James McDaniel

James McDaniel Jr. was born in Washington, D.C., on March 25, 1958,{{cite news|date=March 25, 2004|title=On This Date|page=A-2|newspaper=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette}} the son of physician James McDaniel Sr.{{cite web|title=Celebrity Helps Open New Health-Care Unit|url=https://buffalonews.com/news/celebrity-helps-open-new-health-care-unit/article_cd0ff0fa-401a-5e50-93f2-d74c06ebbf4f.html|last=Pollio|first=Mark|date=July 16, 1994|website=The Buffalo News|access-date=October 28, 2022}} The junior McDaniel attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he studied veterinary medicine.{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/2005/11/25/5025854/a-soldiers-story-actor-james-mcdaniel|title='A Soldier's Story:' Actor James McDaniel|last=Gordon|first=Ed|date=November 25, 2005|website=National Public Radio|access-date=October 28, 2022|author-link=Ed Gordon (journalist)}} After taking his final exams, he decided to move to New York and become an actor, despite having no prior acting experience. McDaniel enrolled in dance and voice lessons, and earned his first role in a Pepsi commercial.

McDaniel began acting on the stage. He appeared in the original production of Six Degrees of Separation as Paul Poitier,{{cite news|last=Moore|first=Scott|date=January 26, 1997|title=James McDaniel fancies himself in bigger role on 'NYPD Blue'|page=4|newspaper=The Daily Gazette}} and received the Clarence Derwent Award for his performance.{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/05/16/theater/derwent-award-winners.html|title=Derwent Award Winners|date=May 16, 1991|website=The New York Times|access-date=October 28, 2022}} McDaniel originated the role of Adam in Someone Who'll Watch Over Me, being the only American in the cast.{{cite news|last=Kuchwara|first=Michael|date=February 20, 1993|title=Audiences are cheering for cast of 'Someone'|page=A10|newspaper=Reading Eagle|author-link=Michael Kuchwara}} He received an Obie Award after performing in Before It Hits Home.{{cite news|last=Smith|first=Stacy Jenel|date=March 11, 1994|title=McDaniel of 'NYPD Blue' left veterinary science for acting|page=3|newspaper=Bangor Daily News}}

Early roles on television include guest appearances on sitcom Kate & Allie and crime drama Gabriel's Fire.{{cite web|url=https://www.csmonitor.com/1993/0122/22111.html|title=James McDaniel Emerges As a Versatile Talent|last=Vellela|first=Tony|date=January 22, 1993|website=The Christian Science Monitor|access-date=October 28, 2022}} He portrayed police officer Franklin Rose on the short-lived and poorly received series Cop Rock.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5wdr6DocKgAC&dq=%22James+McDaniel%22+actor+-wikipedia&pg=PA265|page=265|title=Tuning in: American Narrative Television Music|last=Rodman|first=Ronald Wayne|year=2010|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-534024-2}} McDaniel had a minor role in the Woody Allen film Alice (1990), was a banker in Strictly Business (1991){{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9ZAQAQAAQBAJ&dq=%22James+McDaniel%22+actor+-wikipedia&pg=PA281|page=281|title=Black Directors in Hollywood|last=Donalson|first=Melvin|year=2010|publisher=University of Texas Press|isbn=978-0-292-78224-2}} and portrayed Brother Earl in Spike Lee's Malcolm X (1992).

McDaniel guest starred as a cop on Hill Street Blues, created by Steven Bochco. Thereafter, he appeared often in productions with Bochco's involvement, including L.A. Law and Civil Wars. He played Lt. Arthur Fancy on NYPD Blue for eight seasons, between 1993 and 2001.{{cite web|url=https://www.chron.com/entertainment/article/James-McDaniel-bids-farewell-to-serious-minded-1994638.php|title=James McDaniel bids farewell to serious-minded Lt. Fancy|last=Duffy|first=Mike|date=February 13, 2001|website=The Houston Chronicle|access-date=October 28, 2022}} The series attracted some criticism regarding McDaniel being underutilized during his time on the show.{{cite news|last=O'Hare|first=Kate|date=May 19, 2000|title=Inside TV|page=12A|newspaper=Boca Raton News|quote="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").}}{{cite news|last=Miller|first=Ron|date=April 22, 1998|title=ABC series in need of tuneup|page=5|newspaper=Bartow Press|quote=Then there's Lt. Arthur Fancy (James McDaniel), a character with tremendous dramatic potential who seldom gets his own story arc.}} McDaniel himself alluded to this, claiming to be "the highest paid extra on television."{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=u9yrKT5-fBwC&dq=%22James+McDaniel%22+actor+-wikipedia&pg=PA192|page=192|last=Vest|first=Jason P.|year=2011|publisher=Praeger|isbn=978-0-313-37819-5|title=The Wire, Deadwood, Homicide, and NYPD Blue: Violence is Power}} He was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 1996 for his work on the series.{{cite news|date=July 18, 1996|title=And the nominees are . . .|page=D4|newspaper=Lakeland Ledger}} 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.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YX_daEhlnbsC&dq=%22James+McDaniel%22+actor+-wikipedia&pg=PA255|page=255|title=Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 Through 2010|edition=2nd|last=Terrace|first=Vincent|date=January 10, 2014|publisher=McFarland & Company|isbn=978-0-7864-8641-0}} McDaniel appeared as an investigator in The Following{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2014/tv/reviews/tv-review-the-following-1201050443/|title=TV Review: 'The Following' |last=Lowry|first=Brian|date=January 15, 2014|website=Variety|access-date=October 28, 2022}} and was Ezra Mills, Abbie's father, in Sleepy Hollow.{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/article/2016/08/08/sleepy-hollow-season-4/|title=Sleepy Hollow season 4: Everything we know|last=Connolly|first=Kelly|date=August 8, 2016|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|access-date=October 28, 2022}} McDaniel made a guest appearance as a jazz trumpeter in NCIS: New Orleans.{{cite web|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment/tv-guy/os-ncis-new-orleans-familiar-gumbo-20140922-post.html|title='NCIS: New Orleans': familiar gumbo|last=Boedeker|first=Hal|date=September 22, 2014|website=The Orlando Sentinel|access-date=October 28, 2022}} McDaniel appeared in Tamara Tunie's See You in September (2010){{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/article/2007/08/06/tamara-tunie-direct-first-feature/|title=Tamara Tunie to direct first feature|last=Bruno|first=Mike|date=August 6, 2007|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|access-date=October 28, 2022}} and in the Jordana Spiro film Night Comes On (2018).{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/night-comes-on-sundance-2018-1077613/|title='Night Comes On': Film Review|last=Rooney|first=David|date=January 23, 2018|website=The Hollywood Reporter|access-date=October 28, 2022}}

McDaniel has also appeared extensively in television films, namely Silencing Mary (1996), Unforgivable (1996),{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/04/30/arts/television-review-two-s-a-crowd-for-ritter-as-a-violent-husband.html|title=Television Review; Two's a Crowd for Ritter As a Violent Husband|last=O'Connor|first=John J.|work=The New York Times |date=April 30, 1996 |author-link=John J. O'Connor (journalist)|access-date=October 28, 2022}} and Out of Time (2000), the latter in a rare role as the main character.{{cite news|last=Bobbin|first=Jay|date=June 18, 2000|title='NYPD Blue's' McDaniel is "Out of Time"|newspaper=Boca Raton News}} He portrayed Nat King Cole in Livin' for Love: The Natalie Cole Story (2000).{{cite magazine|date=December 11, 2000|title=Natalie Cole, Diahann Carroll, James McDaniel And Theresa Randle Star in NBC Movie 'Livin' For Love: The Natalie Cole Story'|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CLYDAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22James+McDaniel%22+-wikipedia&pg=PA39|page=39|magazine=Jet|publisher=Johnson Publishing Company}} Natalie Cole personally handpicked McDaniel to play her father.

With his wife Hannelore, McDaniel has two children.

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".{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005206/awards|title=Awards for James McDanial|publisher=imdb.com|access-date=March 27, 2010}} 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)

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{{Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in Children's Programming}}

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Category:1958 births

Category:20th-century American male actors

Category:21st-century American male actors

Category:American male film actors

Category:American male stage actors

Category:American male television actors

Category:Living people

Category:Male actors from Washington, D.C.

Category:University of Pennsylvania alumni

Category:20th-century African-American male actors

Category:21st-century African-American male actors