Jeff Daniels is an American actor, musician and playwright. He founded a non-profit theatre company, the Purple Rose Theatre Company, in his home state of Michigan. Daniels has had a thriving film career, from his debut in 1981 in “Ragtime,” through “State of Play” in 2009. For his film work, he has received three Golden Globe Award nominations, including as Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy/Musical for Woody Allen's “The Purple Rose of Cairo.” His performance in Noah Baumbach’s “The Squid and the Whale” was critically acclaimed. His other films include: “Terms of Endearment,” “Speed,” “Dumb and Dumber,” “Good Night and Good Luck,” and “Away We Go.”