Already at the age of eleven Daniel Davis (73) was drawn to the stage from an early age. When he was just eleven, he starred in a children's series on local television and performed as a comedian, singer and dancer. He later graduated from the Arkansas Arts Center with a degree in Fine Arts.
After graduating, Daniel Davis worked as a stage actor for a long time and starred on both Broadway and at the Shakespeare Festival in Stratford.
Later on in his career, Daniel Davis also appeared in films and on television, starring in the film The Hunt for Red October (1990), the series Remington Steele (1985) and in the series Star Trek: The Next Generation (1988 and 1993) amongst others.
Daniel Davis' big breakthrough, however, came when he played Niles in the series The Nanny with the amazing Fran Drescher. By the time the series first aired, in 1993, Davis was already 48 years old.
Daniel Davis found fame starring in The Nanny
Davis, an American by birth, allegedly only got the part by faking an English accent during his casting session. As any fan knows, Niles, just like his boss Maxwell Sheffield (Charles Shaughnessy, 64), is British.
Niles knows everything about everything happening in the Sheffield household and often likes to stick his nose in where it is not welcome.
Daniel Davis today
Since the cult sitcom ended in 1999, Daniel Davis has had a number of roles. He appeared in the TV film The Miraculous Year in 2011 and made a guest appearance in the series Ugly Betty in 2008. In 2015 Daniel Davis had a starring role in the series Gotham and appeared in The Blacklist in 2017 as well.
Daniel Davis has several new projects lined up for 2018 and will be filming the drama Roses Are Blind.