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Daniel Davis

Also Credited As: Danny Davis

Birth Place: Gurdon, Arkansas, U.S.

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BIO

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; 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 charter Longhair, from the Longhair and Doubledome cartoon shorts from Cartoon Network's Big Pick in 2000, was also English.

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 2008 he guest-starred on the television series Ugly Betty.

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 reprised the role of Professor Moriarty in the third and final season of Star Trek: Picard.

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

His first Broadway role was as Antonio Salieri in Amadeus in 1980.

Off-Broadway, he played Rubin in Lake No Bottom in 1990, the Duke of Buckingham in The Tragedy of Richard III, and he starred as Gaev in The Cherry Orchard in 2011.

In 2000, Davis was nominated for a Best Featured Actor Tony Award for his role in David Hirson's Broadway play Wrong Mountain. He played Oscar Wilde in The Invention of Love in 2001. 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.)

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 July 2008, he portrayed King Lear at the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, under the direction of Bonnie J. Monte.

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.

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

In 2015, Davis starred in a one-off performance in A. R. Gurney's Love Letters opposite Lauren Lane with proceeds going to the Texas State BFA Acting Program.

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

Photos

STAGE CREDITS

[Off-Broadway]
New York Premiere at the Public Theater, 2018
Adam Smith

[Broadway]
Roundabout Theatre Company Production, 2015
Selsdon Mowbray

[Off-Broadway]
Classic Stage Company Production, 2013
Friar Laurence

[Off-Broadway]
Red Bull Theater Production, 2013
Performer

[Off-Broadway]
Classic Stage Company Production, 2011
Gaev

[Off-Broadway]
Primary Stages Production, 2011
Performer

[Broadway]
Broadway Revival, 2004
Georges

Georges

[Broadway]
Original Broadway Production, 2004
George Bernard Shaw

[Off-Broadway]
2003
Graham (A Chip in the Sugar)

[Broadway]
Original Broadway Production, 2001
Bunthorne

Oscar Wilde

Bunthorne

Oscar Wilde

[Broadway]
Original Broadway Production, 2000
Maurice Montesor

Maurice Montesor

[Off-Broadway]
1990
Rubin

[Off-Broadway]
1990
Duke of Buckingham

[Broadway]
Original Broadway Production, 1980
Antonio Salieri [Replacement]

Antonio Salieri [Replacement]

[Regional (US)]
Regional Revival, 1980
Performer


Awards and Nominations


winner
Obie Awards - 2003 - Performance

Daniel Davis, Talking Heads

Tony Awards - 2000 - Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play

Daniel Davis, Wrong Mountain

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How many Broadway shows has Daniel Davis been in?

Daniel Davis has appeared on Broadway in 6 shows.

How many West End shows has Daniel Davis been in?

Daniel Davis has not appeared in the West End.

What awards has Daniel Davis been nominated for?

Performance (Obie Awards) for Talking Heads and Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play (Tony Awards) for Wrong Mountain.

What awards has Daniel Davis won?

Daniel Davis won the Obie Award for Performance for his work in Talking Heads.

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