Celebrities Tim Daly, Birthday: 1 March 1956, New York City, New York, USA

'Superman' was a total accident. The producers of the animated series were having a hard time findin...Show more »

'Superman' was a total accident. The producers of the animated series were having a hard time finding someone to read the character. I was brought in through a connection and, I think, out of desperation. Show less «

We sort of have given up on the idea of taking any sort of personal responsibility for what we see. ...Show more »

We sort of have given up on the idea of taking any sort of personal responsibility for what we see. I don't understand it at all. There are many things that I won't let my kids watch. Show less «

I am friends with Kerry and Bobby Kennedy - and Ethel, who is sort of my crush ... my Kennedy crush.

I had so much fun on The Mindy Project (2012).

I don't think I gave Wings (1990) its due. I was young. I wanted to light the world on fire.

I will always look for things that are different from the last thing I played.

It's not like I walk around being Superman in real life. But when you read the script and put yourse...Show more »

It's not like I walk around being Superman in real life. But when you read the script and put yourself in the position that Superman is in - I mean, he's always saving the planet, for God's sake. When you realize that, it's not difficult to take the gravitas of the situation and make your voice do what it needs to do. Show less «

I just can't stand the fact that they're going out on their own - I love having my kids around, and ...Show more »

I just can't stand the fact that they're going out on their own - I love having my kids around, and I'm angry at them for going out and becoming independent. I want to tuck them in and drive them to school in the morning, but they just won't let me do that anymore. Show less «

I love getting on the subway because you get on the car, and you see the entire human race represent...Show more »

I love getting on the subway because you get on the car, and you see the entire human race represented in any given subway car. Show less «

I could have been a rich kid who stayed in college and got by on the path of least resistance, but I...Show more »

I could have been a rich kid who stayed in college and got by on the path of least resistance, but I got much more out of being in the world and pulling my own weight. Show less «

I've had - I don't really know how to describe them, except moments of 'extrasensory perception' of ...Show more »

I've had - I don't really know how to describe them, except moments of 'extrasensory perception' of some sort. I've also had sort of a 'white light' moment. Show less «

[on Superman's animated appearance] I look great as Superman. I am so buff.

People are human beings. They talk about stuff, they make mistakes, they try to impress each other w...Show more »

People are human beings. They talk about stuff, they make mistakes, they try to impress each other with their tidbits. Show less «

When Superman comes along with his red cape and his blue outfit, it works on such a primary level. H...Show more »

When Superman comes along with his red cape and his blue outfit, it works on such a primary level. Here's this guy who wears no mask. He's very positive. He tries to help everybody as much as he can. I think readers and especially children gravitate to that. They know they can trust this guy. Show less «

I am a member of the human race. There's a certain irony about the cyberworld. You don't know who is...Show more »

I am a member of the human race. There's a certain irony about the cyberworld. You don't know who is talking to you, if it's a machine, so I tend to try to reach out to those fellow humans. Show less «

I was 9 years old, and this was - well, whenever it was, they paid a thousand bucks. I thought I was...Show more »

I was 9 years old, and this was - well, whenever it was, they paid a thousand bucks. I thought I was going to be rich forever! But I had no thought I would be an actor at that point. Show less «

I'm probably my own harshest critic. If I get a hundred good reviews and one really bad one, it's th...Show more »

I'm probably my own harshest critic. If I get a hundred good reviews and one really bad one, it's that one out of a hundred that I remember. I think we actors are hard on ourselves, and I don't know why that is. Show less «

On Madam Secretary (2014): I love it - I absolutely love it. Right now might not be the best time to...Show more »

On Madam Secretary (2014): I love it - I absolutely love it. Right now might not be the best time to ask, because we do a long season and everybody's starting to get a little tired. After the winter break when I'm peppy and refreshed, I'd be more enthusiastic. But yes - I'm ready for season 3! Show less «

I love exploring the relationship between fathers and daughters. I think that's a special thing, esp...Show more »

I love exploring the relationship between fathers and daughters. I think that's a special thing, especially with daughters who are dealing with being adults. Show less «

The biggest compliment I can ever get as an actor is to have someone say, 'We didn't recognize you.'

I've always felt if my nose were more crooked, critics would focus more on my acting.

I have no illusions of being the big box office draw. But I would like to have some choices.

My public Facebook page is what it is. My Twitter account is sort of what it is, but if I'm totally ...Show more »

My public Facebook page is what it is. My Twitter account is sort of what it is, but if I'm totally honest with you, that is not my personal, private self. I have another Facebook page that is devoted to my dear friends and family, and they can keep in touch with me that way. Show less «

I can't help teasing people. That's the way that I am, and I hope that nobody takes it too personall...Show more »

I can't help teasing people. That's the way that I am, and I hope that nobody takes it too personally. Show less «

Wings (1990) offered me the rare opportunity to be a full-time dad and a working actor for eight yea...Show more »

Wings (1990) offered me the rare opportunity to be a full-time dad and a working actor for eight years. Show less «

The creative tension with spirituality vs. practicality in the world of politics is a vital conversa...Show more »

The creative tension with spirituality vs. practicality in the world of politics is a vital conversation. Show less «

I never had the desire to get in front of the camera. It never occurred to me! I always thought I'd ...Show more »

I never had the desire to get in front of the camera. It never occurred to me! I always thought I'd be a theater actor. Show less «

It's an actor's job to play all the human conditions - light, dark, and medium.

[on providing the voice of Superman in Superman (1996)] Initially, I thought, "Oh, this is a fun lit...Show more »

[on providing the voice of Superman in Superman (1996)] Initially, I thought, "Oh, this is a fun little job doing a little cartoon." I didn't realize the grave responsibility that was bestowed upon me. Show less «

Everybody wants to have their Breaking Bad (2008). It went to Bryan Cranston. It couldn't have happe...Show more »

Everybody wants to have their Breaking Bad (2008). It went to Bryan Cranston. It couldn't have happened to a better guy or a better actor. Show less «

It's ironic, really, because I've spent the bulk of my career making my living in a very commercial ...Show more »

It's ironic, really, because I've spent the bulk of my career making my living in a very commercial realm: network television. And yet, my sensibilities don't necessarily line up with how I pay my rent. Show less «

I never have thought of myself as a brand. I've thought of myself as an artist.

I have this burgeoning reputation for playing a scumbag.

Wings (1990) was a blessing, but it was also very difficult. Whenever you do situation comedy, no ma...Show more »

Wings (1990) was a blessing, but it was also very difficult. Whenever you do situation comedy, no matter how excellent the execution - and we had a great cast and great writers - but the format is somewhat limited. Show less «

Well, I have a farm in Vermont that's my main residence, where I do lots of digging and mowing, and ...Show more »

Well, I have a farm in Vermont that's my main residence, where I do lots of digging and mowing, and ride tractors - just so you don't get the wrong idea that I'm too girlie! Show less «

I like bothering people and stirring things up.

Eastern medicine is not about curing your sickness. It's about keeping you well.

Well, I've seen a bunch of acupuncturists and one of my sister-in-laws is an herbalist. So I know a ...Show more »

Well, I've seen a bunch of acupuncturists and one of my sister-in-laws is an herbalist. So I know a lot about alternative medicine. I don't know a lot about the practice but I know about the world. Show less «

Twitter, just every once in a while I put something out there basically to promote whatever I'm doin...Show more »

Twitter, just every once in a while I put something out there basically to promote whatever I'm doing, but I don't see any of that as representing me or who I am or being a brand. Show less «

I think I'm a lot more complicated than my looks might indicate.

No one's banging down my door. People see the way I look, and they don't feel threatened, but they s...Show more »

No one's banging down my door. People see the way I look, and they don't feel threatened, but they should watch out for me. They don't know there's a steel rod that drives me. I get ticked off, and the rage just gets me going. My motor is anger. Show less «

I used to build lofts in SoHo back when there was nothing there. I had a stoop on West Broadway betw...Show more »

I used to build lofts in SoHo back when there was nothing there. I had a stoop on West Broadway between Prince and Spring. My partner and I would sit there, eat dinner, and watch the world go by. Show less «

It's become a cliché to think of marriage as a disaster area and a war zone.

I love babies - I love being with them. As for acting with them, it's kind of hard because they don'...Show more »

I love babies - I love being with them. As for acting with them, it's kind of hard because they don't know how to act. Show less «

What can I say: I got started on the whole wife-and-kids thing at a young age.

I had my kids while I was in utero.

I didn't dream of being in television or film. But then I got married pretty young and had children,...Show more »

I didn't dream of being in television or film. But then I got married pretty young and had children, and I wanted to feed the children, so I worked a lot of film and television. Show less «

[Daly on his relationship with his father, during an interview with "CBS Sunday Morning," June 19, 2...Show more »

[Daly on his relationship with his father, during an interview with "CBS Sunday Morning," June 19, 2016] My dad left when I was a very young man, a young boy, and I didn't see him very much. You know, my parents had a long and difficult marriage, mostly because my father was gay. Not many people know this. But given the wisdom of that era--the medical, psychological and societal wisdom of that time, which was all false--being homosexual was a disease, right? That could be cured. My father worked very hard to try to 'cure' himself of something that was incurable, and so did my mom. And it was very sad. So when he left, my parents made a mutual decision based on all this false information that they would limit my exposure to my father so that I would not contract this "disease." And it was a tragedy, as I look back on it, because my father had the means and the desire to see me, and I loved him desperately. And I saw him maybe a couple weeks a year. We were about to do a play together, a summer stock tour. And my father died on the day we were going to begin rehearsals. So it felt like this momentous point in my life where I was about to really get to know him as a man, and the universe intervened, and there was this moment where the torch was passed, and I was now the man. So. You know, I was sort of robbed of the opportunity to really get to know my dad. Show less «

I have a beautiful wooden Superman statue with a removable cape - I really love that piece.

Look, drama is conflict, that's what it is. So hell yeah, bring it on!

There are two jobs. There is being an actor, and there is being a celebrity. Some people are really ...Show more »

There are two jobs. There is being an actor, and there is being a celebrity. Some people are really good at both. Some people are really good celebrities and terrible actors, and some people are really good actors and terrible celebrities. Hopefully, I am a really good actor and an OK celebrity. Show less «

Usually when I see myself in a film or on television, there's about a six-month period where I can't...Show more »

Usually when I see myself in a film or on television, there's about a six-month period where I can't look at it because all I'll see are the mistakes. I'm just appalled by the person that I see. Show less «

I look for characters that offer me opportunities to explore some aspect of the human condition. I t...Show more »

I look for characters that offer me opportunities to explore some aspect of the human condition. I think a lot of actors would say that and would look for that. I've been lucky enough to find projects that let me do that. Show less «

My natural self is John Goodman. If I relaxed, I'd be him.

I realized that my grandfather walked with Martin Luther King forty years ago. That was his dream. A...Show more »

I realized that my grandfather walked with Martin Luther King forty years ago. That was his dream. And in his little way, he helped us get closer to where we are today. Show less «

I was a little bit of a slob who was sort of surrounded by dirty laundry. I can trace the exact mome...Show more »

I was a little bit of a slob who was sort of surrounded by dirty laundry. I can trace the exact moment that I became a tidy human being, and that moment was the day my son Sam was born. Show less «

I appreciate all the devices the Windows people are coming up with, but the operating system... I ju...Show more »

I appreciate all the devices the Windows people are coming up with, but the operating system... I just want to smash it. Show less «

I grew up with actors, so I never thought of them as anything but human - sort of horribly, inextric...Show more »

I grew up with actors, so I never thought of them as anything but human - sort of horribly, inextricably human. Show less «

Thank God for acupuncture. It's been around for 2000 years. It's not going anyplace and people use i...Show more »

Thank God for acupuncture. It's been around for 2000 years. It's not going anyplace and people use it all of the time for a variety of cures and to avoid illnesses. Show less «

I've found that the majority of my work is just a series of grunting, groaning and straining noises....Show more »

I've found that the majority of my work is just a series of grunting, groaning and straining noises. Because, you know, Superman is forever getting clobbered with force fields, nuclear weapons, trains -- whatever large, blunt, heavy objects are at hand to clobber him. I have to dig deep for those special noises. Show less «

I get offered a lot of parts where I want to say, 'Why don't you just hire a model? Don't hire an ac...Show more »

I get offered a lot of parts where I want to say, 'Why don't you just hire a model? Don't hire an actor.' I'm trying to convince people I'm a real actor, not some mannequin. Show less «

For people like me, who have blocked out a chunk of their past, you wonder - if you open that door, ...Show more »

For people like me, who have blocked out a chunk of their past, you wonder - if you open that door, if you walk into that room of your memories, what will happen? Will it destroy you or will it make you stronger? Show less «

One of the things that I share with Bryan Becket is this hole in my childhood memory. There's about ...Show more »

One of the things that I share with Bryan Becket is this hole in my childhood memory. There's about five years of my life that's virtually gone. I've thought about it a lot, and I've come to the conclusion that it might be for my own protection that those memories are gone, and maybe I don't want to dredge up those things. Show less «

I know this sounds stupid, but in some ways, the way I look is a drawback.

I'm not hopefully psychotic. So I know that what I do is actually fictional. That said, it is sort o...Show more »

I'm not hopefully psychotic. So I know that what I do is actually fictional. That said, it is sort of uncannily prescient about things that are happening in the world. I think it's kind of odd - sometimes I wonder, who IS [executive producer] Barbara Hall, and who does she know? Because it seems like we do a show and a couple months later it shows up in the headlines. Show less «

Tim Daly

Tim Daly's FILMOGRAPHY

Tim Daly'S roles

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