Cast & creator
David Hyde Pierce
Best known for The Simpsons, The Simpsons, Late Night with Seth Meyers
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.
Also known as: David Hyde-Pierce, David Pierce
54
film credits
43
television credits
92
1944–2026 · acting roles
6.5
average across scored titles
Signature credits
Known for
Across film & television
Filmography (97)
Showing 97 of 97 credits
The Simpsons
Cecil Terwilliger (voice)
1989The Simpsons
Felix (voice)
1989
Late Night with Seth Meyers
Self
2014
Late Show with David Letterman
Self - Guest
1993
Saturday Night Live
Self - Host
1975
The Graham Norton Show
Self
2007
The View
Self
1997The View
Self - Guest
1997
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
Self - Guest
1988
Frasier
Niles Crane
1993
The Good Wife
Frank Prady
2009
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Self - Guest
1993
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
Self
1992
The Outer Limits
Dr. Jack Henson
1995
Golden Globe Awards
Self - Nominee
1944
Tony Awards
Self - Presenter
1956The Tony Danza Show
Self
2004
The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn
Self - Guest
1999
GMTV
Self
1993
Caroline in the City
Dr. Niles Crane
1995Caroline in the City
Jimmy Callahan
1995
Hercules
Daedalus
1998Hercules
Daedalus (voice)
1998
Stars in the House
Self
2020
The Megan Mullally Show
Self - Guest
2006
The Celebrity Apprentice
Self
2004
Today
Self
1952
Dream On
Jerry Dorfer
1990
A Bug's Life
Slim (voice)
1998
Treasure Planet
Doctor Doppler (voice)
2002
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
Puss (voice)
1995
Spenser: For Hire
O'Neill
1985
Titus
Jerry October
2000
Sleepless in Seattle
Dennis Reed
1993
Addams Family Values
Delivery Room Doctor
1993
Mighty Ducks: The Animated Series
Baron Von Lichtenstamp (voice)
1996
Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later
Henry Neumann
2017
Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp
Henry Neumann
2015
Julia
Paul Child
2022
Hellboy
Abe Sapien (voice) (uncredited)
2004
The Exorcism
Father Conor
2024
The Powers That Be
Theodore Van Horne
1992
The Fisher King
Lou Rosen
1991The Adventures of Hyperman
1995
Down with Love
Peter MacMannus
2003
Osmosis Jones
Drix (voice)
2001
The Emmy Awards
Self
1949
When We Rise
Dr. Jones
2017
Wolf
Roy McCallister
1994
Vampire's Kiss
Theater Guy
1989
Wet Hot American Summer
Henry
2001
Julie's Greenroom
David Hyde Pierce
2017
Nixon
John Dean
1995
Little Man Tate
Garth Emmerick
1991
Gary the Rat
2003
Full Frontal
Carl
2002
Storytime
1992
Bright Lights, Big City
Bartender at Fashion Show
1988
Knightwatch
Gibson
1988
The Perfect Host
Warwick Wilson
2010
Moving Violations
Immigration Officer
1985
The Mating Habits of the Earthbound Human
The Narrator
1999
Isn't She Great
Michael Hastings
2000
Monty Python Conquers America
Self
2008
Crossing Delancey
Mark
1988
Must See TV: An All Star Tribute to James Burrows
Self
2016
The World of James Bond
Self
1995
Stingray Sam
Narrator
2009
The Tangerine Bear: Home in Time for Christmas!
Bird (voice)
2000
Rocket Gibraltar
Monsieur Henri
1988
Mouse
Mr. Murdaugh
2026
Sondheim! The Birthday Concert
Self - Host
2010Sondheim! The Birthday Concert
Writer
2010
Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
Vanya
2012
On the Edge
Barney (segment "Happy Birthday")
2001
Jackie's Back!
Perry (The Deaf Rehearsal Pianist)
1999
Hurricane of Fun: The Making of Wet Hot
Self
2015
Visiting Birdie
Executive Producer
2024
This Ordinary Thing
Self (voice)
2025Hold
Executive Producer
2025
Frasier: Analyzing the Laughter
Niles Crane
2004Celebrity Mix
Self (archive footage)
2005
The Lavender Scare
Dr. Franklin E. Kameny (voice)
2019
Star Trek: 30 Years and Beyond
Niles Crane
1996
Behind the Couch: The Making of 'Frasier'
Self
2003
World's Greatest Stand Up: Volume One
self
2006
Chain of Fools
Mr. Kerner
2001
The Appointments of Dennis Jennings
Businessman
1988
The Amazing Screw-On Head
Emperor Zombie (voice)
2006Laud Weiner
Laud Weiner
2002The Shakespeare Sessions
2003
Sky Blossom
Executive Producer
2020Vivien & the Florist
John Gielgud
The Frasier Story
Self
1999
Facing the Wind
Executive Producer
2024
Sharon Isbin: Troubadour
David Hyde Pierce Self - interviewee
2014
Forever Plaid
The Narrator
2009