David Hyde Pierce
Acting • Born 1959-04-03
Biography
David Hyde Pierce is an American actor, director, and producer best known for his portrayal of psychiatrist Dr. Niles Crane on the NBC sitcom Frasier from 1993 to 2004. For his role on Frasier, Pierce won four Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, making him the only performer to have won four consecutive Emmys in that category. He also received a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his portrayal of Lieutenant Frank Cioffi in the Broadway musical Curtains (2007). Pierce was born David Pierce on April 3, 1959, in Saratoga Springs, New York. He is the youngest of four children. His father, James Joseph Pierce, was a salesman, and his mother, Laura Marie Hughes, was a homemaker. Pierce attended Saratoga Springs High School, where he was a member of the drama club. After graduating from high school, Pierce attended Yale School of Drama, where he received a Master of Fine Arts degree in 1984. Pierce began his acting career in the theater. He appeared in a number of off-Broadway productions, including The Threepenny Opera, The Playboys, and A Midsummer Night's Dream. In 1989, he made his Broadway debut in the play The Heidi Chronicles. Pierce's breakthrough role came in 1993, when he was cast as Dr. Niles Crane on the NBC sitcom Frasier. The show was a spin-off of the popular sitcom Cheers, and it starred Kelsey Grammer as Frasier Crane, a psychiatrist who moves to Seattle to join his brother Niles, also a psychiatrist, in practice. Pierce's portrayal of Niles Crane was both hilarious and nuanced, and he quickly became a fan favorite. For his work on the show, Pierce won four Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, making him the only performer to have won four consecutive Emmys in that category. After Frasier ended its run in 2004, Pierce continued to work in television and film. He has starred in a number of television series, including The Good Wife, The Good Fight, and Veep. He has also appeared in a number of films, including Wet Hot American Summer, Down with Love, and A Bug's Life. In addition to his acting work, Pierce is also a director and producer. He has directed episodes of the television series Frasier, The Good Wife, and Veep. He has also produced a number of television projects, including The Good Fight and The Undoing. Pierce is married to Brian Hargrove, a film producer. They have been together since 2002 and were married in 2008.
Filmography
89 credits
The Fisher King
Movie • 1991
Lou Rosen
Sleepless in Seattle
Movie • 1993
Dennis Reed
Wet Hot American Summer
Movie • 2001
Henry
Wolf
Movie • 1994
Roy McCallister
Down with Love
Movie • 2003
Peter MacMannus
Nixon
Movie • 1995
John Dean
Chain of Fools
Movie • 2001
Mr. Kerner
Little Man Tate
Movie • 1991
Garth Emmerick
Vampire's Kiss
Movie • 1989
Theater Guy
Treasure Planet
Movie • 2002
Doctor Doppler (voice)
Moving Violations
Movie • 1985
Immigration Officer
A Bug's Life
Movie • 1998
Slim (voice)
Osmosis Jones
Movie • 2001
Drix (voice)
Crossing Delancey
Movie • 1988
Mark
The Tangerine Bear: Home in Time for Christmas!
Movie • 2000
Bird (voice)
Full Frontal
Movie • 2002
Carl
The Perfect Host
Movie • 2010
Warwick Wilson
The Mating Habits of the Earthbound Human
Movie • 1999
The Narrator
Celebrity Mix
Movie • 2005
Self (archive footage)
The Appointments of Dennis Jennings
Movie • 1988
Businessman
Isn't She Great
Movie • 2000
Michael Hastings
Rocket Gibraltar
Movie • 1988
Monsieur Henri
Sondheim! The Birthday Concert
Movie • 2010
Self - Host
Forever Plaid
Movie • 2009
The Narrator
Laud Weiner
Movie • 2002
Laud Weiner
The Amazing Screw-On Head
Movie • 2006
Emperor Zombie (voice)
On the Edge
Movie • 2001
Barney (segment "Happy Birthday")
Addams Family Values
Movie • 1993
Delivery Room Doctor
Hurricane of Fun: The Making of Wet Hot
Movie • 2015
Self
Bright Lights, Big City
Movie • 1988
Bartender at Fashion Show
Star Trek: 30 Years and Beyond
Movie • 1996
Niles Crane
Must See TV: An All Star Tribute to James Burrows
Movie • 2016
Self
Frasier: Analyzing the Laughter
Movie • 2004
Niles Crane
Hellboy
Movie • 2004
Abe Sapien (voice) (uncredited)
The Lavender Scare
Movie • 2019
Dr. Franklin E. Kameny (voice)
The Exorcism
Movie • 2024
Father Conor
Stingray Sam
Movie • 2009
Narrator
Monty Python Conquers America
Movie • 2008
Self
The Shakespeare Sessions
Movie • 2003
World's Greatest Stand Up: Volume One
Movie • 2006
self
The World of James Bond
Movie • 1995
Self
Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
Movie • 2012
Vanya
Jackie's Back!
Movie • 1999
Perry (The Deaf Rehearsal Pianist)
Mouse
Movie • 2026
Mr. Murdaugh
The Frasier Story
Movie • 1999
Self
This Ordinary Thing
Movie • 2025
Self (voice)
Behind the Couch: The Making of 'Frasier'
Movie • 2003
Self
Vivien & The Florist
Movie
John Gielgud
Titus
TV • 2000
Jerry October
The Simpsons
TV • 1989
Cecil Terwilliger (voice)
The Tony Danza Show
TV • 2004
Self
Spenser: For Hire
TV • 1985
O'Neill
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
TV • 1988
Self - Guest
Today
TV • 1952
Self
The View
TV • 1997
Self
Julia
TV • 2022
Paul Child
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
TV • 1992
Self
Hercules
TV • 1998
Daedalus
Frasier
TV • 1993
Niles Crane
The Celebrity Apprentice
TV • 2004
Self
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
TV • 1993
Self - Guest
The Powers That Be
TV • 1992
Theodore Van Horne
The Adventures of Hyperman
TV • 1995
The Outer Limits
TV • 1995
Dr. Jack Henson
The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn
TV • 1999
Self - Guest
GMTV
TV • 1993
Self
The Emmy Awards
TV • 1949
Self
Saturday Night Live
TV • 1975
Self - Host
The Simpsons
TV • 1989
Felix (voice)
Late Night with Seth Meyers
TV • 2014
Self
The Graham Norton Show
TV • 2007
Self
The Good Wife
TV • 2009
Frank Prady
Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later
TV • 2017
Henry Neumann
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
TV • 1995
Puss (voice)
Knightwatch
TV • 1988
Gibson
Stars in the House
TV • 2020
Self
Dream On
TV • 1990
Jerry Dorfer
Hercules
TV • 1998
Daedalus (voice)
Caroline in the City
TV • 1995
Dr. Niles Crane
Caroline in the City
TV • 1995
Jimmy Callahan
Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp
TV • 2015
Henry Neumann
The Megan Mullally Show
TV • 2006
Self - Guest
When We Rise
TV • 2017
Dr. Jones
Mighty Ducks: The Animated Series
TV • 1996
Baron Von Lichtenstamp (voice)
Gary the Rat
TV • 2003
Storytime
TV • 1992
Julie's Greenroom
TV • 2017
Golden Globe Awards
TV • 1944
Self - Nominee
Late Show with David Letterman
TV • 1993
Self - Guest