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James McDaniel

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James McDaniel
McDaniel at the 65th Annual Peabody Awards
Born
James McDaniel Jr.

(1958-03-25) March 25, 1958 (age 66)
Washington, D.C., U.S.
OccupationActor
Years active1982–present
SpouseHannelore McDaniel (?–present)
Children2

James McDaniel Jr. (born March 25, 1958) is an American stage, film and television actor. He is best known for playing Lt. Arthur Fancy on the television show NYPD Blue. He played the role of Paul in the hit Lincoln Center play Six Degrees of Separation. He played a police officer in the ill-fated 1990 series Cop Rock, and a close advisor to the director Spike Lee regarding the activist Malcolm X in the 1992 film Malcolm X. He also played Sgt. Jesse Longford in the ABC television series Detroit 1-8-7.

Early life

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James McDaniel Jr. was born in Washington, D.C.,[1] on March 25, 1958,[2] the son of physician James McDaniel Sr.[3] The junior McDaniel attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he studied veterinary medicine.[4] After taking his final exams, he decided to move to New York and become an actor, despite having no prior acting experience.[4] McDaniel enrolled in dance and voice lessons, and earned his first role in a Pepsi commercial.[5]

Career

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McDaniel began acting on the stage.[1] He appeared in the original production of Six Degrees of Separation as Paul Poitier,[5] and received the Clarence Derwent Award for his performance.[6] McDaniel originated the role of Adam in Someone Who'll Watch Over Me, being the only American in the cast.[7] He received an Obie Award after performing in Before It Hits Home.[8]

Early roles on television include guest appearances on sitcom Kate & Allie and crime drama Gabriel's Fire.[9] He portrayed police officer Franklin Rose on the short-lived and poorly received series Cop Rock.[10][9] McDaniel had a minor role in the Woody Allen film Alice (1990), was a banker in Strictly Business (1991)[11] and portrayed Brother Earl in Spike Lee's Malcolm X (1992).[9]

McDaniel guest starred as a cop on Hill Street Blues, created by Steven Bochco.[5] Thereafter, he appeared often in productions with Bochco's involvement, including L.A. Law and Civil Wars.[5] He played Lt. Arthur Fancy on NYPD Blue for eight seasons, between 1993 and 2001.[1] The series attracted some criticism regarding McDaniel being underutilized during his time on the show.[12][13] McDaniel himself alluded to this, claiming to be "the highest paid extra on television."[14] He was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 1996 for his work on the series.[15] He also received three consecutive NAACP Image Award nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.

He portrayed the role of Sgt. Jesse Longford in crime drama Detroit 1-8-7.[16] McDaniel appeared as an investigator in The Following[17] and was Ezra Mills, Abbie's father, in Sleepy Hollow.[18] McDaniel made a guest appearance as a jazz trumpeter in NCIS: New Orleans.[19] McDaniel appeared in Tamara Tunie's See You in September (2010)[20] and in the Jordana Spiro film Night Comes On (2018).[21]

McDaniel has also appeared extensively in television films, namely Silencing Mary (1996), Unforgivable (1996),[22] and Out of Time (2000), the latter in a rare role as the main character.[23] He portrayed Nat King Cole in Livin' for Love: The Natalie Cole Story (2000).[24] Natalie Cole personally handpicked McDaniel to play her father.[4]

Personal life

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With his wife Hannelore, McDaniel has two children.[1]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1983 Banzaï Bronx Guy Uncredited
1988 Rocket Gibraltar Policeman
1990 Alice Party Guest
1991 Strictly Business Roland Halloran
1992 Malcolm X Brother Earl
1994 Heading Home
1997 Truth or Consequences, N.M. Frank Thompson
2002 Sunshine State Reggie Perry
2006 El Cortez Arnie
Steel City Randall Karn
2007 War Eagle, Arkansas Jack
2008 Butterfly Dreaming Dr. Timothy Baldrica
Bunker Hill Peter Salem
2010 See You in September Lewis
2012 You're Nobody 'til Somebody Kills You Detective Johnson
2013 Cass Franklin Morris, Sr.
King's Faith Mike
Home Dr. Parker
2018 Night Comes On Parole Officer
2020 Lapsis Felix

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1984 All My Children Mickey Unknown episodes
1985 Kate & Allie Reverend Episode: "Thanksgiving"
1986 American Playhouse Jack Episode: "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Part 1"
Hill Street Blues Officer Mason Episode: "More Skinned Against Than Skinning"
1988 Crime Story Byron 2 episodes
Internal Affairs Fred Television movie
Tattingers Episode: "Death and Taxis"
1989 A Man Called Hawk Ringer Episode: "The Divided Child"
1990 Cop Rock Officer Franklin Rose 11 episodes
H.E.L.P. Palmer Episode: "Fire Down Below"
Murder in Black and White Fred Television movie
The Old Man and the Sea Television movie
Murder Times Seven Fred Television movie
1991 L.A. Law Major Charles Rainero Episode: "Rest in Pieces"
Law & Order Michael Ingrams Episode: "Mushrooms"
Gabriel's Fire Jackson Episode: "One Flew Over the Bird's Nest"
Civil Wars Malik Watson Episode: "Daveja-Vu All Over Again"
1993 Scam Daniel Poole Television movie
Alex Haley's Queen 2 episodes
1993–2001 NYPD Blue Lt. Arthur Fancy 167 episodes
Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
Nominated—Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (1998–2000)
Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series (1996–2000)
Nominated—Viewers for Quality Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Quality Drama Series
1996 Unforgivable Spider Television movie
The Road to Galveston Marcus Roosevelt Sr. Television movie
1997 A Deadly Vision Dr. Tony Natale Television movie
1998 Silencing Mary Professor Thiel Television movie
Fantasy Island Louis / Mr. Burton 2 episodes
The Defenders: Choice of Evils Jack Casey Television movie
2000 Deliberate Intent Lawrence Horn Television movie
Livin' for Love: The Natalie Cole Story Nat King Cole Television movie
2001 Any Day Now Riley Adams Episode: "The Contest"
2002 The Division Brian Lawrence 3 episodes
Taken General Beers 4 episodes
2003 John Doe Colonel Dunagan Episode: "Illegal Alien"
Alligator Point Television movie
Edge of America Kenny Williams Television movie
2003–2005 Las Vegas Gavin Brunson 3 episodes
2004 Stargate SG-1 General Frances Maynard 2 episodes
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Javier Vega Episode: "Criminal"
2004–2005 Life As We Know It William Miller 6 episodes
2006 Love Monkey Derrick Cooper 4 episodes
Conviction Tony Murno Episode: "Hostage"
Twenty Questions Television movie
2007 Numb3rs Phillip Wright Episode: "Under Pressure"
2008 Living Hell Col. Erik Maitland Television movie
Bunker Hill Marcus Troy Television movie
2009 Killer Hair Mac Television movie
Hostile Makeover Mac Television movie
2010 Beauty & the Briefcase Mr. Belmont Television movie
2010–2011 Detroit 1-8-7 Sergeant Jesse Longford 18 episodes
2010–2014 The Good Wife Detective Lou Johnson 3 episodes
2013 Orange Is the New Black Jean Baptiste 3 episodes
Murder in a Small Town Wade Thompson Television movie
2014 The Following Agent Phillips 2 episodes
NCIS: New Orleans Papa Parks Episode: "Musician Heal Thyself"
Forever Al Rainey Episode: "6 A.M."
Hysteria Doctor Carl Sapsi Episode: "Pilot"
2015 Blue Bloods Chief Daniels Episode: "In The Box"[25]
Madam Secretary Air Force General Roger Baylis Episode: "The Show Must Go On"
Limitless EAD Kenneth Paulson 2 episodes
Chicago P.D. James Whitaker 2 episodes
2015–2017 The Night Shift Dr. Julian Cummings 6 episodes
2016 Sleepy Hollow Ezra Mills 5 episodes
2017 The Blacklist: Redemption Dan Bishop 2 episodes
Ryan Hansen Solves Crimes on Television Captain Jackson Episode: "Pilot"
The Deuce Editor 2 episodes
2019 Soundtrack Moses 4 episodes
Whiskey Cavalier Director of FBI New York Office Episode: "Pilot"
2020 For Life Earl 3 episodes
2022 New Amsterdam Horace Reynolds 2 episodes
Alaska Daily Secretary Raymond Green
General Raymond Green		 2 episodes

Accolades

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McDaniel won a 1995 Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series for NYPD Blue, and won the 2006 Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in a Children/Youth/Family Special, "Edge of America".[26] He has also been nominated for two Primetime Emmys for his work on NYPD Blue.

  • Obie Award for Before It Hits Home, 1991–1992 season
  • Drama Desk nomination for Before It Hits Home, 1991–1992 season
  • Clarence Derwent Award
  • Peabody Award for "Edge of America" (2005; NYPD Blue episode)

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Duffy, Mike (February 13, 2001). "James McDaniel bids farewell to serious-minded Lt. Fancy". The Houston Chronicle. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
  2. ^ "On This Date". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. March 25, 2004. p. A-2.
  3. ^ Pollio, Mark (July 16, 1994). "Celebrity Helps Open New Health-Care Unit". The Buffalo News. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
  4. ^ a b c Gordon, Ed (November 25, 2005). "'A Soldier's Story:' Actor James McDaniel". National Public Radio. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
  5. ^ a b c d Moore, Scott (January 26, 1997). "James McDaniel fancies himself in bigger role on 'NYPD Blue'". The Daily Gazette. p. 4.
  6. ^ "Derwent Award Winners". The New York Times. May 16, 1991. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
  7. ^ Kuchwara, Michael (February 20, 1993). "Audiences are cheering for cast of 'Someone'". Reading Eagle. p. A10.
  8. ^ Smith, Stacy Jenel (March 11, 1994). "McDaniel of 'NYPD Blue' left veterinary science for acting". Bangor Daily News. p. 3.
  9. ^ a b c Vellela, Tony (January 22, 1993). "James McDaniel Emerges As a Versatile Talent". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
  10. ^ Rodman, Ronald Wayne (2010). Tuning in: American Narrative Television Music. Oxford University Press. p. 265. ISBN 978-0-19-534024-2.
  11. ^ Donalson, Melvin (2010). Black Directors in Hollywood. University of Texas Press. p. 281. ISBN 978-0-292-78224-2.
  12. ^ O'Hare, Kate (May 19, 2000). "Inside TV". Boca Raton News. p. 12A. "NYPD Blue" has been criticized for not having enough African-American regular characters, or not making enough of the ones they do have (Lt. Fancy, played by James McDaniel, in the case of "NYPD Blue").
  13. ^ Miller, Ron (April 22, 1998). "ABC series in need of tuneup". Bartow Press. p. 5. Then there's Lt. Arthur Fancy (James McDaniel), a character with tremendous dramatic potential who seldom gets his own story arc.
  14. ^ Vest, Jason P. (2011). The Wire, Deadwood, Homicide, and NYPD Blue: Violence is Power. Praeger. p. 192. ISBN 978-0-313-37819-5.
  15. ^ "And the nominees are . . ". Lakeland Ledger. July 18, 1996. p. D4.
  16. ^ Terrace, Vincent (January 10, 2014). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 Through 2010 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Company. p. 255. ISBN 978-0-7864-8641-0.
  17. ^ Lowry, Brian (January 15, 2014). "TV Review: 'The Following'". Variety. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
  18. ^ Connolly, Kelly (August 8, 2016). "Sleepy Hollow season 4: Everything we know". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
  19. ^ Boedeker, Hal (September 22, 2014). "'NCIS: New Orleans': familiar gumbo". The Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
  20. ^ Bruno, Mike (August 6, 2007). "Tamara Tunie to direct first feature". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
  21. ^ Rooney, David (January 23, 2018). "'Night Comes On': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
  22. ^ O'Connor, John J. (April 30, 1996). "Television Review; Two's a Crowd for Ritter As a Violent Husband". The New York Times. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
  23. ^ Bobbin, Jay (June 18, 2000). "'NYPD Blue's' McDaniel is "Out of Time"". Boca Raton News.
  24. ^ "Natalie Cole, Diahann Carroll, James McDaniel And Theresa Randle Star in NBC Movie 'Livin' For Love: The Natalie Cole Story'". Jet. Johnson Publishing Company. December 11, 2000. p. 39.
  25. ^ "In the Box". IMDb. February 20, 2015.
  26. ^ "Awards for James McDanial". imdb.com. Retrieved March 27, 2010.
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