Daniel Eugene Butler (born December 2, 1954) is an American actor known for his role as Bob "Bulldog" Briscoe on the TV series Frasier (1993–2004), later reprising the role in 2024; Art in Roseanne (1991–1992); for the voice of Mr. Simmons on the Nickelodeon TV show Hey Arnold! (1997–2002), later reprising the role in Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie (2017); and for film roles in Enemy of the State (1998) and Sniper 2 (2001).
Dan Butler | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Butler in 1995 | |
| Born | Daniel Eugene Butler December 2, 1954 Huntington, Indiana, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, voice actor |
| Years active | 1982–present |
| Spouse | Richard Waterhouse |
Education
editButler was born in Huntington, Indiana, and raised in Fort Wayne, the son of Shirley, a homemaker, and Andrew Butler, a pharmacist.[1] While a drama student at Purdue University Fort Wayne in 1975, he received the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship, sponsored by the Kennedy Center.[2] From 1976 to 1978, he trained at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco.[3]
Career
editButler is best known for his role as Bob "Bulldog" Briscoe in the NBC sitcom Frasier, appearing in every season but one between 1993 and 2004. The character was a volatile, boorish, intensely macho sports presenter who hosted the show which followed Frasier's daily broadcast at the radio station KACL. Butler directed one episode during season five of Frasier.[4] He is also one of two actors to play two characters in the Hannibal Lecter franchise. In 1986, he played the role of Jimmy Price, a technician in the film Manhunter; then, 5 years later, he played the role of Roden in 1991's The Silence of The Lambs. The other actor is Frankie Faison. In 1998, Butler played the role of NSA Director Admiral Shaffer in Enemy of the State and in 2006, Butler produced and starred in the faux documentary Karl Rove, I Love You (which he also co-wrote and co-directed).[5] Other film work includes roles in Prayers for Bobby and Longtime Companion.[6] Butler is an established stage actor. In 2018, he played Lenin in the Broadway revival of Tom Stoppard's Travesties.[7] Other recent appearances include as Truman Capote in American Repertory Theater's 2017 production of Rob Roth's Warhol/Capote[8] and Jack in the 2013 Off-Broadway production of Conor McPherson's The Weir.[9]
Personal life
editButler lives in Vermont and is married to producer Richard Waterhouse.[5] He came out to his family when he was in his early 20s. He wrote a one-man show, The Only Thing Worse You Could Have Told Me, which opened in Los Angeles in 1994 and also played in San Francisco and off-Broadway in New York. It was Butler's public coming out. The play had ten characters "just processing what gay means". He was nominated for the 1995 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding One-Person Show.[6][5]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | The Manhattan Project | SWAT | as Dan E. Butler |
| Manhunter | Jimmy Price | as Dan E. Butler | |
| 1989 | Longtime Companion | Walter | |
| 1990 | The Long Walk Home | Charlie | |
| 1991 | The Silence of the Lambs | Roden | |
| 1992 | Captain Ron | Bill Zachery | |
| 1993 | Dave | Reporter | |
| 1996 | The Fan | Garrity | |
| 1997 | The Silver Screen: Color Me Lavender | Dan E. Butler | as Dan E. Butler |
| 1998 | Enemy of the State | NSA Director Admiral Shaffer | |
| 2002 | Sniper 2 | CIA Agent James Eckles | |
| 2008 | Chronic Town | Blow Job | |
| 2009 | Prayers for Bobby | Reverend Whitsell | Television film[10] |
| 2011 | Crazy, Stupid, Love | Cal's boss | |
| 2014 | Chu and Blossom | Mr. Kirkpatrick | |
| 2020 | All My Life | Dr. Alan Mendelson | |
| 2022 | Blonde | I.E. Shinn |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Remington Steele | Morgue attendant | Episode: "Your Steele the One for Me" Uncredited |
| 1987 | Leg Work | Peter Solinski | Episode: "Blind Trust" |
| 1990 | Monsters | David | Episode: "A New Woman" |
| 1991–1993 | Quantum Leap | Jake Dorleac Mutta |
Episode: "Southern Comforts" Episode: "Mirror Image" |
| 1991–1992 | Roseanne | Art | 3 episodes |
| 1992 | Columbo | Sergeant Goodman | Episode: "No Time to Die" |
| 1993 | Life Goes On | Ed | Episode: "Incident on Main" |
| The Powers That Be | Walt Stevens | Episode: "Bradley Gets Fired" | |
| 1993–2004 | Frasier | Bob "Bulldog" Briscoe | 53 episodes |
| 1993 | Picket Fences | Joe Henley | Episode: "Duty Free Rome" |
| 1995 | The X-Files | Jim Ausbury | Episode: "Die Hand Die Verletzt" |
| 1995–1997 | Caroline in the City | Kenneth Arabian | 2 episodes |
| 1997–2002 | Hey Arnold! | Mr. Sawyer / Robert Simmons | 34 episodes Voice |
| 1997–1998 | King of the Hill | Attorney Daniel |
Episode: "Jumpin' Crack Bass" Episode: "Death of a Propane Salesman" |
| 1998 | Tracey Takes On... | Priest | Episode: "Religion" |
| Star Trek: Voyager | Steth | Vis à Vis" | |
| From the Earth to the Moon | NASA Flight Director Eugene Kranz | 2 episodes | |
| Just Shoot Me! | Bill Slatton | Episode: "Eve of Destruction" | |
| More Tales of the City | Edward Bass Matheson | Episode: "Episode #1.2" | |
| Suddenly Susan | Dr. Richards | Episode: "War Games" | |
| 1999 | Touched by an Angel | Dr. Ivar Kroneberger | Episode: "Anatomy Lesson" |
| Ally McBeal | Attorney Bender | Episode: "Changes" | |
| 2002 | Crossing Jordan | Arnold Hummer | Episode: "The Gift of Life" |
| 2002–2003 | American Dreams | Coach Ambros | 4 episodes |
| 2003 | Without a Trace | David Wilkins | Episode: "The Source" |
| 2005 | Malcolm in the Middle | Norm | Episode: "Butterflies" |
| Supernatural | Reverend Sorenson | Episode: "Hook Man" | |
| 2006 | House | Dr. Philip Weber | Episode: "Distractions" |
| 2007 | Monk | Dr. Davis Scott | Episode: "Mr. Monk Goes to the Hospital" |
| 'Til Death | Paul | Episode: "Clay Date" | |
| 2008 | Cashmere Mafia | Maxwell Tate | Episode: "Yours, Mine, and Hers" |
| 2010 | Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Congressman Price | Episode: "Lost Children of the Blood" |
| 2014 | The Mysteries of Laura | Calvin Gold | Episode: "The Mystery of the Sex Scandal" |
| 2015 | Blindspot | Paul Bolton | Episode: "Sent On Tour"
|
| 2016 | Banshee | Senator Mitchum | 2 episodes |
| 2016 | Blue Bloods | SBS President Randy Grant | Episode: "Blast from the Past" |
| 2017 | The Mist | Father Romanov | 6 episodes |
| Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie | Robert Simmons | Television film Voice | |
| 2018 | Elementary | Denny Mulgrew | Episode: "Whatever Remains, However Improbable" |
| 2019 | Tales of the City | Episode: "The Price of Oil" | |
| 2023 | The Blacklist | Attorney General Karl Stromberg | Episode: "Arthur Hudson" |
| 2024 | Frasier | Bob "Bulldog" Briscoe | Episode: "Thank You, Dr. Crane" |
References
edit- ^ "Dan Butler profile". Filmreference.com. Retrieved December 4, 2013.
- ^ "ACTF - Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship National Winners". Kennedy Center. Retrieved December 4, 2013.
- ^ "Things Only Getting Better for Dan Butler". SFGATE. September 15, 1996. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
- ^ "Frasier Gotta Have It". Frasier Online. Retrieved June 8, 2023.
- ^ a b c Robinson, Charlotte (July 18, 2012). "Dan Butler on LGBT Issues and His New Film 'Pearl'". The Huffington Post. Retrieved July 21, 2012.
- ^ a b Walsh, Jeff (November 1, 1998). "On NBC's 'Frasier,' openly gay Butler plays it straight". Oasis Magazine. Archived from the original on July 19, 2012. Retrieved July 21, 2012.
- ^ Brantley, Ben (April 24, 2018). "Review: Screwball Eggheads Tear Up the Library in 'Travesties'". The New York Times. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
- ^ Verini, Rob (September 25, 2017). "Massachusetts Theater Review: 'WarholCapote'". Variety. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
- ^ Jaworowski, Ken (May 27, 2013). "Tales Told From a Bar Stool, Each One More Shivery Than the Other". The New York Times. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
- ^ "Dan Butler | Actor, Writer, Director". IMDb.
External links
edit- Dan Butler at IMDb
- Dan Butler at AllMovie