James McDaniel Jr. (born March 25, 1958) is an American stage,

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmospher ...

and

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...

actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), lit ...

. He is best known for playing Lt.

Arthur Fancy Capt. Arthur Fancy is a fictional character in the television series '' NYPD Blue''. He was played by James McDaniel from season one through eight. The fictional character appears in all 167 episodes from the show's 1993 pilot to the 2001 episo ...

on the television show ''

NYPD Blue ''NYPD Blue'' is an American police procedural television series set in New York City, exploring the struggles of the fictional 15th Precinct detective squad in Manhattan. Each episode typically intertwines several plots involving an ensembl ...

''. He created 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 Malcolm X (born Malcolm Little, later Malik el-Shabazz; May 19, 1925 – February 21, 1965) was an American Muslim minister and human rights activist who was a prominent figure during the civil rights movement. A spokesman for the Nation of I ...

in the 1992 film ''

''. He also played Sgt. Jesse Longford in the ABC television series '' Detroit 1-8-7''.

Early life

He was born as James McDaniel Jr. in Washington, D.C. on March 25, 1958, the son of physician James McDaniel Sr. The junior McDaniel attended the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest- ...

, where he studied veterinary medicine. After taking his final exams, he decided to move to

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

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 Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by PepsiCo. Originally created and developed in 1893 by Caleb Bradham and introduced as Brad's Drink, it was renamed as Pepsi-Cola in 1898, and then shortened to Pepsi in 1961. History Pepsi wa ...

commercial.

Career

McDaniel began acting on the stage. He appeared in the original production of '' Six Degrees of Separation'' as Paul Poitier, and received the

Clarence Derwent Award The Clarence Derwent Awards are theatre awards given annually by the Actors' Equity Association on Broadway in the United States and by Equity, the performers' union, in the West End in the United Kingdom. Clarence Derwent (23 March 1884 – 6 Aug ...

for his performance. McDaniel originated the role of Adam in '' Someone Who'll Watch Over Me'', being the only American in the cast. He received an

Obie Award The Obie Awards or Off-Broadway Theater Awards are annual awards originally given by ''The Village Voice'' newspaper to theatre artists and groups in New York City. In September 2014, the awards were jointly presented and administered with the ...

after performing in '' Before It Hits Home''. Early roles on television include guest appearances on sitcom '' Kate & Allie'' and crime drama '' Gabriel's Fire''. He portrayed police officer Franklin Rose on the short-lived and poorly received series '' Cop Rock''. McDaniel had a minor role in the

Woody Allen Heywood "Woody" Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American film director, writer, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades and multiple Academy Award-winning films. He began his career writing ...

film ''

Alice Alice may refer to: * Alice (name), most often a feminine given name, but also used as a surname Literature * Alice (''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland''), a character in books by Lewis Carroll * ''Alice'' series, children's and teen books by ...

'' (1990), was a banker in '' Strictly Business'' (1991) and portrayed Brother Earl in

Spike Lee Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee (born March 20, 1957) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, has produced more than 35 films since 1983. He made his directorial debut ...

's ''

'' (1992). McDaniel guest starred as a cop on ''

Hill Street Blues ''Hill Street Blues'' is an American serial police procedural television series that aired on NBC in prime-time from January 15, 1981, to May 12, 1987, for 146 episodes. The show chronicles the lives of the staff of a single police station loca ...

'', created by Steven Bochco. Thereafter, he appeared often in productions with Bochco's involvement, including '' L.A. Law'' and ''

Civil Wars A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polici ...

''. He played Lt.

on ''

'' for eight seasons, between 1993 to 2001. The series attracted some criticism regarding McDaniel being underutilized during his time on the show. McDaniel himself alluded to this, claiming to be "the highest paid extra on television." He was nominated for a

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series This is a list of winners and nominees of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. In early Primetime Emmy Award ceremonies, the supporting categories were not always genre, or even gender, specific. Beginning ...

in 1996 for his work on the series. He also received three consecutive

NAACP Image Award The NAACP Image Awards is an annual awards ceremony presented by the U.S.-based National Association for the Advancement of Colored People ( NAACP) to honor outstanding performances in film, television, theatre, music, and literature. Similar to ...

nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. He portrayed the role of Sgt. Jesse Longford in crime drama '' Detroit 1-8-7''. McDaniel appeared as an investigator in ''

The Following ''The Following'' is an American crime thriller television series created by Kevin Williamson, and jointly produced by Outerbanks Entertainment and Warner Bros. Television. The first season follows former FBI agent Ryan Hardy ( Kevin Bacon) ...

'' and was Ezra Mills, Abbie's father, in '' Sleepy Hollow''. McDaniel made a guest appearance as a jazz trumpeter in '' NCIS: New Orleans''. McDaniel appeared in

Tamara Tunie Tamara Tunie (born March 14, 1959) is an American film, stage, and television actress, director, and producer. She is best known for her roles as attorney Jessica Griffin on the CBS soap opera ''As the World Turns'' (1987–1995, 2000–2007, 2009 ...

's ''

See You in September "See You in September" is a song written by Sid Wayne and Sherman Edwards. It was first recorded by the Pittsburgh vocal group The Tempos. This first version peaked at #23 in the summer of 1959. The most popular take on "See You In September" ...

'' (2010) and in the Jordana Spiro film ''

Night Comes On ''Night Comes On'' is a 2018 American drama film directed by Jordana Spiro, who wrote the screenplay with Angelica Nwandu. It premiered on January 19, 2018 at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival. Plot A teen is released from juvenile detention just a ...

'' (2018). McDaniel has also appeared extensively in television films, namely '' Silencing Mary'' (1996), '' Unforgivable'' (1996), and ''Out of Time'' (2000), the latter in a rare role as the main character. He portrayed

Nat King Cole Nathaniel Adams Coles (March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965), known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American singer, jazz pianist, and actor. Cole's music career began after he dropped out of school at the age of 15, and continued f ...

in '' Livin' for Love: The Natalie Cole Story'' (2000).

Natalie Cole Natalie Maria Cole (February 6, 1950 – December 31, 2015) was an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She was the daughter of American singer and jazz pianist Nat King Cole. She rose to success in the mid-1970s as an R&B singer with the h ...

personally handpicked McDaniel to play her father.

Personal life

With his wife Hannelore, McDaniel has two children.

Filmography

Film

Television

Accolades

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 The Daytime Emmy Awards, or Daytime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the New York–based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences ...

for Outstanding Performer in a Children/Youth/Family Special, "Edge of America". He has also been nominated for two

Primetime Emmys The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime E ...

for his work on ''

''. * 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

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:McDaniel, James 1958 births 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors African-American male actors American male film actors American male stage actors American male television actors Living people Male actors from Washington, D.C. University of Pennsylvania alumni 20th-century African-American people 21st-century African-American people