Jeff Daniels Birthday February 19
Jeffrey Warren “Jeff” Daniels (born February 19, 1955) is an American actor, musician and playwright. He founded a non-profit theatre company, the Purple Rose Theatre Company, in his home state of Michigan. He has performed in a number of stage productions, both on and off-Broadway. He has been nominated for the Tony Award as Best Actor for the Broadway play God of Carnage (2009), along with his other three cast-mates. He has had a thriving film career, from his debut in 1981 in Ragtime, through State of Play in 2009. For his film work, he has received three Golden Globe Award nominations, including as Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy/Musical for Woody Allen’s The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985) (hence the name of his theatre company). He has also received nominations by the Screen Actors Guild, Satellite Awards, and several for his work in The Squid and the Whale (London Critics Circle Awards, Independent Spirit Awards, Chlotrudis Awards and Gotham Awards).
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”.





