# Dan Butler

Daniel Eugene Butler (born December 2, 1954) is an American actor known for his role as Bob "Bulldog" Briscoe on the TV series Frasier (1993–2004), later reprising the role in 2024; Art in Roseanne (1991–1992); for the voice of Mr. Simmons on the Nickelodeon TV show Hey Arnold! (1997–2002), later reprising the role in Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie (2017); and for film roles in Enemy of the State (1998) and Sniper 2 (2001).

## Education

Butler was born in Huntington, Indiana, and raised in Fort Wayne. He is the son of Shirley, a homemaker, and Andrew Butler, a pharmacist. While a drama student at Purdue University Fort Wayne in 1975, he received the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship, sponsored by the Kennedy Center. From 1976 to 1978, he trained at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco.

## Career

Butler is best known for his role as Bob "Bulldog" Briscoe in the NBC sitcom Frasier, appearing in every season but one between 1993 and 2004. The character was a volatile, boorish, intensely macho sports presenter who hosted the show which followed Frasier's daily broadcast at the radio station KACL. Butler directed one episode during season five of Frasier. He is also one of two actors to play two characters in the Hannibal Lecter franchise. In 1986, he played the role of Jimmy Price, a technician in the film Manhunter; then, 5 years later, he played the role of Roden in 1991's The Silence of The Lambs. The other actor is Frankie Faison. In 1998, Butler played the role of NSA Director Admiral Shaffer in Enemy of the State and in 2006, Butler produced and starred in the faux documentary Karl Rove, I Love You (which he also co-wrote and co-directed). Other film work includes roles in Prayers for Bobby and Longtime Companion. Butler is an established stage actor. In 2018, he played Lenin in the Broadway revival of Tom Stoppard's Travesties. Other recent appearances include as Truman Capote in American Repertory Theater's 2017 production of Rob Roth's Warhol/Capote and Jack in the 2013 Off-Broadway production of Conor McPherson's The Weir.

## Personal life

Butler lives in Vermont and is married to producer Richard Waterhouse. He came out to his family when he was in his early 20s. He wrote a one-man show, The Only Thing Worse You Could Have Told Me, which opened in Los Angeles in 1994 and also played in San Francisco and off-Broadway in New York. It was Butler's public coming out. The play had ten characters "just processing what gay means". He was nominated for the 1995 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding One-Person Show.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1986 | The Manhattan Project | SWAT | as Dan E. Butler |
| 1986 | Manhunter | Jimmy Price | as Dan E. Butler |
| 1989 | Longtime Companion | Walter | |
| 1990 | The Long Walk Home | Charlie | |
| 1991 | The Silence of the Lambs | Roden | |
| 1992 | Captain Ron | Bill Zachery | |
| 1993 | Dave | Reporter | |
| 1996 | The Fan | Garrity | |
| 1997 | The Silver Screen: Color Me Lavender | Dan E. Butler | as Dan E. Butler |
| 1998 | Enemy of the State | NSA Director Admiral Shaffer | |
| 2002 | Sniper 2 | CIA Agent James Eckles | |
| 2008 | Chronic Town | Blow Job | |
| 2009 | Prayers for Bobby | Reverend Whitsell | Television film |
| 2011 | Crazy, Stupid, Love | Cal's boss | |
| 2014 | Chu and Blossom | Mr. Kirkpatrick | |
| 2020 | All My Life | Dr. Alan Mendelson | |
| 2022 | Blonde | I.E. Shinn | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1982 | Remington Steele | Morgue attendant | Episode: "Your Steele the One for Me" Uncredited |
| 1987 | Leg Work | Peter Solinski | Episode: "Blind Trust" |
| 1990 | Monsters | David | Episode: "A New Woman" |
| 1991–1993 | Quantum Leap | Jake Dorleac Mutta | Episode: "Southern Comforts" Episode: "Mirror Image" |
| 1991–1992 | Roseanne | Art | 3 episodes |
| 1992 | Columbo | Sergeant Goodman | Episode: "No Time to Die" |
| 1993 | Life Goes On | Ed | Episode: "Incident on Main" |
| 1993 | The Powers That Be | Walt Stevens | Episode: "Bradley Gets Fired" |
| 1993–2004 | Frasier | Bob "Bulldog" Briscoe | 53 episodes |
| 1993 | Picket Fences | Joe Henley | Episode: "Duty Free Rome" |
| 1995 | The X-Files | Jim Ausbury | Episode: "Die Hand Die Verletzt" |
| 1995–1997 | Caroline in the City | Kenneth Arabian | 2 episodes |
| 1997–2002 | Hey Arnold! | Mr. Sawyer / Robert Simmons | 34 episodes Voice |
| 1997–1998 | King of the Hill | Attorney Daniel | Episode: "Jumpin' Crack Bass" Episode: "Death of a Propane Salesman" |
| 1998 | Tracey Takes On... | Priest | Episode: "Religion" |
| 1998 | Star Trek: Voyager | Steth | Vis à Vis" |
| 1998 | From the Earth to the Moon | NASA Flight Director Eugene Kranz | 2 episodes |
| 1998 | Just Shoot Me! | Bill Slatton | Episode: "Eve of Destruction" |
| 1998 | More Tales of the City | Edward Bass Matheson | Episode: "Episode #1.2" |
| 1998 | Suddenly Susan | Dr. Richards | Episode: "War Games" |
| 1999 | Touched by an Angel | Dr. Ivar Kroneberger | Episode: "Anatomy Lesson" |
| 1999 | Ally McBeal | Attorney Bender | Episode: "Changes" |
| 2002 | Crossing Jordan | Arnold Hummer | Episode: "The Gift of Life" |
| 2002–2003 | American Dreams | Coach Ambros | 4 episodes |
| 2003 | Without a Trace | David Wilkins | Episode: "The Source" |
| 2005 | Malcolm in the Middle | Norm | Episode: "Butterflies" |
| 2005 | Supernatural | Reverend Sorenson | Episode: "Hook Man" |
| 2006 | House | Dr. Philip Weber | Episode: "Distractions" |
| 2007 | Monk | Dr. Davis Scott | Episode: "Mr. Monk Goes to the Hospital" |
| 2007 | 'Til Death | Paul | Episode: "Clay Date" |
| 2008 | Cashmere Mafia | Maxwell Tate | Episode: "Yours, Mine, and Hers" |
| 2010 | Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Congressman Price | Episode: "Lost Children of the Blood" |
| 2014 | The Mysteries of Laura | Calvin Gold | Episode: "The Mystery of the Sex Scandal" |
| 2015 | Blindspot | Paul Bolton | Episode: "Sent On Tour" Blindspot (episode: "Sent On Tour", 2015) |
| 2016 | Banshee | Senator Mitchum | 2 episodes |
| 2016 | Blue Bloods | SBS President Randy Grant | Episode: "Blast from the Past" |
| 2017 | The Mist | Father Romanov | 6 episodes |
| 2017 | Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie | Robert Simmons | Television film Voice |
| 2018 | Elementary | Denny Mulgrew | Episode: "Whatever Remains, However Improbable" |
| 2019 | Tales of the City | | Episode: "The Price of Oil" |
| 2023 | The Blacklist | Attorney General Karl Stromberg | Episode: "Arthur Hudson" |
| 2024 | Frasier | Bob "Bulldog" Briscoe | Episode: "Thank You, Dr. Crane" |