Dan Butler Explained

Dan Butler should not be confused with Dean Butler (actor).

Birth Name:Daniel Eugene Butler
Birth Date:2 December 1954
Birth Place:Huntington, Indiana, U.S.
Occupation:Actor, voice actor
Years Active:1982–present
Spouse:Richard Waterhouse

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); 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 (2017); and for film roles in Enemy of the State (1998) and Sniper 2 (2001).

Education

Butler 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

Butler 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). Other film work includes roles in Prayers for Bobby and Longtime Companion. Butler is an established stage actor. In 2018, he played Lenin in the Broadway revival of Tom Stoppard's Travesties.[5] Other recent appearances include as Truman Capote in American Repertory Theater's 2017 production of Rob Roth's Warhol/Capote[6] and Jack in the 2013 Off-Broadway production of Conor McPherson's The Weir.[7]

Personal life

Butler lives in Vermont and is married to producer Richard Waterhouse. 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.[8] [9]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1986The Manhattan ProjectSWATas Dan E. Butler
ManhunterJimmy Priceas Dan E. Butler
1989Longtime CompanionWalter
1990The Long Walk HomeCharlie
1991The Silence of the LambsRoden
1992Captain RonBill Zachery
1993DaveReporter
1996The FanGarrity
1997The Silver Screen: Color Me LavenderDan E. Butleras Dan E. Butler
1998Enemy of the StateNSA Director Admiral Shaffer
2002Sniper 2CIA Agent James Eckles
2008Chronic TownBlow Job
2009Prayers for BobbyReverend WhitsellTelevision film[10]
2011Crazy, Stupid, LoveCal's boss
2014Chu and BlossomMr. Kirkpatrick
2020All My LifeDr. Alan Mendelson
2022BlondeI.E. Shinn

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1982Remington SteeleMorgue attendantEpisode: "Your Steele the One for Me"
Uncredited
1987Leg WorkPeter SolinskiEpisode: "Blind Trust"
1990MonstersDavidEpisode: "A New Woman"
1991–1993Quantum LeapJake Dorleac
Mutta
Episode: "Southern Comforts"
Episode: "Mirror Image"
1991–1992RoseanneArt3 episodes
1992ColumboSergeant GoodmanEpisode: "No Time to Die"
1993Life Goes OnEdEpisode: "Incident on Main"
The Powers That BeWalt StevensEpisode: "Bradley Gets Fired"
1993–2004FrasierBob "Bulldog" Briscoe53 episodes
1993Picket FencesJoe HenleyEpisode: "Duty Free Rome"
1995The X-FilesJim AusburyEpisode: "Die Hand Die Verletzt"
1995–1997Caroline in the CityKenneth Arabian2 episodes
1997–2002Hey Arnold!Mr. Sawyer / Robert Simmons34 episodes
Voice
1997–1998King of the HillAttorney
Daniel
Episode: "Jumpin' Crack Bass"
Episode: "Death of a Propane Salesman"
1998Tracey Takes On...PriestEpisode: "Religion"
StethEpisode: "Vis à Vis (Voyager episode)Vis à Vis"
From the Earth to the MoonNASA Flight Director Eugene Kranz2 episodes
Just Shoot Me!Bill SlattonEpisode: "Eve of Destruction"
More Tales of the CityEdward Bass MathesonEpisode: "Episode #1.2"
Suddenly SusanDr. RichardsEpisode: "War Games"
1999Touched by an AngelDr. Ivar KronebergerEpisode: "Anatomy Lesson"
Ally McBealAttorney BenderEpisode: "Changes"
2002Crossing JordanArnold HummerEpisode: "The Gift of Life"
2002–2003American DreamsCoach Ambros4 episodes
2003Without a TraceDavid WilkinsEpisode: "The Source"
2005Malcolm in the MiddleNormEpisode: "Butterflies"
SupernaturalReverend SorensonEpisode: "Hook Man"
2006HouseDr. Philip WeberEpisode: "Distractions"
2007MonkDr. Davis ScottEpisode: "Mr. Monk Goes to the Hospital"
'Til DeathPaulEpisode: "Clay Date"
2008Cashmere MafiaMaxwell TateEpisode: "Yours, Mine, and Hers"
2010Congressman PriceEpisode: "Lost Children of the Blood"
2014The Mysteries of LauraCalvin GoldEpisode: "The Mystery of the Sex Scandal"
2015BlindspotPaul BoltonEpisode: "Sent On Tour"
2016BansheeSenator Mitchum2 episodes
2016Blue BloodsSBS President Randy GrantEpisode: "Blast from the Past"
2017The MistFather Romanov6 episodes
Robert SimmonsTelevision film
Voice
2018ElementaryDenny MulgrewEpisode: "Whatever Remains, However Improbable"
2019Tales of the CityEpisode: "The Price of Oil"
2023The BlacklistAttorney General Karl StrombergEpisode: "Arthur Hudson"
TBAFrasierBob "Bulldog" BriscoeGuest role, season 2

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Dan Butler profile . December 4, 2013 . Filmreference.com.
  2. Web site: ACTF - Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship National Winners . December 4, 2013 . Kennedy Center.
  3. News: September 15, 1996 . Things Only Getting Better for Dan Butler . SFGATE . August 17, 2018.
  4. Web site: Frasier Gotta Have It . Frasier Online . June 8, 2023.
  5. News: Brantley . Ben . April 24, 2018 . Review: Screwball Eggheads Tear Up the Library in 'Travesties' . The New York Times . August 11, 2018.
  6. Web site: Verini . Rob . September 25, 2017 . Massachusetts Theater Review: 'WarholCapote' . August 11, 2018 . Variety.
  7. News: Jaworowski . Ken . May 27, 2013 . Tales Told From a Bar Stool, Each One More Shivery Than the Other . The New York Times . August 11, 2018.
  8. Web site: Walsh . Jeff . November 1, 1998 . On NBC's 'Frasier,' openly gay Butler plays it straight . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120719155923/http://www.oasisjournals.com/Issues/9811/cover.html . July 19, 2012 . July 21, 2012 . Oasis Magazine.
  9. News: Robinson . Charlotte . July 18, 2012 . Dan Butler on LGBT Issues and His New Film 'Pearl' . The Huffington Post . July 21, 2012.
  10. Web site: Dan Butler | Actor, Writer, Director . .