Making his acting debut in the critically acclaimed 1981 film "Ragtime", Jeff Daniels was tapped to star in some other successful films for the next few years, one of which was "Terms of Endearment" (1983). "The Purple Rose of Cairo" (1985) as well as "Something Wild" (1986) earned him a Golden Globe nomination each. After few appearances in under the radar features, he rose to prominence through a starring role in epic war film "Gettysburg" (1993) as Colonel Joshua Chamberlain.

1994 proved to be a golden year for Daniels, thanks for his portrayal of Harry Dunne in comedy film "Dumb and Dumber" that was a box office hit and grossed nearly $250 million worldwide. Becoming a household name ever since, he tackled more various roles, starring in features of many genres, including "101 Dalmatians" (1996), "Pleasantville" (1998), "The Hours" (2002), "The Squid and the Whale" (2005), and "Good Night, and Good Luck" (2005) just to name some.

Also known for his appearances in "RV", "The Lookout", "Traitor", as well as "Looper", Daniels experienced another success with his role as Will McAvoy on HBO's "The Newsroom". In addition to winning a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, he also grabbed nominations; Golden Globe Award for Best Actor, Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor, Satellite Award for Best Actor, and also Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor.

Daniels and his high school sweetheart, Kathleen Rosemary Treado, have been married since 1979. They are parents to three children: Benjamin (born 1984), Lucas (born 1987), and Nellie (born 1990). He was initially born as Jeffrey Warren Daniels on February 19, 1955 in Athens, Georgia.