Daniel Davis

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Daniel Davis as Niles in The Nanny

For other people by this name, see Daniel Davis (disambiguation).

Daniel Davis (born November 26, 1945 in Gurdon, Arkansas) is an American actor, perhaps best known for his role of Niles the butler, in The Nanny.

[edit] Early life, acting career

Davis first became interested in acting at a young age, when his parents operated and owned a movie theater. He specifically enjoyed Tyrone Power movies, stating later that this 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. He then 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. He also taught acting while with the A.C.T.

Davis' natural accent is Southern American, however his English accent as "Niles" was so accurate that many viewers have become convinced that Davis is actually English. The character Niles is mostly the comic relief, frequently using deadpan one-liners. Davis first became popular in daytime television, playing Beverlee McKinsey's love interest, Eliot Carrington, for two years on the soap opera Texas in the early 1980s.

At the 2000 Tony Awards, Davis was recognized with a nomination for "Best Actor" for his role in Wrong Mountain. In Star Trek: The Next Generation, Davis guest starred as Professor Moriarty in the episodes "Elementary, Dear Data" and "Ship in a Bottle". He appeared in the movie The Hunt for Red October as Charlie Davenport, the captain of the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN-65). He appeared in the musical La Cage Aux Folles with Gary Beach from November 2004 to March 2005, along with many other theater roles.