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Daniel Davis

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 2601:1c0:6c00:c7b0::704 (talk) at 02:55, 13 October 2022 (i told more about his childhood that was not mentioned prior). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

For other people named Daniel Davis, see Daniel Davis (disambiguation).

Daniel Davis
Davis at a Star Trek convention
Born (1945-11-26) November 26, 1945 (age 79)
Gurdon, Arkansas, U.S.
Other namesDanny Davis
OccupationActor
Years active1970–Present

Daniel Davis He DA GOAT BRAH (born November 26, 1945) is an American film, stage and television actor.

Davis is best known for portraying Niles the butler on the sitcom The Nanny (1993 to 1999), and for his two guest appearances as Professor Moriarty on Star Trek: The Next Generation, affecting an upper class English accent for both roles. He voices the intelligent Cro-Magnon, Longhair, from the Longhair and Doubledome cartoon shorts from Cartoon Network's Big Pick.

Early life and education

Davis was born in Gurdon, Arkansas,[1] and grew up in Little Rock. His parents operated a cinema.[2] His first acting job was at the age of 11, when he was cast in a local broadcast program, Betty's Little Rascals.[3]

Davis graduated from Hall High School in Little Rock in 1963. He graduated from the Arkansas Arts Center with a Bachelor of Fine Arts,[4] followed by work with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival,[5] the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, and six years with the American Conservatory Theater (ACT).[2] During his time at ACT, he taught acting classes.

Career

Davis first became popular in daytime television playing opposite Beverlee McKinsey as her character Iris Cory's former (and presumed dead) husband, Elliot Carrington, on the soap opera Texas, a spin-off of Another World, from October 1980 to December 1981. In 1985, he played a renegade soldier in the Season 4 episode, "The Doctor is Out", of the television series The A-Team.

Davis played his most famous character, Niles the Butler, on the television series The Nanny throughout its run from 1993 to 1999 and in its reunion special in 2004 (in cameo flashbacks only). Niles was known for his frequent use of deadpan one-liners, usually insulting character C. C. Babcock, with whom Niles eventually fell in love and married in the series' last season.

His natural accent is Southern American;[6] however, his English accent as Niles was so accurate that many viewers thought he was actually English. He also used an English accent as Professor Moriarty in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes "Elementary, Dear Data" and "Ship in a Bottle". However, as the commanding officer of the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise in the 1990 film The Hunt for Red October, Davis spoke with his own American accent. Davis' cartoon voice for the aforementioned Longhair character used an English accent.

In 2000, Davis was nominated for a Best Actor Tony Award for his role in David Hirson's Broadway play Wrong Mountain.[7] In 2003, he appeared in the Alan Bennett play Talking Heads. In 2004, he portrayed George Bernard Shaw in the Stephen Sondheim musical The Frogs. He co-starred in La Cage Aux Folles with Gary Beach from November 2004 to March 2005. (Reportedly, he clashed frequently with Beach and others. He was eventually replaced by Robert Goulet.[8])

In 2002, Davis guest-starred on the television series Frasier, playing Dr. Shafer in Season 10, Episode 8, "Rooms with a View".

Davis was among the group of celebrities lip-synching to the Bee Gees' Stayin' Alive on the "Idol Gives Back" episode of American Idol on April 25, 2007. He appeared briefly in the 2006 film The Prestige, directed by Christopher Nolan.

In July 2008, he portrayed King Lear at the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, under the direction of Bonnie J. Monte. That year he also guest-starred on the television series Ugly Betty.

In November 2010, Davis was part of the Celebrity Autobiography series at the Long Center for the Performing Arts in Austin, Texas. He performed along with fellow Nanny alum Lauren Lane and Ugly Betty alum Michael Urie.[9]

In December 2010, he appeared on The Fran Drescher Show through Skype. In 2012, he recorded the audiobook of the Star Wars novel Star Wars: Darth Plagueis, by James Luceno.

Davis will reprise the role of Professor Moriarty in the third and final season of Star Trek: Picard.[10]

Theatre

Davis is an established theatre actor. He has appeared in both Broadway and off-Broadway productions in New York,[11] and has appeared at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, Minnesota.[11]

Off-Broadway, he played Rubin in Lake No Bottom in 1990, the Duke of Buckingham in The Tragedy of Richard III, Graham in the Alan Bennett monologue "A Chip in the Sugar" for the series Talking Heads in 2003, and he starred as Gaev in The Cherry Orchard in 2011.[11]

On Broadway, he played Antonio Salieri in Amadeus in 1980, Maurice Montesor in Wrong Mountain in 2000, Oscar Wilde in The Invention of Love in 2001, Georges in La Cage aux Folles in 2004, and George Bernard Shaw in The Frogs, also in 2004.[11]

In 2007, Davis was a member of the cast of an audio production of the play Blue/Orange, in which he took the part of Dr. Robert Smith.

In 2012, he played Prospero in The Tempest at Hartford Stage.[12]

In 2016, he appeared on Broadway as Selsdon Mowbray in the Roundabout Theatre revival of Noises Off at the American Airlines Theatre.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1970 The Sidelong Glances of a Pigeon Kicker Skinny Uncredited
1985 Chain Letters Steve
1986 Blind Justice Attorney Seth Thompson TV Movie
1989 K-9 Halstead
1990 The Hunt for Red October Captain Davenport
1990 Havana Marion Chigwell
2005 Thru the Moebius Strip Arthur Voice
2006 The Prestige Judge
2018 Roses are Blind Addison Spelling

TV

Year Title Role Notes
1974 Great Performances Moulineaux 1 episode
1980–81 Texas Eliot Carrington 71 episodes
1983 Hardcastle and McCormick Joe Kello Episode: "The Day the Music Died"
1984 Cagney & Lacey Arthur Cole 1 episode
1984 Highway to Heaven Lance Gaylord Episode: "Catch a Falling Star"
1985 Remington Steele Pierre Fumar Episode: "Gourmet Steele"
1985 Scarecrow and Mrs. King Robert Castille and Tony Martinet Episodes: "Vigilante Mothers" and "All the World's a Stage"
1985 The A-Team Phillips 1 episode
1985 The Eagle and the Bear Underhill TV Movie
1986 George Washington II: The Forging of a Nation Patrick Henry TV Movie
1986 Matlock James Billings Episode: "The Professor"
1986 Cheers Mr. Reinhardt Episode: "The Peterson Principle"
1986 Tall Tales & Legends Congressman 1 episode
1987 Dynasty Harry Thresher Season 8 – 5 Episodes: "The New Moguls", "The Spoiler", "Images", "The Rifle", & "The Scandal"
1987 The Spirit Simon Teasdale TV Movie
1988 Frank's Place Arnold David Tuney 1 episode
1988 The Equalizer Eddie Mason 1 episode
1988 What Price Victory Trainer TV Movie
1988-93 Star Trek: The Next Generation Professor James Moriarty Episodes: "Elementary, Dear Data" and "Ship in a Bottle"
1989 MacGyver Mr. Helman / Nicholas Helman Episode: "Halloween Knights"
1991 Palomino Doctor TV Movie
1991 She Stood Alone Parker Elsworth TV Movie
1991 The Perfect Tribute Gov. Curtin TV Movie
1992 Columbo Alex Varrick / Wedding photographer Episode: "No Time to Die"
1992 Civil Wars Harvey Gutfruend Episode: "Tape Fear"
1992 L.A. Law C. Howard Grady Episode: "Love in Bloom"
1992 Murder, She Wrote Neal Dishman Episode: "Badge of Honor"
1993–99 The Nanny Niles 145 episodes
1996 Aaahh!!! Real Monsters Lugo 1 episode
1996 Adventures from the Book of Virtues The Horse / Schoolmaster Dobbins 1 episode
1997 Duckman Rodney 1 episode
1997 Remember WENN Desmond Quist 1 episode
1999 Rugrats Conan McNulty / Wrestler TV Series Short; 1 episode
2000 The Practice Judge Barton Wolfe Episodes: "Summary Judgment", "Germ Warfare" and "Appeal and Denial"
2000 Longhair and Doubledome Longhair Failed pilot; voice only
2002 Frasier Dr Shafer Episode: "Rooms With A View (Part 2)"
2008 Ugly Betty Dr. Morgan Remus Guest, Episode: "Burning Questions"
2010 The Fran Drescher Show Himself Guest
2015 Gotham Jacob Skolimski Episode: "Under the Knife"
2017 The Blacklist Baldur Magnusson Episode: "Natalie Luca [#184]"
2019 Elementary Antoine LaGrange Episode: "The Price of Admission"
2019 The Good Fight Professor Harrison 1 episode
2022 New Amsterdam Vic Wallace Season 4 Episode 21: Castles Made of Sand
2023 Star Trek: Picard Professor James Moriarty Season 3

References

  1. ^ "Daniel Davis". Playbill Vault. Playbill. Retrieved December 22, 2014.
  2. ^ a b Arkatov, Janice (February 18, 1987). "Daniel Davis: An Actor In His Milieu". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 22, 2014.
  3. ^ Zoren, Neal (September 21, 2014). "Michael Learned and Daniel Davis write new chapter in 'Love Letters'". Delaware County Daily Times. Retrieved October 25, 2014.
  4. ^ Ludvigson, Evelyn (December 21, 1994). "Lucky Jill Eikenberry only takes projects that interest her". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved December 22, 2014.
  5. ^ Horwitz, Simi (September 7, 2004). "Daniel Davis: Playing Shaw in "The Frogs"". Backstage. Retrieved December 22, 2014.
  6. ^ "The Nutler presents...Daniel Davis in the American Theater Wing Seminar". Angelfire.com. April 19, 2001. Retrieved February 12, 2012.
  7. ^ "Wrong Mountain". Playbill Vault. Playbill. Archived from the original on October 26, 2014. Retrieved October 25, 2014.
  8. ^ Gans, Andrew; Simonson, Robert (March 28, 2005). "Daniel Davis Let Go From La Cage; Robert Goulet to Step in Mid-April". Playbill. Retrieved October 25, 2014.
  9. ^ "Long Center Presents Celebrity Autobiography". Thelongcenter.org. Archived from the original on March 16, 2012. Retrieved February 12, 2012.
  10. ^ Twitter https://twitter.com/thetrekcentral/status/1578853358907318272. Retrieved October 8, 2022. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  11. ^ a b c d "Daniel Davis Theatre Credits". broadwayworld.com. Retrieved March 8, 2018.
  12. ^ Rizzo, Frank (February 9, 2012). "Daniel Davis Is Prospero In "The Tempest" At Hartford Stage". Hartford Courant. Retrieved December 22, 2014.
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