Biography for
Jeff Daniels (I) More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

19 February 1955, Athens, Georgia, USA

Birth Name

Jeffrey Warren Daniels

Height

6' 3" (1.91 m)

Mini Biography

Actor Jeff Daniels was born in Athens, Georgia but raised in Chelsea, Michigan, where his father Robert owns The Chelsea Lumber Company. He attended Central Michigan University, but became involved in acting and dropped out to pursue a career as an actor. Daniels made his feature film debut in Milos Forman's Ragtime (1981).

Daniels went on to prove himself to be one of Hollywood's most reliable and versatile actors with roles in successes such as Terms of Endearment (1983), The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985), Something Wild (1986), Arachnophobia (1990), Dumb & Dumber (1994), Pleasantville (1998), The Hours (2002) and Good Night, and Good Luck. (2005), to name a few.

Alongside screen work, Daniels has many stage credits to his name and is the founder of The Purple Rose Theater Company in Chelsea, Michigan. He is also a musician and songwriter and has recorded two albums. Daniels is married to his childhood sweetheart, Kathleen Treado and they have three children.

IMDb Mini Biography By: Anonymous

Spouse

Kathleen Treado

(13 July 1979 - present) 3 children

Trivia

Founder of the Purple Rose Theatre Company in Chelsea, Michigan, named after Woody Allen's The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985) in which he starred.

Jeff Daniels grew up in Chelsea, Michigan.

Married to his high school sweetheart since 1979.

Had he not gone into acting, he would likely be working in his hometown of Chelsea, Michigan, with his siblings at the Chelsea Lumber Company, owned by the Daniels' family. The Chelsea Lumber Co. provided all the building materials for the construction of his Purple Rose Theater.

During his appearance on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" (1993), he revealed what happens to his character in Blood Work (2002). [April 2006]

Sings a very ironic song about celebrity turned singers called "If William Shatner Can, I Can Too".

Played the father of Anna Paquin in Fly Away Home (1996) and then her romantic partner in The Squid and the Whale (2005) nine years later.

Has three children with his wife Kathleen: Sons Ben Daniels (b. 1984) and Lucas Daniels (b. 1987) and daughter Nellie Daniels (b. 1990).

Was considered for the role of Joey Gladstone on "Full House" (1987).

Attended Central Michigan University before dropping out to pursue acting.

Daniels has been married to his high school sweetheart, Kathleen Rosemary Treado, since 1979. They have three children: Benjamin (born 1984), Lucas (born 1987), and Nellie (born 1990). A baseball fan and an avid Detroit Tigers fan, he married his wife on Friday the 13th because he wore the number 13 on his baseball uniform.

Was inducted into the Michigan Walk of Fame on May 25, 2006 in Lansing, Michigan.

Writing song diaries for over thirty years, he has focused on recording a number of songs that he has written throughout his life, apparently marking key moments. He has kept busy with frequent gigs and two full length albums, Grandfather's Hat and Jeff Daniels Live and Unplugged.

Nominated for the 2009 Tony Award for Best Performance for a Leading Actor in a Play for "God of Carnage".

Lives in Chelsea, Michigan.

His favorite role was Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain from Gettysburg (1993) and its prequel Gods and Generals (2003).

Personal Quotes

[on how he got through filming a sex scene in The Squid and the Whale (2005) with Anna Paquin, who had 9 years earlier played his daughter in the goose-filled family film Fly Away Home (1996)]: We tried not to think about ... you know, geese.

One of the more noble things the Oscars can do is pay attention to movies no one knows about. Blockbusters don't need much help.

(2009 - on living in Michigan) I love living in Michigan, which has been great for my kids and my family. I just never did buy this idea that you have to live in Los Angeles to be an actor. I didn't see that as a requirement in my job description. We do have an airport in Michigan. Basically, years ago we had a child and wanted to raise our baby in a part of the country that we understood. My agent said, 'If you're willing to go to L.A. at your own expense for a meeting, then we're fine. Don't ever tell us that you can't afford it.' I think Michigan keeps you sane and on an even keel through the ups and downs. In Michigan, I do fireworks, shovel snow and live life.

Salary

Dumb & Dumber (1994)

$750,000

Where Are They Now

(October 2008) Currently playing in Turn of the Centuary at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, Ilinois that is now extended through November 2nd.

(March 2009) On Broadway, playing Alan in "God of Carnage"

(2010) Appeared in a commercial for the "Michigan Economic Development Corporation" at MichiganAdvantage.org.