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Dan Butler

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This article is about the actor. For other people, see Daniel Butler.
Not to be confused with Dean Butler (actor).

Dan Butler
Butler in 1995
Born
Daniel Eugene Butler

(1954-12-02) December 2, 1954 (age 69)
Huntington, Indiana, U.S.
Occupation(s)Actor, voice actor
Years active1982–present
SpouseRichard 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), 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).

Education

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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

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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).[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

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Butler 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

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Film

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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

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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

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  1. ^ "Dan Butler profile". Filmreference.com. Retrieved December 4, 2013.
  2. ^ "ACTF - Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship National Winners". Kennedy Center. Retrieved December 4, 2013.
  3. ^ "Things Only Getting Better for Dan Butler". SFGATE. September 15, 1996. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
  4. ^ "Frasier Gotta Have It". Frasier Online. Retrieved June 8, 2023.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ 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.
  7. ^ Brantley, Ben (April 24, 2018). "Review: Screwball Eggheads Tear Up the Library in 'Travesties'". The New York Times. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  8. ^ Verini, Rob (September 25, 2017). "Massachusetts Theater Review: 'WarholCapote'". Variety. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  9. ^ 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.
  10. ^ "Dan Butler | Actor, Writer, Director". IMDb.
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