
David Hyde Pierce
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.
87 acting credits
Acting · 87

The Simpsons
1989

Late Night with Seth Meyers
2014

The Graham Norton Show
2007

Late Show with David Letterman
1993

Saturday Night Live
1975

The Good Wife
2009

Frasier
1993

Golden Globe Awards
1944

The View
1997

LIVE with Kelly and Mark
1988

Tony Awards
1956

The Outer Limits
1995

Late Night with Conan O'Brien
1993

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
1992

Hercules
1998

Stars in the House
2020

Caroline in the City
1995
The Tony Danza Show
2004

GMTV
1993

Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
1995

Spenser: For Hire
1985

Titus
2000

A Bug's Life
1998

Dream On
1990

The Celebrity Apprentice
2004

The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn
1999

The Megan Mullally Show
2006

Treasure Planet
2002

Today
1952

Julia
2022

Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later
2017

Hellboy
2004

Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp
2015

Mighty Ducks: The Animated Series
1996

Addams Family Values
1993

The Emmy Awards
1949

Sleepless in Seattle
1993

When We Rise
2017

The Exorcism
2024

The Powers That Be
1992

Wolf
1994

Osmosis Jones
2001

The Fisher King
1991

Little Man Tate
1991

Vampire's Kiss
1989

Nixon
1995

Julie's Greenroom
2017

Must See TV: An All Star Tribute to James Burrows
2016

Down with Love
2003

Gary the Rat
2003
The Adventures of Hyperman
1995

Wet Hot American Summer
2001

Storytime
1992

Knightwatch
1988

Bright Lights, Big City
1988

Crossing Delancey
1988

The Mating Habits of the Earthbound Human
1999

Moving Violations
1985

Full Frontal
2002

Chain of Fools
2001

The Perfect Host
2010

Star Trek: 30 Years and Beyond
1996

This Ordinary Thing
2025

Hurricane of Fun: The Making of Wet Hot
2015

The Amazing Screw-On Head
2006

Mouse
2026

The Tangerine Bear: Home in Time for Christmas!
2000

The Lavender Scare
2019

The Frasier Story
1999

Isn't She Great
2000

Jackie's Back!
1999

Rocket Gibraltar
1988

Monty Python Conquers America
2008

The Appointments of Dennis Jennings
1988

Frasier: Analyzing the Laughter
2004

The World of James Bond
1995

World's Greatest Stand Up: Volume One
2006
Celebrity Mix
2005

Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
2012
Vivien & The Florist
—

On the Edge
2001
The Shakespeare Sessions
2003

Stingray Sam
2009

Sondheim! The Birthday Concert
2010
Laud Weiner
2002

Behind the Couch: The Making of 'Frasier'
2003

Forever Plaid
2009