, 2024|archive-date=November 6, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241106174227/https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/458784/the-american-revolution#credits|url-status=live}}</ref><br>Voice
|-
|-
|1996
|1996
Line 524: Line 557:
|TV movie
|TV movie
|-
|-
|1996<br>2003
|1996,<br>2003
|''[[Touched by an Angel]]''
|''[[Touched by an Angel]]''
|Whit Russell<br>George
|Whit Russell<br>George
|Episode: "Birthmarks"<br>Episode: "And a Nightingale Song"
|Episode: "Birthmarks"<br>Episode: "And a Nightingale Song"
|-
|-
|1998<br>2004
|1998,<br>2004
|''[[The Simpsons]]''
|''[[The Simpsons]]''
|KITT
|[[KITT]]
|Episode: "The Wizard of Evergreen Terrace" (Voice) <br>Episode: "Milhouse Doesn't Live Here Anymore" (Voice)
|Voice<br>Episode: "[[The Wizard of Evergreen Terrace]]"<br>Episode: "[[Milhouse Doesn't Live Here Anymore]]"
|-
|-
|2000
|2000
|''[[Star Trek: Voyager]]''
|''[[Star Trek: Voyager]]''
|Hospital Ship 4-2, Allocation Alpha
|Hospital Ship 4–2, Allocation Alpha
|Voice. Episode: "[[Critical Care (Voyager episode)|Critical Care]]"
|Voice; Episode: "[[Critical Care (Voyager episode)|Critical Care]]"
|-
|-
|2002
|2002
Line 562: Line 595:
|''[[Kim Possible]]''
|''[[Kim Possible]]''
|Robot Pilot
|Robot Pilot
|Voice. Episode "Ron Millionaire"
|Voice; Episode: "Ron Millionaire"
|-
|-
|2005
|2005
|''[[The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy]]''
|''[[The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy]]''
|Scythe 2.0
|Scythe 2.0
|Voice. Episode: "Runaway Pants/Scythe 2.0"
|Voice; Episode: "Runaway Pants/Scythe 2.0"
|-
|-
|2006
|2006
Line 592: Line 625:
|''[[Girl Meets World]]''
|''[[Girl Meets World]]''
|[[George Feeny]]
|[[George Feeny]]
|Recurring role (5 episodes)
|Recurring role; 5 episodes
|}
|}


===Video games===
===Video games===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
*''[[Lego Dimensions]]'' - KITT (uncredited)
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
| 2015
| ''[[LEGO Dimensions]]''
| K.I.T.T
| Voice
|}

== Theatre ==

=== Broadway ===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Venue
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
| 1945
| ''[[Life With Father]]''
| Clarence
|[[Bijou Theatre (Manhattan, 1917)|Bijou Theatre]]
|Replacement
|-
|1952
|''[[Seagulls Over Sorrento (play)|Seagulls Over Sorrento]]''
|Sub-Lt. Granger, R.N.
|[[John Golden Theatre]]
|Credited as Bill Daniels
|-
|1959
|''The Legend of Lizzie''
|Assistant D. A. Cooper
|[[54th Street Theatre]]
|
|-
|1962
|''A Thousand Clowns''
|Albert Amundson
|[[Eugene O'Neill Theatre]]
|
|-
|1963
|''Dear Me, The Sky is Falling''
|Dr. Robert Evans
|[[Music Box Theatre]]
|
|-
|1963
|''[[One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (play)|One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest]]''
|Dale Harding
|[[Cort Theatre]]
|
|-
|1965
|''[[On a Clear Day You Can See Forever]]''
|Warren Smith
|[[Mark Hellinger Theatre]]
|
|-
|1967
|''[[Daphne in Cottage D]]''
|Joseph
|[[Longacre Theatre]]
|
|-
|1969
|''[[1776 (musical)|1776]]''
|John Adams
|[[46th Street Theater]]
|
|-
|1974
|''[[A Little Night Music]]''
|Fredrik Egerman
|[[Shubert Theatre (Broadway)|Shubert Theatre]]
|Replacement
|}
Source: <ref>{{Cite web |title=William Daniels – Broadway Cast & Staff {{!}} IBDB |url=https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/william-daniels-37282 |access-date=2023-04-14 |website=www.ibdb.com}}</ref>


==Books==
==Books==
Daniels, William (2017). ''There I Go Again: How I Came to Be Mr. Feeny, John Adams, Dr. Craig, KITT, and Many Others''. Potomac Books, Inc.
* Daniels, William (2017). ''There I Go Again: How I Came to Be Mr. Feeny, John Adams, Dr. Craig, KITT, and Many Others''. Potomac Books, Inc.


==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Reflist}}


==External links==
==External links==
{{commons category}}
{{commons category}}
* [http://www.williamdanielstheactor.com/ Official website]
* [http://www.williamdanielstheactor.com/ Official website]
* {{IMDb name|200122}}
* {{IMDb name|0200122}}
* {{amg name|86703}}
* {{amg name|86703}}
* {{emmytvlegends name|william-daniels}}
* [http://www.aveleyman.com/ActorCredit.aspx?ActorID=4161 William Daniels] (Aveleyman)
* {{IBDB name|37282}}


{{EmmyAward DramaLeadActor 1976-2000}}
{{EmmyAward DramaLeadActor 1976-2000}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Daniels, William}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Daniels, William}}
[[Category:1927 births]]
[[Category:1927 births]]
[[Category:Male actors from New York City]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Male actors from Brooklyn]]
[[Category:American male film actors]]
[[Category:American male film actors]]
[[Category:American labor leaders]]
[[Category:American male musical theatre actors]]
[[Category:American male musical theatre actors]]
[[Category:American male stage actors]]
[[Category:American male stage actors]]
[[Category:American male television actors]]
[[Category:American male television actors]]
[[Category:American male voice actors]]
[[Category:American male voice actors]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Military personnel from New York City]]
[[Category:Northwestern University School of Communication alumni]]
[[Category:Northwestern University School of Communication alumni]]
[[Category:Obie Award recipients]]
[[Category:Obie Award recipients]]
[[Category:Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actor in a Drama Series Primetime Emmy Award winners]]
[[Category:Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actor in a Drama Series Primetime Emmy Award winners]]
[[Category:People from Brooklyn]]
[[Category:People from East New York, Brooklyn]]
[[Category:Presidents of the Screen Actors Guild]]
[[Category:Presidents of the Screen Actors Guild]]
[[Category:20th-century American male actors]]
[[Category:20th-century American male actors]]
[[Category:21st-century American male actors]]
[[Category:21st-century American male actors]]
[[Category:Activists from New York]]
[[Category:Activists from New York (state)]]
[[Category:United States Army personnel of World War II]]

Latest revision as of 18:10, 29 November 2024

For other people named William Daniels, see William Daniels (disambiguation).
William Daniels
Daniels in 1976
Born
William David Daniels

(1927-03-31) March 31, 1927 (age 97)
New York City, U.S.
Alma materNorthwestern University
OccupationActor
Years active1943–present
Spouse
​
(m. 1951)​
Children3
President of the Screen Actors Guild
In office
March 5, 1999 – October 15, 2001
Preceded byRichard Masur
Succeeded byMelissa Gilbert
Military career
Service / branchUnited States Army
Websitehttp://www.williamdanielstheactor.com

William David Daniels (born March 31, 1927) is an American actor who is known for his television roles, notably as Mark Craig on the drama series St. Elsewhere, for which he won two Primetime Emmy Awards; the voice of KITT on the television series Knight Rider; and George Feeny on the sitcom Boy Meets World, which earned him four People's Choice Award nominations. He reprised his Knight Rider role in the sequel TV movie Knight Rider 2000 and his Boy Meets World role in the sequel series Girl Meets World. He also portrayed Carter Nash (the actual identity of the eponymous comedic superhero) in Captain Nice.

Daniels's film roles include Mr. Braddock (Benjamin Braddock's father) in The Graduate, Howard Maxwell-Manchester in Two for the Road, and John Adams in the musical film 1776. He was president of the Screen Actors Guild from 1999 to 2001 and led the union's efforts during the 2000 commercial actors strike.

Daniels is also noted for having portrayed in film or on television the three most prominent members of the Adams political family: John Adams, his cousin and fellow founding father, Samuel Adams, and John Adams's son John Quincy Adams.

Early life

[edit]

William David Daniels was born on March 31, 1927, in Brooklyn, New York,[1] to Irene and David Daniels. His father was a bricklayer, and his mother was a telephone operator.[2] He has two sisters, Jacqueline and Carol.[3] He grew up in East New York, Brooklyn.[4]

Daniels was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1945 and stationed in Italy, where he served as a disc jockey at an Army radio station. At the suggestion of Howard Lindsay, co-author of Life with Father, who recommended he use the GI Bill to attend a college with a good drama department, Daniels enrolled at Northwestern University.[5] He graduated from Northwestern in 1949, and is a member of Sigma Nu fraternity.[6]

Career

[edit]
Daniels and other cast members of 1776 with Richard Nixon following a performance of the Tony Award-winning musical in the East Room of the White House (1971)

Daniels began his career as a member of the singing Daniels family in Brooklyn. He made his television debut as part of a variety act (along with other members of his family) in 1943, on NBC, then a single station in New York.[7] He made his Broadway debut in 1943 in Life with Father,[8] and remained a busy Broadway actor for decades afterwards. His Broadway credits include roles in 1776, A Thousand Clowns, On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, and A Little Night Music. He received an Obie Award for The Zoo Story (1960).

Daniels's motion picture debut was as a school principal in the 1963 anti-war drama film Ladybug Ladybug. In 1965, he reprised his Broadway role as a child welfare worker in the screen version of A Thousand Clowns. In 1967 he appeared in The Graduate as the father of Dustin Hoffman's character. In 1969, Daniels starred as John Adams in the Broadway musical 1776; he also appeared in the film version in 1972. Two years later, he co-starred in Richard Donner's telefilm Sarah T. - Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic.[9] in 1979 he again reprised his role as the outspoken John Adams in the film Rebels, again about the American revolution, without seeming to ever break character. He is known as the quintessential John Adams.

Daniels's first network television appearance came in 1952 when he portrayed the young John Quincy Adams, eldest son of John and Abigail Adams in the Hallmark Hall of Fame drama A Woman for the Ages. In 1976, he reprised the role as the middle-aged and elder John Quincy Adams in the acclaimed PBS miniseries The Adams Chronicles. He starred in the short-lived series Captain Nice as police chemist Carter Nash. He appeared as acid-tongued Dr. Mark Craig in St. Elsewhere from 1982 to 1988, for which he won two Emmy awards. Concurrently, he provided the voice of KITT in Knight Rider from 1982 to 1986. Daniels said in 1982, "My duties on Knight Rider are very simple. I do it in about an hour and a half. I've never met the cast. I haven't even met the producer."[7]

Daniels reprised the voice-only role of KITT in 1991 for the television movie Knight Rider 2000, and again in the theatrical comedy movie The Benchwarmers. He performed the role in AT&T and GE commercials about talking machines, and twice in The Simpsons as well as at the Comedy Central Roast of his co-star David Hasselhoff.[10] He reprised the role of KITT in the 2015 Lego-themed action-adventure video game Lego Dimensions.[citation needed]

Daniels portrayed strict but loving educator George Feeny at John Adams High School in Boy Meets World from 1993 to 2000. In addition to the previously mentioned 1967 superhero sitcom Captain Nice, he was a regular on the 1970s TV series Freebie and the Bean and The Nancy Walker Show.[citation needed]

A familiar character actor, he has appeared as a guest star on numerous TV comedies and dramas, including Soap, The Rockford Files, Quincy, M.E., Kolchak: The Night Stalker, and many others. In 2012, Daniels appeared in the ninth season of Grey's Anatomy as Dr. Craig Thomas, an unlikely mentor to the character of Dr. Cristina Yang played by actress Sandra Oh. His character, Dr. Thomas, died in the operating room while performing a procedure to repair a heart defect midway through the season, which forced Yang to move back to Seattle.[citation needed]

In 2014, Daniels reprised his role as Mr. Feeny in the pilot episode of the Boy Meets World spinoff, Girl Meets World. He cameoed in the final scene, praising the adult Cory Matthews for his parenting.[11] He made additional appearances in the second[12] and third seasons.[13]

In early 2023, he completed filming of the role of King Henry VI in the upcoming "Richard III".[14]

Personal life

[edit]
Daniels with wife Bonnie Bartlett at the 1987 Emmy Awards

Daniels has been married to actress and fellow Emmy Award winner Bonnie Bartlett since June 30, 1951; at 73 years, it is the longest active Hollywood marriage as of July 2024. In 1961, Bartlett gave birth to a son, who died 24 hours later. They adopted two sons: Michael, who became an assistant director and stage manager in Los Angeles, and Robert, who became an artist and computer graphics designer based in New York City.[15][16][17]

Bartlett and Daniels both served on the Screen Actors Guild's board of directors.[18]

Awards and honors

[edit]

Daniels refused the 1969 Tony Award nomination for Featured Actor in a Musical in 1776 due to his insistence that the part of John Adams was a leading role rather than supporting.[19] He was ruled to be ineligible for the Best Actor nomination because of the technicality that his name was not billed above the title of the show.[20]

From 1983 to 1987, Daniels' work in St. Elsewhere earned him five consecutive nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, winning in 1985 and 1986. In 1986, Daniels and Bartlett, who played his fictional wife on St. Elsewhere, won Emmy Awards on the same night (Bartlett for Supporting Actress in a Drama Series), becoming the first married couple to accomplish the feat since Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne in 1965 for a production of The Magnificent Yankee for the Hallmark Hall of Fame.[21]

Filmography

[edit]

Film

[edit]
Year Title Role Notes
1963 Ladybug Ladybug Mr. Calkins
1965 A Thousand Clowns Albert Amundson
1967 Two for the Road Howard Manchester
The Graduate Mr. Braddock
The President's Analyst Wynn Quantrill
1969 Marlowe Mr. Crowell
1972 1776 John Adams
1974 The Parallax View Austin Tucker
1977 Black Sunday Harold Pugh
Oh, God! George Summers
1978 The One and Only Mr. Crawford
Family Dr. Taylor
1979 Sunburn Crawford
The Rebels John Adams
1980 The Blue Lagoon Arthur Lestrange
1981 All Night Long Richard H. Copleston
Reds Julius Gerber
1987 Blind Date Judge Harold Bedford
1989 Her Alibi Sam
1994 Magic Kid 2 Manny
2006 The Benchwarmers KITT Voice, uncredited
2007 Blades of Glory Commissioner Ebbers
2020 Superintelligence KITT Voice

Television

[edit]
Year Title Role Notes
1952 A Woman for the Ages John Quincy Adams TV movie
1956 Robert Montgomery Presents Donald Kemper Episode: "Three Men From Tomorrow"
1956,
1960,
1961 		Armstrong Circle Theatre Leonard Gregory Episode: "Five Who Shook the Mighty"
Episode: "Separate Parents"
Episode: "The Spy Next Door"
1959 Brenner Larry Dyer Episode: "Man in the Middle"
1961,
1962 		Naked City Herbert Grafton
Harry Culverin 		Episode: "A Kettle of Precious Fish"
Episode: "Idyllis of a Running Back"
1962,
1964 		The Defenders Malloy
Mike Herman 		Episode: "The Locked Room"
Episode: "A Voice Loud and Clear"
1963 East Side/West Side Principal Costigan Episode: "I Before E Except After C"
1963,
1965 		The Doctors and the Nurses Vernon Kane
Buddy 		Episode: "Field of Battle"
Episode: "A Couple of Dozen Tiny Pills"
1965 For the People Fred Rice Episode: "Any Benevolent Purpose"
1966 T.H.E. Cat Tony Webb Episode: "The Ring of Anasis"
1967 Captain Nice Carter Nash / Captain Nice Main cast; 15 episodes
1968 The Good Guys Arnold Schreck Episode: "Let 'em Eat Rolls"
1968 The Ghost & Mrs. Muir Blair Thompson Episode: "Mr. Perfect"
1969 Judd, for the Defense Harry Stratton Episode: "Epitaph on a Computer Card"
1972 Cannon Dale Corey Episode: "Hear No Evil"
1973 Love, American Style Alan Segment: "Love and the Old Lover"
1973 Ironside Stillwald, the Bank Manager Episode: "All Honorable Men"
1973 Murdock's Gang Roger Bates TV movie
1973 The Fabulous Doctor Fable Elliot Borden TV movie
1973,
1976 		McCloud Clayton Gills
Fred Pearson 		Episode: "Butch Cassidy Rides Again"
Episode: "The Day New York Turned Blue"
1974 Kolchak: The Night Stalker Police Lt. Jack Matteo Episode: "The Vampire"
1974 A Case of Rape Leonard Alexander TV movie
1975 Insight Mike Madden Episode: "Hunger Knows My Name"
1975 Barbary Coast Boyle Episode: "Irish Luck"
1975 The Bob Newhart Show Edgar T. Vickers Jr. Episode: "Fathers and Sons and Mothers"
1975 Sarah T. – Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic Matt Hodges TV movie
1975 One of Our Own Dr. Moresby TV movie
1976 Francis Gary Powers: The True Story of the U-2 Spy Incident Bissell TV movie
1976 That Was the Year That Was – 1976 Sketch Actor TV movie
1976 The Adams Chronicles John Quincy Adams (age 50–81)
1976 McMillan & Wife Commander Campbell Episode: "Point of Law"
1976 The Rockford Files Thomas Caine
Gary Bevins 		Episode: "The Italian Bird Fiasco"
Episode: "So Help Me God"
1976–1977 The Nancy Walker Show Lt. Commander Kenneth Kitteridge Main cast; 13 episodes
1976,
1979,
1980 		Quincy, M.E. Paul Reardon
Charlie Trusdale
Dr. Charlie Volmer 		Episode: "A Star is Dead"
Episode: "Dark Angel"
Episode: "Last Rights"
1977 The Incredible Hulk Dr. John Bonifant Episode: "Death in the Family"
1977 Killer on Board Marshall Snowden TV movie
1977 The Court-Martial of George Armstrong Custer Colonel Marcus Reno TV movie
1978 Soap Heinrich Himmel Season 1, Episode 16
1978 Family Dr. Taylor Episode: "Counterpoint"
1978 Grandpa Goes to Washington Gov. Bronx Episode: "Pilot"
1978 Greatest Heroes of the Bible Chasrubal Episode: "Joshua and the Battle of Jericho"
1978 The Bastard Samuel Adams TV movie
1978 Big Bob Johnson and His Fantastic Speed Circus Lawrence Stepwell III TV movie
1978 Sergeant Matlovich vs. the U.S. Air Force Father Veller TV movie
1979 Blind Ambition G. Gordon Liddy
1979 The Chinese Typewriter Devlin TV movie
1979 The Rebels John Adams TV movie
1980 The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo Dr. Walter Taylor Episode: "Who's the Sexiest Girl in the World"
1980 Galactica 1980 Norman Blore Episodes: The Night the Cylons Landed Part 1 & 2
1980 City in Fear Freeman Stirbling TV movie
1980 Father Damien: The Leper Priest Bishop Koeckemann TV movie
1980–1981 Freebie and the Bean District Attorney Walter W. Cruikshank Recurring role; 4 episodes
1981 Trapper John, M.D. Dr. Slater Episode: "Second Sight"
1981 Private Benjamin Teddy Episode: "Bye, Bye Benjamin"
1981 The Million Dollar Face Henry Burns TV movie
1982 Hart to Hart Simon Richardson Episode: "Hartless Hobby"
1982 Rehearsal for Murder Walter Lamb TV movie
1982 Rooster Dr. DeVega TV movie
1982 Drop-Out Father Draper Wright TV movie
1982–1986 Knight Rider KITT Voice role; 84 episodes
1982–1988 St. Elsewhere Dr. Mark Craig Main cast; 137 episodes
1986 Faerie Tale Theatre Narrator Episode: "The Princess Who Had Never Laughed"
1987 The Little Match Girl Haywood Dutton TV movie
1989 Howard Beach: Making a Case for Murder Slaney TV movie
1990 On Thin Ice: The Tai Babilonia Story John Nicks TV movie
1991 General Motors Playwright Theater Detective Lieutenant Fine Episode: "Clara"
1991 Knight Rider 2000 KITT TV movie; voice
1992 Back to the Streets of San Francisco Judge Julius Burns TV movie
1993 Nurses Norm Kaplan Episode: "Family Outing"
1993–2000 Boy Meets World George Feeny Main cast; 148 episodes
1994 The American Revolution John Adams Documentary[22]
Voice
1996 The Lottery Reverend Hutchinson TV movie
1996,
2003 		Touched by an Angel Whit Russell
George 		Episode: "Birthmarks"
Episode: "And a Nightingale Song"
1998,
2004 		The Simpsons KITT Voice
Episode: "The Wizard of Evergreen Terrace"
Episode: "Milhouse Doesn't Live Here Anymore"
2000 Star Trek: Voyager Hospital Ship 4–2, Allocation Alpha Voice; Episode: "Critical Care"
2002 Scrubs Dr. Douglas Episode: "My Sacrificial Clam"
2003 Lost at Home Arthur Episode: "Our Town"
2003 The Lyon's Den Judge Franklin Campbell Episode: "Blood"
2004 The King of Queens Philip Waldecott Episode: "Icky Shuffle"
2004 Kim Possible Robot Pilot Voice; Episode: "Ron Millionaire"
2005 The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy Scythe 2.0 Voice; Episode: "Runaway Pants/Scythe 2.0"
2006 The Closer Commissioner Andrew Schmidt Episodes: "Serving the King Part 1 & 2"
2008 Boston Legal Judge Milton Brody Episode: "Smoke Signals"
2012 Paulilu Mixtape Dr. Vanderhoof Episode: "Ghost Tits"
2012 Grey's Anatomy Dr. Craig Thomas 5 episodes
2014–2017 Girl Meets World George Feeny Recurring role; 5 episodes

Video games

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Year Title Role Notes
2015 LEGO Dimensions K.I.T.T Voice

Theatre

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Broadway

[edit]
Year Title Role Venue Notes
1945 Life With Father Clarence Bijou Theatre Replacement
1952 Seagulls Over Sorrento Sub-Lt. Granger, R.N. John Golden Theatre Credited as Bill Daniels
1959 The Legend of Lizzie Assistant D. A. Cooper 54th Street Theatre
1962 A Thousand Clowns Albert Amundson Eugene O'Neill Theatre
1963 Dear Me, The Sky is Falling Dr. Robert Evans Music Box Theatre
1963 One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Dale Harding Cort Theatre
1965 On a Clear Day You Can See Forever Warren Smith Mark Hellinger Theatre
1967 Daphne in Cottage D Joseph Longacre Theatre
1969 1776 John Adams 46th Street Theater
1974 A Little Night Music Fredrik Egerman Shubert Theatre Replacement

Source: [23]

Books

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  • Daniels, William (2017). There I Go Again: How I Came to Be Mr. Feeny, John Adams, Dr. Craig, KITT, and Many Others. Potomac Books, Inc.

References

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  1. ^ "William Daniels". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved April 28, 2022.
  2. ^ Cho, Diane. "William Daniels' Celebrated Career and Life in Photos". People. Retrieved April 28, 2022.
  3. ^ "Sex sparked Mr. Feeny's real-life marriage — William Daniels, Bonnie Bartlett reflect on relationship". World News Network. March 11, 2017.
  4. ^ "From Brooklyn to Boy Meets World: A Chat With William Daniels". BKMag. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
  5. ^ Mathews, Jay (November 27, 1985). "William Daniels, In Character". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 1, 2017.
  6. ^ "Prospective Members = Notable Sigma Nu Members". Sigma Nu Fraternity. Retrieved October 13, 2020.
  7. ^ a b Associated Press wire service story published in the Toronto Star, November 19, 1982, Page D1
  8. ^ "Official Site for Actor William Daniels". www.williamdanielstheactor.com. Retrieved April 1, 2017.
  9. ^ "Sarah T. – Portrait Of A Teenage Alcoholic (Blu-ray Review)". Why So Blu?. January 19, 2019. Retrieved February 16, 2020.
  10. ^ "William Daniels profile". IMDb. Retrieved July 10, 2012.
  11. ^ "Girl Meets World". Girl Meets World. June 22, 2014. Disney Channel. (Originally uploaded to iTunes on June 16, 2014, as a free download)
  12. ^ "Girl Meets Gravity". Girl Meets World. May 11, 2015. Disney Channel.
  13. ^ "Girl Meets Goodbye". Girl Meets World. January 20, 2017. Disney Channel.
  14. ^ Major, Michael (February 17, 2023). "William Daniels Joins RICHARD III Film From Christopher Carter Sanderson". Broadway World. Archived from the original on March 23, 2023. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
  15. ^ "Ageless Amazing Women Interview – Bonnie Bartlett". Beverlye Hyman Fead, Aging in High Heels. June 11, 2013. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved March 29, 2016.
  16. ^ "Bonnie Bartlett". NNDB. Retrieved March 29, 2016.
  17. ^ Weiskind, Ron (March 6, 1987). "Bonnie Bartlett goes 'downscale'". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 19. Retrieved March 27, 2017.
  18. ^ "William Daniels | SAG-AFTRA". www.sagaftra.org. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  19. ^ "Overview for William Daniels". TCM. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  20. ^ "Biography for William Daniels". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
  21. ^ King, Susan (May 9, 2015). "In 'Girl Meets World,' William Daniels reprises Mr. Feeny". Los Angeles Times.
  22. ^ "The American Revolution (1994)". Turner Classic Movies. Archived from the original on November 6, 2024. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  23. ^ "William Daniels – Broadway Cast & Staff | IBDB". www.ibdb.com. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
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