Dan Butler
Encyclopedia
Daniel Eugene "Dan" Butler (born December 2, 1954) is an American playwright and actor known for his role as Bob "Bulldog" Briscoe on the TV series Frasier
.
and raised in Fort Wayne; the son of Shirley, a homemaker
, and Andrew Butler, a pharmacist
. While a drama student at Indiana University
in 1975, he was the recipient of the Irene Ryan
Acting Scholarship, sponsored by the Kennedy Center. Openly gay
, he starred in Terrence McNally
's 1989 play The Lisbon Traviata
and wrote an Off Broadway play about his life, The Only Thing Worse You Could Have Told Me..., which derives its title from a comment Butler's father made when Dan came out to him.
Though Butler never hid his homosexuality, he disclosed it publicly on Entertainment Tonight
in 1994 during his run as a swaggering heterosexual on Frasier.
His partner is acting teacher and director, Richard Waterhouse.
Frasier
Frasier is an American sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for eleven seasons, from September 16, 1993, to May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee in association with Grammnet and Paramount Network Television.A spin-off of Cheers, Frasier stars...
.
Life and career
Butler was born in Huntington, IndianaHuntington, Indiana
Huntington, known as the "Lime City", is a small city in and the county seat of Huntington County, Indiana, United States. It is in Huntington Township and Union Township...
and raised in Fort Wayne; the son of Shirley, a homemaker
Homemaker
Homemaking is a mainly American term for the management of a home, otherwise known as housework, housekeeping or household management...
, and Andrew Butler, a pharmacist
Pharmacist
Pharmacists are allied health professionals who practice in pharmacy, the field of health sciences focusing on safe and effective medication use...
. While a drama student at Indiana University
Indiana University
Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...
in 1975, he was the recipient of the Irene Ryan
Irene Ryan
Irene Ryan was an American actress, one of the few entertainers who found success in vaudeville, radio, film, television and Broadway....
Acting Scholarship, sponsored by the Kennedy Center. Openly gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
, he starred in Terrence McNally
Terrence McNally
Terrence McNally is an American playwright who has received four Tony Awards, an Emmy, two Guggenheim Fellowships, a Rockefeller Grant, the Lucille Lortel Award, the Hull-Warriner Award, and a citation from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He has been a member of the Council of the...
's 1989 play The Lisbon Traviata
The Lisbon Traviata
The Lisbon Traviata is a 1989 play by Terrence McNally.It focuses on two of the playwright's favorite subjects, gay relationships and Maria Callas, and includes one of his most memorable characters, flamboyantly bitchy and viciously wicked opera queen Mendy...
and wrote an Off Broadway play about his life, The Only Thing Worse You Could Have Told Me..., which derives its title from a comment Butler's father made when Dan came out to him.
Though Butler never hid his homosexuality, he disclosed it publicly on Entertainment Tonight
Entertainment Tonight
Entertainment Tonight is a daily tabloid television entertainment television news show that is syndicated by CBS Television Distribution throughout the United States, Canada and in many countries around the world. Linda Bell Blue is currently the program's executive producer...
in 1994 during his run as a swaggering heterosexual on Frasier.
His partner is acting teacher and director, Richard Waterhouse.
Featured television roles
- RoseanneRoseanne (TV series)Roseanne is an American sitcom broadcast on ABC from October 18, 1988 to May 20, 1997. Starring Roseanne Barr, the show revolved around the Conners, an Illinois working class family...
as Art (1991–1992) - Frannie's Turn as Father Anthony (1992)
- FrasierFrasierFrasier is an American sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for eleven seasons, from September 16, 1993, to May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee in association with Grammnet and Paramount Network Television.A spin-off of Cheers, Frasier stars...
as Robert "Bulldog" Briscoe (1993–2004) - Caroline in the CityCaroline in the CityCaroline in the City is an American situation comedy that ran from September 21, 1995 to April 26, 1999 on the NBC television network. It starred Lea Thompson as cartoonist Caroline Duffy. The series premiered in the two-hour Thursday night block led by Friends.-Premise:Caroline Duffy is a...
as Kenneth Arabian (1995, 1997) - Hey Arnold!Hey Arnold!Hey Arnold! is an American animated television series created by Craig Bartlett for Nickelodeon. The show's premise focuses on a fourth grader named Arnold who lives with his grandparents. Episodes center on his experiences navigating big city life while dealing with the problems he and his friends...
- Voice of Mr. Simmons/Lila's Dad (1997–2002) - From the Earth to the Moon as NASA Flight Director Eugene KranzGene KranzKranz's book, titled Failure Is Not an Option, published five years after the movie, stated, "...a creed that we all lived by: "Failure is not an option."" . The book has three index references for the phrase, but none of those give any indication of the phrase being apocryphal...
(1998) - More Tales of the City as Edward Bass Matheson (1998)
Guest appearances
- Leg WorkLeg WorkLeg Work is an American detective drama television series created by Frank Abatemarco that premiered on CBS on October 3, 1987. The show was short-lived and only 10 episodes were produced, of which only six were aired prior to the show's cancellation. The final episode aired on November 7, 1987...
as Solinski in episode Blind Trust (1987) - Monsters as David in episode A New Woman (1990)
- Quantum Leap as Jake Dorleac in episode Southern Comforts - August 4, 1961 (1991)
- Columbo as Sgt. Goodman in episode No Time to Die (1992)
- Life Goes OnLife Goes On (TV series)Life Goes On is a television series that aired on ABC from September 12, 1989 to May 23, 1993. The show centers on the Thacher family living in suburban Chicago: Drew, his wife Elizabeth, and their children Paige, Rebecca, and Charles, who is known as Corky...
as Ed in episode Incident on Main (1993) - The Powers That BeThe Powers That Be (TV series)The Powers That Be is a United States television sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman that aired briefly on NBC from 1992 to 1993. Norman Lear served as executive producer for the show.-Plot:...
as Walt Stevens (1993) - Quantum Leap as Mutta in episode Mirror Image- August 8, 1953 (1993)
- Picket FencesPicket FencesPicket Fences is a 60-minute American television drama about the residents of the fictional town of Rome, Wisconsin, created and produced by David E. Kelley. The show initially ran from September 18, 1992, to June 26, 1996, on the CBS television network in the United States...
as Joe Henley in episode Duty Free Rome (1993) - The X-FilesThe X-FilesThe X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...
as Jim Ausbury in episode Die Hand Die VerletztDie Hand Die Verletzt"Die Hand Die Verletzt" is the fourteenth episode of the second season of the science fiction television series The X-Files. It premiered on the Fox network on January 27, 1995. It was written by Glen Morgan and James Wong, directed by Kim Manners, and featured guest appearances by Susan Blommaert,...
(1995) - King of the HillKing of the HillKing of the Hill is an American animated dramedy series created by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels, that ran from January 12, 1997, to May 6, 2010, on Fox network. It centers on the Hills, a working-class Methodist family in the fictional small town of Arlen, Texas...
as voice of Attorney in episode Jumpin' Crack Bass (1997) - Tracey Takes On...Tracey Takes On...Tracey Takes On... is an HBO sketch comedy series created by British-American comedienne Tracey Ullman.In 1993, Ullman returned to television after her hit Fox comedy series, The Tracey Ullman Show, was canceled, with two comedy specials for HBO. Tracey Ullman Takes On New York, and Tracey Ullman:...
as Priest in episode Religion (1998) - Star Trek: VoyagerStar Trek: VoyagerStar Trek: Voyager is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe. Set in the 24th century from the year 2371 through 2378, the series follows the adventures of the Starfleet vessel USS Voyager, which becomes stranded in the Delta Quadrant 70,000 light-years from Earth while...
as Steth in episode Vis à Vis (1998) - Just Shoot Me!Just Shoot Me!Just Shoot Me! is an American television sitcom that aired for seven seasons on NBC from March 4, 1997 to August 16, 2003, with 148 episodes produced. The show was created by Steven Levitan, the show's executive producer.-Description:...
as Bill Slatton in episode Eve of Destruction (1998) - Suddenly SusanSuddenly SusanSuddenly Susan is an American sitcom that was broadcast on NBC from 1996 to 2000. The show takes place at The Gate, a fictitious magazine which is based in San Francisco. Among the magazine's employees is Susan Keane , who always has been cared for by someone else...
as Dr. Richards in episode War Games (1998) - Touched by an AngelTouched by an AngelTouched by an Angel is an American drama series that premiered on CBS on September 21, 1994 and ran for 211 episodes and nine seasons until its conclusion on April 27, 2003. Created by John Masius and produced by Martha Williamson, the series stars Roma Downey, as an angel named Monica, and Della...
as Dr. Ivar Kronenberg in episode Anatomy Lesson (1999) - Ally McBealAlly McBealAlly McBeal is an American legal comedy-drama series which aired on the Fox network from 1997 to 2002. The series was created by David E. Kelley, who also served as the executive producer, along with Bill D'Elia...
as a lawyer, episode Changes (1999) - Crossing JordanCrossing JordanCrossing Jordan is an American television crime/drama series that aired on NBC from September 24, 2001 to May 16, 2007. It stars Jill Hennessy as Jordan Cavanaugh, M.D., a crime-solving forensic pathologist employed in the Suffolk County, Massachusetts, Medical Examiner's Office...
as Arnold Hummer (2002) - American DreamsAmerican DreamsAmerican Dreams is an American television comedy-drama program broadcast on the NBC television network, produced by Once A Frog and Dick Clark Productions in association with Universal Network Television and NBC Studios...
as Coach Ambros (2002–2003) - Malcolm in the MiddleMalcolm in the MiddleMalcolm in the Middle is an American television sitcom created by Linwood Boomer for the Fox Network. The series was first broadcast on January 9, 2000, and ended its six-and-a-half-year run on May 14, 2006, after seven seasons and 151 episodes...
as Norm in episode "Butterflies" - SupernaturalSupernatural (TV series)Supernatural is an American supernatural and horror television series created by Eric Kripke, which debuted on September 13, 2005 on The WB, and is now part of The CW's lineup. Starring Jared Padalecki as Sam Winchester and Jensen Ackles as Dean Winchester, the series follows the brothers as they...
as Reverend Sorenson in "Hook Man" (2005) - HouseHouse (TV series)House is an American television medical drama that debuted on the Fox network on November 16, 2004. The show's central character is Dr. Gregory House , an unconventional and misanthropic medical genius who heads a team of diagnosticians at the fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in...
as Dr. Weber in "Distractions" (2006) - MonkMonk (TV series)Monk is an American comedy-drama detective mystery television series created by Andy Breckman and starring Tony Shalhoub as the titular character, Adrian Monk. It originally ran from 2002 to 2009 and is primarily a mystery series, although it has dark and comic touches.The series debuted on July...
as Dr. Scott in "Mr. Monk Goes to the Hospital" - Cashmere MafiaCashmere MafiaCashmere Mafia is an American television dramedy which ran on ABC from January 6, 2008 to February 20, 2008. The series was created by Kevin Wade, who also served as executive producer alongside Darren Star, Gail Katz, Jeff Rake and Michael Pressman, with Susie Fitzgerald co-executive producing....
as Maxwell Tate in "Yours, Mine, and Hers" - 'Til Death'Til Death’Til Death is an American sitcom which aired on the Fox network from September 7, 2006, to June 20, 2010. The series was created by husband-and-wife team Josh Goldsmith and Cathy Yuspa, who were also the writers and executive-producers...
as Paul in "Clay Date" - Without a TraceWithout a TraceWithout a Trace is an American television drama which originally ran on CBS from September 26, 2002 to May 19, 2009. The series was set in New York City and concerned a fictitious FBI Missing Persons Unit.-Premise:...
as David Wilkins in The Source"
Noted documentary, TV movie, or film roles
- The Manhattan ProjectManhattan Project (film)The Manhattan Project is an American film, released in 1986. Named after the World War II-era program, the plot revolves around a gifted high school student who decides to construct a nuclear bomb for a national science fair. The film's underlying theme involves the Cold War of the 1980s when...
as SWAT Team member - Longtime CompanionLongtime CompanionLongtime Companion is a 1989 film with Bruce Davison, Campbell Scott, Patrick Cassidy, and Mary-Louise Parker. The first wide-release theatrical film to deal with the subject of AIDS, the film takes its title from the words The New York Times used to describe the surviving same-sex partner of...
as Walter - The Long Walk HomeThe Long Walk HomeThe Long Walk Home is a 1990 film starring Sissy Spacek and Whoopi Goldberg.-Origins:The feature film is based on a short screenplay of the same name, written by John Cork. While a student at USC, Cork submitted his script for consideration by the Cinema Department, hoping to also direct. While...
as Charlie - Everyday Heroes as Dennis Peterson
- The Silence of the Lambs as Roden
- Rising Sun as Ken Shubik
- DaveDave (film)Dave is a 1993 comedy-drama film written by Gary Ross, directed by Ivan Reitman, and starring Kevin Kline and Sigourney Weaver. Co-stars include Frank Langella, Kevin Dunn, Ving Rhames, and Ben Kingsley. Ross was nominated for an Academy Award for his screenplay...
as Reporter - The FanThe Fan (1996 film)The Fan is a 1996 American thriller film starring Robert De Niro and Wesley Snipes. It was directed by Tony Scott and based on the novel of the same name by Peter Abrahams...
as Garrity - The Silver Screen: Color Me Lavender as self
- Enemy of the State as NSA Director Adm. Shaffer
- The Sissy DucklingThe Sissy DucklingThe Sissy Duckling is a children's picture book written by noted actor Harvey Fierstein and illustrated by Henry Cole. It is 40 pages long and intended for children ages 5-8....
(voice) - Fixing Frank as Dr. Apsey
- From the Earth to the Moon as Gene Kranz
- Karl Rove, I Love You as Himself (Producer, co-director, co-writer)
- Prayers for BobbyPrayers for BobbyPrayers for Bobby is a 2009 television film that premiered on the Lifetime network on January 24, 2009. It is based on the book, Prayers for Bobby: A Mother's Coming to Terms with the Suicide of Her Gay Son, by Leroy F...
as Rev. Whitsell - Sniper 2Sniper 2Sniper 2 is an American film shot in Hungary in November 2002 and released in early 2003. It stars Tom Berenger, Bokeem Woodbine, Erika Marozsán and Tamás Puskás, and was directed by Craig R. Baxley....
as Eckles