David Pierce American film actor Date of Birth: 03.04.1959 Country: USA

1. Biography of David Hyde Pierce
2. Early Life and Education
3. Early Career
4. Television and Film Career

Biography of David Hyde Pierce

David Hyde Pierce, born on April 3, 1959, is an American film actor best known for his role as psychiatrist Dr. Niles Crane in the NBC comedy series "Frasier". He was born in Saratoga Springs, New York, to Laura Marie Pierce (Hugh) and George Hyde Pierce, an insurance agent and aspiring actor. David has two older sisters, Barbara and Nancy, and an older brother, Thomas.

Early Life and Education

From a young age, David was strongly interested in playing the piano and often performed on the organ in a local church. In high school, he tried acting for the first time and received a school award for "Best Performance". In 1977, he received the Yaddo Medal for his excellent academic performance and worked at a local theater during his time at summer camp. His passion for music led him to study classical piano at Yale University. However, he eventually grew tired of music history lessons and the need to practice for hours every day, so he decided not to pursue a career as a professional pianist. Instead, David chose to double major in English and theater arts.

Early Career

While in university, David performed in several student productions and even directed a few, including "Sir Joseph Porter, K.C.B." and his own version of the classic musical "H.M.S. Pinafore". He also directed the operetta "Princess Ida" for a local Gilbert and Sullivan society, where he also provided the musical accompaniment on the piano. He took on various roles in these productions, such as Vladimir in "Waiting for Godot", Cahon in "Saint Joan", and Nick in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?".

After graduating from university, David moved to New York City where he worked a series of jobs, including selling ties at Bloomingdale's and working as a security guard. These jobs provided him with the opportunity to act in local theaters in the late 1980s and early 1990s, while also studying at Michael Howard Studios. One of his notable roles during this period was playing Laertes in the popular off-Broadway production of "Hamlet".

Television and Film Career

David made his television debut in the early 1990s in the political comedy "The Powers That Be" by Norman Lear, where he portrayed Congressman Theodore. Despite positive reviews from critics, the show was canceled after a short run. In later interviews, David expressed his shock and regret over the cancellation of the project. However, his career did not stall as he quickly landed another role in a comedy series. This time, he was cast based on his resemblance to Kelsey Grammer in the "Cheers" spin-off series, "Frasier", as Dr. Niles Crane. He was nominated for an Emmy as "Best Supporting Actor" for this role for eleven consecutive years, winning the award four times in 1995, 1998, 1999, and 2004. It was rumored that David was paid one million dollars per episode for the last few seasons of the show.

Parallel to his television career, David also appeared in several films. He starred alongside Jodie Foster in "Little Man Tate", with Anthony Hopkins in Oliver Stone's "Nixon", and with Ewan McGregor in "Down with Love". He also provided the voice for Dr. Delbert Doppler in Disney's animated film "Treasure Planet", Slim the stick insect in "A Bug's Life", and Abe Sapien in "Hellboy". In the film "Sleepless in Seattle", David played the brother of Meg Ryan's character and delivered the iconic line, "It rains nine months out of the year in Seattle". In 2005, he starred alongside Tim Curry and other well-known actors in the Monty Python musical "Spamalot". In August-September 2006, David played the lead role of Lieutenant Frank Cioffi in the musical "Curtains" by Kander and Ebb at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles. On June 10, 2007, he received a Tony Award for "Best Leading Actor in a Musical" for this role. On November 19, 2007, David was awarded an honorary doctorate in fine arts from Niagara University in Lewiston. In his acceptance speech, he recalled his first line on a Broadway stage, "Excuse me, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave".

Besides his on-screen roles, David's clear and distinct voice has been sought after by various dubbing studios. In addition to the aforementioned roles, he voiced Drix in the animated film "Osmosis Jones" and, as an unusual joke, voiced Cecil, the brother of Kelsey Grammer's character, Sideshow Bob, in "The Simpsons" animated series.