Daniel Davis

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

Daniel Davis
Born	November 26, 1945 (1945-11-26) (age 65) Gurdon, Arkansas, U.S.
Other names	Danny Davis
Occupation	Actor, Comedian
Years active	1970–present

Daniel Davis (born November 26, 1945) is an American stage, screen, and television actor best known for portraying Niles the butler on the popular sitcom The Nanny and his guest appearances as Professor Moriarty on Star Trek: The Next Generation, affecting an upper class English accent for both roles.

Biography

Davis was born in Gurdon, Arkansas, and first became interested in acting at a young age, when his parents operated and owned a movie theatre. He specifically enjoyed Tyrone Power movies, stating later that they were what inspired his desire to act. His first acting job was at the age of 11, when he was cast on a local Little Rock broadcast program called Betty's Little Rascals. Davis graduated from Hall High School in Little Rock in 1963. He studied at the Arkansas Arts Center, followed by work with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, and six years with the American Conservatory Theatre -- during his time at ACT, he also taught acting.

Career

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

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, whom Niles eventually fell in love with and married in the series' last season. In one episode, Niles recreated the iconic scene from Risky Business in which Tom Cruise danced in his underwear. Niles danced to the same song in his underwear with a feather duster.

Davis’ natural accent is Southern American,^[1] however his English accent as Niles was so accurate that many viewers have been convinced that Davis actually is English. Davis 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.

In 2000 Davis was nominated for a Best Actor Tony Award for his role in David Hirson's Broadway play Wrong Mountain. 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.^[2])

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 Davis 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 in Austin, Texas. He performed along with fellow Nanny alum Lauren Lane and Ugly Betty alum Michael Urie ^[3]

In December 2010, he guested on The Fran Drescher Show through Skype (not in person).

Filmography

• Film
  • The Sidelong Glances of a Pigeon Kicker (1970) as Skinny (uncredited)
  • Chain Letters (1985) as Steve
  • K-9 (1989) as Halstead
  • The Hunt for Red October (1990) as Captain Davenport
  • Havana (1990) as Marion Chigwell
  • Thru the Moebius Strip (2005) as Arthur (voice)
  • The Prestige (2006) as Judge
• TV
  • Murder, She Wrote
  • Hardcastle and McCormick 1 Episode
  • Texas (1980–1981) as Eliot Carrington
  • Highway to Heaven (1984) "Catch a Falling Star"
  • Matlock (1986) -Season 1, Episode 12 "The Professor" as James Billings
  • Dirty Dancing (1988)1 Episode
  • MacGyver (1989) Season 5 Episode 6 "Halloween Knights" as Mr. Hillman
  • The Nanny (1993–1999) as Niles
  • Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 2 episode "Elementary, Dear Data" as James Moriarty and again reprising that role in Season 6 episode "Ship in a Bottle"
  • Frasier Season 10 episode "Rooms With A View" as Dr. Shafer
  • The Practice Season 5 as Judge Barton Wolfe
  • The Fran Drescher Show (2010) as Himself (Guest)

References

1. ^ http://www.angelfire.com/tv/neldasthenanny/DDatws.html
2. ^ http://www.playbill.com/news/article/print/91966.html
3. ^ http://www.thelongcenter.org/celebrity_autobiography.aspx

External links

• Daniel Davis at the Internet Broadway Database
• Daniel Davis at the Internet Movie Database
• Clips from Texas episodes
• Daniel Davis at Memory Alpha (a Star Trek wiki)

Persondata
Name	Davis, Daniel
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	November 26, 1945
Place of birth	Gurdon, Arkansas, U.S.
Date of death
Place of death