PBS' Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. will focus its attention on Tony nominee Jeff Daniels January 10. In the episode, Gates investigates Daniels family history, and the ancestors whose struggles laid the groundwork for his success. Check out an exclusive clip from the episode above.
In the clip, Daniels shares the story of his first big acting job in New York, and how he almost quit before his career began. The play, David Storey's The Farm, played Off-Broadway at the Circle Theatre in 1976 for 42 performances.
Daniels shares: "I got murdered in that play, just crucified. I shut down creatively. It was just fear. I'm 21, I'm out of a cornfield in Michigan, and now I'm what? Where? In a play with The New York Times going—[Daniels makes a thumbs down motion]." He called home, and a firm order from his mother put him back on course.
Daniels is a three-time Tony nominee, for his performances in God of Carnage, Blackbird, and To Kill a Mockingbird. On screen he is known for his tenure as Will McAvoy on The Newsroom, which netted him three Emmy nominations, including one win.
