From small-town Michigan to the global stage, Jeff Daniels has built a career defined by remarkable range, making audiences laugh in "Dumb and Dumber" as much as he moves them in "To Kill a Mockingbird." Despite decades of success across film, television, and theater, his connection to Michigan has remained constant, shaping both his life and his work. In this episode, Jeff reflects on why he chose to stay rooted in his home state, how he navigates roles across genres, and the discipline behind performances in projects like "Gettysburg" and "The Newsroom." He also shares insights from portraying complex historical and political figures, along with his experience in his upcoming film, "The Brink of War," which revisits the pivotal Reagan-Gorbachev meeting during the Cold War's Reykjavik Summit in 1986. Blending humor, craft, and perspective, Jeff discusses storytelling as both an art and a responsibility, from delivering a famous Aaron Sorkin monologue to writing and performing his own music. The conversation ultimately reveals an artist grounded in authenticity and purpose, embodying the same resilience and forward-looking spirit that continues to define Michigan and Detroit’s future.
From small-town Michigan to the global stage, Jeff Daniels has built a career defined by remarkable range, making audiences laugh in "Dumb and Dumber" as much as he moves them in "To Kill a Mockingbird." Despite decades of success across film, television, and theater, his connection to Michigan has remained constant, shaping both his life and his work.
In this episode, Jeff reflects on why he chose to stay rooted in his home state, how he navigates roles across genres, and the discipline behind performances in projects like "Gettysburg" and "The Newsroom." He also shares insights from portraying complex historical and political figures, along with his experience in his upcoming film, "The Brink of War," which revisits the pivotal Reagan-Gorbachev meeting during the Cold War's Reykjavik Summit in 1986.
Blending humor, craft, and perspective, Jeff discusses storytelling as both an art and a responsibility, from delivering a famous Aaron Sorkin monologue to writing and performing his own music. The conversation ultimately reveals an artist grounded in authenticity and purpose, embodying the same resilience and forward-looking spirit that continues to define Michigan and Detroit’s future.
Time Stamps
Jeff Daniels' Family Adventure and Introduction to The BOBCast
:00- Jeff Daniels shares a humorous anecdote about forgetting his wife at a truck stop while driving an RV to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
:20 Bob Riney highlights Jeff’s diverse career in film, television, and theater, including his roles in "Dumb and Dumber," "The Martian," "Terms of Endearment," and his Emmy-winning performance in "The Newsroom."
Jeff Daniels' Commitment to Michigan
1:52- Bob asks Jeff about his decision to stay in Michigan, despite opportunities in other states.
2:07- Jeff explains that Michigan has always felt like home, even when he was in New York for work and that his wife's family roots in Marquette and their annual visits to the Upper Peninsula.
Jeff Daniels' Diverse Roles and Challenges
2:56- Bob inquiries about Jeff's favorite roles, and Jeff mentions playing Chamberlain in "Gettysburg" as a significant challenge.
3:50- Jeff shares a story about rehearsing with his co-stars, including playing golf to bond with his on-screen brother.
4:48- Jeff discusses the political nature of his roles, such as playing Will McAvoy in "The Newsroom," and how Aaron Sorkin's writing is influenced by real-life political insights.
6:39- Jeff recounts the process of learning and delivering a pivotal speech in "The Newsroom," which was added to the script at the last minute.
Jeff Daniels' Leadership and Social Issues
8:35- Bob asks Jeff about his role as a leader and his opinions on social and political issues.
8:48- Jeff expresses a desire to be on the right side of history and mentions the importance of common decency and the rule of law and reflects on his upbringing and the values instilled by his parents, which guide his actions today.
Jeff Daniels' Upcoming Movie “The Brink of War”
9:38- Bob asks Jeff about his upcoming movie which portrays the 1986 summit between Reagan and Gorbachev.
9:54- Jeff describes the process of recreating the summit in the same house where it originally took place, with the support of the people of Reykjavik, and shares his experience of preparing for the role of Reagan, including listening to Reagan's speeches for months.
Jeff Daniels' Versatility and Musical Journey
11:55- Bob asks Jeff about his favorite genre and the joy he finds in different aspects of his career.
12:09- Jeff expresses his love for live theater and performing with an acoustic guitar, describing it as a natural and creative experience.
12:46- Jeff discusses his one-man show, which includes writing, directing, and performing, and the impact of his song "Road Signs."
12:55- Jeff shares a humorous story from his song "Recreational Vehicle," which is part of his live show.
Jeff Daniels' Final Thoughts and Bob Cast Conclusion
14:01- Bob reflects on Jeff's versatility, leadership, and depth of thinking, drawing parallels to the challenges faced by leaders in healthcare and other industries.
Jeff Daniels 00:00
We rented an RV as a family to go to Cooperstown, New York, Baseball Hall of Fame. We went to a truck stop and then back into the RV, pulled out of the truck stop, was merging onto the highway when my son tapped me on the shoulder and said, Dad, where's mom. I'd left her at the truck stop.
Bob Riney 00:15
Oh no, that's like a scene out of vacation.
Bob Riney 00:20
Welcome back to The BOBcast. I'm your host, Bob Riney, President and CEO of Henry Ford Health. Jeff Daniels is one of the most accomplished and versatile actors of his generation. Over the past four decades, he's built an extraordinary career across film, television and the stage, delivering unforgettable performances in everything from comedy classics to powerful dramatic roles. Many people remember him from films like “Dumb and Dumber,” “The Martian and Terms of Endearment,” or from his Emmy winning performance, as Will McAvoy in HBO is “The Newsroom.” But Jeff is more than just a remarkable actor. He's also a playwright, a musician and a proud Michigander who chose to build his life and his creative work right here in our state. In 1991 he founded the Purple Rose Theater Company in his hometown of Chelsea, creating a place where new voices, new stories and new talent could grow. He's also a passionate Detroit sports fan, a storyteller and a guitar player, and someone who has never lost sight of where he came from, and for us, a great source of pride is he's the voiceover in our most recent campaign, where we live. This is what we live for, because this is where we live. We are Henry, Jeff. Thank you so much for being on The BOBcast.
Jeff Daniels 1:50
Thanks, Bob. Glad to be here.
Bob Riney 1:52
I wanted to start off with just a question about your choice to be a lifelong Michigander. You've lived here most of your life. Many of the people in your profession call other places in the country home. Why was staying here so important to you?
Jeff Daniels 2:07
It's always been home, and even when I was in New York, an actor friend of mine when I told him that I was thinking about moving back to Michigan, he goes, you've had one foot in Michigan the whole time you were in New York City. Kathleen's from Marquette. You know, we were both from Michigan, and we had a kid, and we had a couple more, and it was a great place to like plant the family. Metro airport was only 45 minutes away, so I would just operate out of there until the career ended. I just figured that when it was over, I'd already be home.
Bob Riney 2:39
I didn't know your wife was from the up. Do you spend much time up there?
Jeff Daniels 2:43
We go up once a year. She still has family in Marquette. I enjoy it up there. It's a part of Michigan that not everybody goes to. It's nice to be somebody who's been in the up and appreciates it.
Bob Riney 2:56
Let's get back to your career. I'm sure you've been asked this a million times, but the diversity of the roles that you've played are pretty significant compared to a lot of actors. Do you have any particular favorites?
Jeff Danaiels 3:10
They're all your children, but the ones that I had to work hard at, or took the biggest risk doing, are probably the ones that stand out playing Chamberlain in “Gettysburg.” I worked real hard on that, and he, you know, discovered him as this great unsung American hero of the Civil War.
Movie Clip from "Gettysburg" 3:31
We are an army out to set other men free. America should be free ground, all of it, not divided by a line between slave state and free, all the way from here to the Pacific Ocean.
Jeff Daniels 3:50
I still cherish some of the performances with the people there. Kevin Conway, CT Howell, we played brothers, so we got out there to rehearse, and the union guys kind of all stuck together, and the Confederate guys all kind of went with Tom Beringer, and the Confederate guys were shooting their stuff in the first six weeks. They were rehearsing together and going out to restaurants in downtown Gettysburg, wearing their uniforms and speaking in their Alabama or Georgia or Tennessee accents. And Tom Beringer looked at me. He said, What, what are you and Tommy Howell doing? Are you, you getting ready, because you better be ready, because we're going to be ready. You know, suddenly it was like we're doing the actor’s Civil War. And I said, well, Tommy and I got a tee time tomorrow at 7am at the Carroll Valley public golf course, does that count? And we played golf like for three weeks. We'd rehearse and then we'd go hit the links. We're playing brothers, and it was a great way to kind of get to know him. He's a friend still today.
Bob Riney 4:50
Did political movies find you or political performances, or did you find political performances?
Jeff Daniels 4:58
They came to me. If you're playing somebody on the left, that's what you play, that those are his politics. If you're playing someone on the right, you play his politics. Will McEvoy, an episode, third episode of the first season of “Newsroom.” I found out McAvoy was a Republican.
Bob Riney 5:14
Do you think about today with the political environment we're in, how reflective “Newsroom” was at the time for some of the challenges that we find ourselves in?
Jeff Daniels 5:27
Yes, but that's Sorkin. Aaron Sorkin surrounds himself with really intelligent, politically astute people. He has people in Washington that he gets on the phone when he's writing an episode of whether it's “West Wing” or whether it's “Newsroom.” He's very well sourced as to what really goes on, what could happen, what couldn't happen, and then he sits down and writes from that it can make an impact. The speech that he wrote for Will McEvoy in the first episode of the first season about where McEvoy is asked, what makes America the greatest country in the world?
Clip from TV series "The Newsroom" 6:06
Sure used to be. We stood up for what was right. We fought for moral reasons. We passed laws, struck down laws for moral reasons. We waged wars on poverty, not poor people. We sacrificed. We cared about our neighbors, we put our money where our mouths were, and we never beat our chest. We built great big things, made ungodly technological advances, explored the universe, cured disease, and we cultivated the world's greatest artists and the world's greatest economy.
Jeff Daniels 6:39
The speech was not in the script, initially the pilot episode, it was just something that we referred to as having happened. And then about a week or so before we started shooting that first episode, Aaron came up and he said, you know, we need to see what happened at Northwestern when you went off. We can't just talk about it, so I'm going to write you a speech. You'll have it in a couple days. I said, okay, so he added that to me about a week before we started shooting, and he said, Can you learn this? Because, you know, it wasn't short. And I said, Aaron, I've been waiting 35 years for someone like you to hand me a speech like this.
Clip from TV series "The Newsroom" 07:18
First step in solving any problem is recognizing there is one. America is not the greatest country in the world anymore.
Jeff Daniels 07:27
I just went to work on it, and I knew it was important to the show if I hit a home run with the speech, just performing it, acting it, then we probably had a series, and I probably had a job.
Bob Riney 7:41
That particular episode, and that scene just is imprinted in my memories because the words chosen and the way it was delivered and the timeliness of that message. You hit a trifecta with that.
Jeff Daniels 7:55
There aren't many playwrights who write with the rhythm that Aaron Sorkin writes. If you look at his speeches, whether it's Marty Sheen and “West Wing” or any of those folks, once they get on top of a Sorkin speech, it's not like singing a song, but you are writing a rhythm. Richard Schiff told me that that it's not a rhythm, it's a melody. He was right. Once you've learned it, oh, there it is. There it is. The writing leads you to where you go that just makes you want to just get on top of it and, you know, let it fly even more, which is what happened on that day that I did the speech.
Bob Riney 8:35
You know, one of the things that I've watched is you take a leadership role in many ways, on many issues through your career. Tell me about Jeff Daniels, the leader.
Jeff Daniels 8:48
Well, it's a dicey thing, Bob, because nobody really wants to hear celebrities opinions about anything. It's more about being, I think on the right side of history. I don't think it's just a political issue and whatever's going on with the politics of today, it's social media and it's a lot of things that are way beyond me to understand. There are things that I miss. There's a simplicity to life. There's a common decency. There's for all of us, the rule of law, things that are sacred. I grew up with parents who believed in certain things, and they weren't outlandish, and they didn't hurt other people. Now that I’m in my 70s, I just kind of fall back and go, Well, okay, don't say I didn't. You know, say a few things and at least let my grandkids know what side of the fence I'm on.
Bob Riney 9:38
Tell me a little bit about this new movie that you have coming out soon that portrays the Reykjavik summit during the Cold War. First of all, what is it like being in Iceland? I'm heading there next year myself. Tell me about the house where the real summit took place.
Jeff Daniels 9:54
This was a script that came to me, one of the writers on newsroom who would kind of help Aaron get the story up, and then Aaron would go write it. Kid named Michael Gunn. He had a script about the summit 1986 Reagan and Gorbachev met in Reykjavik, in this house to try to lower the nuclear weapon war. Both countries had way too many nuclear weapons, and when Reagan became president, he asked the people in the bunker in Colorado, what happens if Moscow launches a strike? How do we defend ourselves? And they said, Well, sir, we have 25 minutes to launch a counter strike. We can't stop the incoming. No. So it's mutual assured destruction. So Reagan called this meeting with Gorbachev, and Gorbachev is open to it, so we shoot it in the same house, same room, same furniture, same artwork. The people of Reykjavik have embraced this house as this wonderful moment of peace. They've maintained it so to go in there and work with people like JK Simmons, who played George Shultz and Jared Harris, who came in with a great Gorbachev, we just recreated that weekend. I worked on it for seven months. I had to get Reagan, so I listened to Reagan for seven straight months in my headphones. You don't want to do like a dead on impersonation or put a bunch of plastic on your face so you can't recognize me. You want to suggest him enough that the audience hears or feels or sees him inside you you're trying to pull the audience in so you get enough of the voice. And the key word for me was Well, the way he would say, well, and then his head would dip and his chin would go out, well, it's and just kind of ride it after that. So was a lot of work, and I had a lot of lines to learn on that one. So I you know, we went over there and we shot it in three and a half weeks
Bob Riney 11:55
With the versatility that you have brought to your professional life, live theater, movies, music, TV shows, is there any one genre that brings you the most joy?
Jeff Daniels 12:09
I enjoy them all. Otherwise I wouldn't do it anymore. The thing that comes most naturally, that is the most fun, that is the most creative for me, is walking out with the acoustic guitar and sitting in a chair and going good evening and doing the one man show. I write all the stuff I talk to the audience. So it's all if there's a script, it's kind of like a musical. It's a book, you know, scenes, song, book, song book, song book, song. I'm the director, I'm the writer, I'm the editor, I'm everything.
Bob Riney 12:39
Has the song “Road Signs” been the one that's been most impactful on your musical journey?
Jeff Daniels 12:46
That one means a lot to me.
Jeff singing 12:48
Two five year olds are fighting a gun battle in the aisle.
Jeff Daniels 12:55
There are songs that are very funny that are part of the show as well. I have a song called “Recreational Vehicle.” It's like a talking blues.
Jeff singing 13:04
I don't think you can call yourself a real American until you've been behind the wheel of a recreational vehicle.
Jeff Daniels 13:13
And it's the story of we rented an RV as a family to go to Cooperstown, New York, Baseball Hall of Fame. We went to a truck stop, and I got recognized as Jeff Bridges, and then back into the RV, pulled out of the truck stop, was merging onto the highway when my son tapped me on the shoulder and said, Dad, where's mom? I'd left her at the truck stop.
Bob Riney 13:34
Oh no, that's like a scene out of vacation. Well, I really appreciate your time. I know, on behalf of the 51,000 employees of Henry Ford Health and all of our listeners, we are glad you're a Michigander. We're glad you have a voice that matters, and we're glad that you've had the courage to use it. We're just really grateful.
Jeff Daniels 13:56
Well, thanks, Bob. Appreciate it.
Bob Riney 14:01
Jeff was a great person to get to know through this BOBcast, I've admired the versatility of his career and how much he is called on to be a leader in different forums, in different ways and in many ways. That's what all of us in leadership, and all of us, whether we work in healthcare or under industries, are called upon as well. What you really see in him is depth of thinking and depth of delivery. This is not someone that does anything superficially, and I think his answers to some of the questions that I posed are just a perfect reflection of what he brings to the table and everything he's called upon to do. Until next time, take care and keep making a difference.