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William DanielsAdd to My CelebsAge 85 Birthday Mar. 31st, 1927 Born in Brooklyn, New York, USA Height 5'7 |
William Daniels' Main TV Roles
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Main Movie Roles2007 - Blades of Glory2006 - The Benchwarmers 1989 - Her Alibi 1987 - Blind Date 1981 - Reds 1980 - The Blue Lagoon 1978 - The One and Only 1977 - Black Sunday 1977 - Oh, God! 1974 - The Parallax View 1972 - 1776 1969 - Marlowe 1967 - The Graduate 1967 - The President's Analyst 1967 - Two for the Road 1965 - A Thousand Clowns |
NOTE: Complete List of Works can be found at IMDB
Daniels was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Irene and David Daniels, a builder. He graduated from Northwestern University in 1949, where he was a member of Sigma Nu fraternity. He has been married to actress and fellow Emmy Award-winner Bonnie Bartlett since June 30, 1951. They have two adopted children.
William Daniels began his career as a member of the singing Daniels family in Brooklyn, New York. He made his television debut as part of a variety act (along with other members of his family) in 1943, on NBC, then a single station in New York. He made his Broadway debut in 1945, in Life With Father, and remained a busy Broadway actor for decades afterwards. Broadway credits include starring or supporting roles in 1776, A Thousand Clowns, On a Clear Day You Can See Forever and A Little Night Music. He earned an Obie Award for The Zoo Story (1960).
Daniels' motion picture debut was as a school principal in the 1963 anti-war drama Ladybug Ladybug. In 1965, he reprised his Broadway role as a child welfare worker in the screen version of A Thousand Clowns. In 1967 he starred in The Graduate with Dustin Hoffman, and Anne Bancroft. In 1969, Daniels starred as John Adams in the Broadway musical 1776; he also appeared in the film version in 1972. Two years later, he co-starred with Larry Hagman, Linda Blair and Mark Hamill in Richard Donner's telefilm Sarah T. - Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic.
Daniels' first network television appearance came in 1952 when he portrayed the young John Quincy Adams, eldest son of John and Abigail Adams in the Hallmark Hall of Fame drama A Woman for the Ages. In 1976, he reprised the role as the middle-aged and elder John Quincy Adams in the acclaimed PBS miniseries The Adams Chronicles (George Grizzard played John Adams).
He appeared as acid-tongued (but well-meaning) Dr. Mark Craig in St. Elsewhere from 1982 to 1988, for which he won two Emmy awards. Almost simultaneously, he provided the voice of KITT in Knight Rider from 1982 to 1986, pioneering the catch phrase, "thats what she said Michael.' Speaking of his role in "Knight Rider", Daniels said in 1982, "My duties on Knight Rider are very simple. I do it in about an hour and a half. I've never met the cast. I haven't even met the producer." Daniels requested that he not receive on screen credit for the role.
He reprised the voice-only role of KITT in 1991 for the television movie Knight Rider 2000, again in the movie The Benchwarmers, and twice in The Simpsons as well as at the Comedy Central Roast of his co-star David Hasselhoff.
Daniels then portrayed teacher (later principal) George Feeny at John Adams High School in Boy Meets World from 1993 to 2000. Daniels also starred in the 1967 superhero sitcom Captain Nice, and was a regular on the 1970s TV series Freebie and the Bean and The Nancy Walker Show. A familiar character actor, he has appeared as a guest star on numerous TV comedies and dramas, including Soap, The Rockford Files, Quincy, M.E., and many others.
TRIVIA:
- Played George Feeny who was the principal and a teacher at John Adams High School on the TV show _"Boy Meets World" (1993)_ (qv). This is yet another John Adams connection for Daniels, who has portrayed him many times.
- Is a member of Sigma Nu Fraternity.
- One episode of _"St. Elsewhere" (1982)_ (qv) called for Dr. and Mrs. Craig to visit Philadelphia. Inspired by returning to Independence Square, he sang a few lines of the song, "Sit Down, John" from _1776 (1972)_ (qv). The moment was included in the episode.
- (November 1999) Elected president of Screen Actors Guild upsetting incumbent 'Richard Masur' (qv), as well as candidate Angel Tompkins who conjoined her two names to call herself "Angeltompkins" so she could be listed first on the ballot(!) The SAG president serves a 2-year term.
- 1949 Graduate of Northwestern University.
- While performing on both _"St. Elsewhere" (1982)_ (qv) and _"Knight Rider" (1982)_ (qv) in the 1980s, Daniels made goodwill visits to children's hospitals. He discovered that not many children were thrilled to meet an actor who played a doctor, but the fact that he voiced the talking car KITT always appealed to them, so he shifted emphasis during his visits. He entertained the children with KITT-styled phrases, and answered their questions about "Knight Rider" while hardly mentioning his other, larger acting role.
- Portrayed John Adams in the original Broadway stage version of 1776 and reprised his role in the movie 1776 (1972).
- He and his wife, actress 'Bonnie Bartlett' (qv), won Emmys for their portrayals of a married couple, Dr. and Mrs. Mark Craig, on the cult TV series _"St. Elsewhere" (1982)_ (qv) in 1982.
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