From Surf Wiki (app.surf) — the open knowledge base
Dan Butler
American actor (born 1954)
American actor (born 1954)
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| image | Dan Butler (1995).jpg |
| caption | Butler in 1995 |
| birth_name | Daniel Eugene Butler |
| birth_date | |
| birth_place | Huntington, Indiana, U.S. |
| occupation | Actor, voice actor |
| years_active | 1982–present |
| spouse | Richard Waterhouse |
the actor
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
Butler was born in Huntington, Indiana, and raised in Fort Wayne. He is the son of Shirley, a homemaker, and Andrew Butler, a pharmacist. While a drama student at Purdue University Fort Wayne in 1975, he received the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship, sponsored by the Kennedy Center. From 1976 to 1978, he trained at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco.
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. 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 recent appearances include as Truman Capote in American Repertory Theater's 2017 production of Rob Roth's Warhol/Capote and Jack in the 2013 Off-Broadway production of Conor McPherson's The Weir.
Personal life
Butler lives in Vermont and is married to producer Richard Waterhouse.
Filmography
Film
| 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 |
| 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
| 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 | Episode: "Vis à Vis (Voyager episode) | 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
References
- "Dan Butler profile". Filmreference.com.
- "ACTF - Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship National Winners". Kennedy Center.
- (September 15, 1996). "Things Only Getting Better for Dan Butler". SFGATE.
- "Frasier Gotta Have It".
- Brantley, Ben. (April 24, 2018). "Review: Screwball Eggheads Tear Up the Library in 'Travesties'". The New York Times.
- Verini, Rob. (September 25, 2017). "Massachusetts Theater Review: 'WarholCapote'".
- Jaworowski, Ken. (May 27, 2013). "Tales Told From a Bar Stool, Each One More Shivery Than the Other". The New York Times.
- Robinson, Charlotte. (July 18, 2012). "Dan Butler on LGBT Issues and His New Film 'Pearl'". The Huffington Post.
- "Dan Butler | Actor, Writer, Director".
This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.
Ask Mako anything about Dan Butler — get instant answers, deeper analysis, and related topics.
Research with MakoFree with your Surf account
Create a free account to save articles, ask Mako questions, and organize your research.
Sign up freeThis content may have been generated or modified by AI. CloudSurf Software LLC is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of AI-generated content. Always verify important information from primary sources.
Report