Daniel Eugene Butler (born December 2, 1954) is an American playwright and actor known for his role as Bob "Bulldog" Briscoe on the TV series Frasier. Butler was born in Huntington, Indiana and raised in Fort Wayne; the son of Shirley, a homemaker, and Andrew Butler, a pharmacist. Openly gay, he starred in Terrence McNally's 1989 play The Lisbon Traviata and wrote an Off Broadway play about his life, The Only Thing Worse You Could Have Told Me..., which derives its title from a comment Butler's father allegedly made when Dan came out to him. Though Butler never hid his homosexuality, he disclosed it publicly on Entertainment Tonight in 1994 during his run as a swaggering heterosexual on Frasier. His partner is acting teacher and director, Richard Waterhouse.

Filmography

• 2024All Boys — Father Frank
• Frasier — Bulldog Briscoe
• 2022Blonde — I.E. Shinn
• 2020All My Life — Dr. Alan Mendelson
• Tales of the City — Dan
• 2018Hey Arnold! The Jungle Movie — Mr. Simmons (voice)
• The Mist — Father Romanov
• Blindspot — Sheriff Paul Bolton
• The Mysteries of Laura — Calvin Gold
• Banshee — Senator Mitchum
• The Blacklist — Stromberg
• Elementary — Denny Mulgrew
• 2012Pearl — Writer
• 2011Crazy, Stupid, Love. — Cal's Boss
• 2009Prayers for Bobby — Reverend Whitsell
• Cashmere Mafia
• 2008Chronic Town — Blow Job
• 2007Karl Rove, I Love You — Director
• 'Til Death — Paul
• Supernatural — Reverend Sorenson
• House — Dr. Philip Weber
• Quintuplets — Francis Helberg
• Miss Match — Chuck Webb
• American Dreams — Coach Ambros
• 2002Fixing Frank — Dr. Arthur Apsey
• Monk — Dr. Davis Scott
• 2002Sniper 2 — Eckles
• 2002The First $20 Million Is Always the Hardest — Lloyd Acheson
• Without a Trace — David Wilkins
• Crossing Jordan — Arnold Hummer
• Law & Order: Criminal Intent — Congressman Price
• Malcolm in the Middle — Norm
• Rocket Power
• 1999The Sissy Duckling — Drake (voice)
• 1998Enemy of the State — Shaffer
• From the Earth to the Moon — Gene Kranz
• More Tales of the City — Edward Bass Matheson
• Ally McBeal — Attorney Bender
• Just Shoot Me! — Bill Slatton
• King of the Hill — Attorney (voice), Daniel (voice)
• 1997The Silver Screen: Color Me Lavender — Host / Narrator
• Hey Arnold! — Mr. Simmons / Scientist (voice), Mr. Simmons (voice), Mr. Simmons / Lila's Father (voice), Mr. Simmons (voice; uncredited), Mr. Simmons / Dispatcher (voice), Mr. Simmons / Publisher (voice), Mr. Simmons / Houseboy (voice)
• Suddenly Susan — Dr. Richards
• 1996The Assassination File — Harvey Young
• 1996The Fan — Garrity
• Caroline in the City — Kenneth Arabian
• 1995Live to Tell: The First Gay and Lesbian Prom in America — Self - Actor, "Frasier"
• Star Trek: Voyager — Steth
• The Single Guy
• 1994I Love Trouble — Wilson Chess
• Touched by an Angel — Dr. Ivar Kroneberger
• 1993Dave — Reporter
• Frasier — Bulldog Briscoe, Director
• 1993Rising Sun — Ken Shubik
• The X-Files — Jim Ausbury
• 1992Captain Ron — Zachery
• Frannie's Turn — Father Anthony
• 1992From the Files of Joseph Wambaugh: A Jury of One — Asst. DA Mendelson
• 1991The Rape of Doctor Willis — Styvesant
• 1991The Silence of the Lambs — Roden
• 1990The Long Walk Home — Charlie
• Life Goes On
• 1989Longtime Companion — Walter
• Quantum Leap — Jake Dorleac, Mutta
• Monsters — David
• Roseanne
• Leg Work — Peter Solinski
• The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd — Blaise
• 1986Manhunter — Jimmy Price
• 1986The Manhattan Project — SWAT
• Columbo — Sergeant Goodman
• Silver Fox

Appearances as themselves (1)

• Stars in the House — Self