Kevin Daniels

A regularly seen player on episodic television and the stage since the late '90s, actor Kevin Daniels has worked frequently (if anonymously) in numerous productions before earning his first substantive showcase as Magic Johnson in the Broadway drama "Magic/Bird" (2012). The Juilliard graduate made his television debut in a filmed version of "Twelfth Night" for PBS in 1998 and went to play bit roles on TV and the occasional film for the better part of the next two decades. In 2012, the 6'5" Daniels was top-billed as Johnson in "Magic/Bird," which returned him to Broadway for the first time since 1998. The critically acclaimed show provided him with considerable exposure, and was soon followed by his casting in Denis Leary's comedy "Sirens" (USA Network, 2014-15), which appeared to serve as official notice of his rising star status.

Kevin Dwight Daniels, Jr. was born on the Balboa Navy base in San Diego, CA on December 9, 1976 and spent much of his childhood in transit, moving to various locations across the United States before his family settled in Houston, TX. Daniels developed an interest in theater at an early age and pursued it as his major at The Juilliard School in 1994. After graduation, he worked largely in theater, and made his Broadway debut in a 1998 production of "Twelfth Night" for director Nicholas Hytner. The play also provided him with his television debut when it was filmed for the PBS series "Live from Lincoln Center" (1976- ). Daniels soon found regular work in minor roles for episodic television and the occasional feature like "Kate & Leopold" (2001) and "Hollywood Homicide" (2003). Two years later, he had graduated to supporting turns, most notably in the Oprah Winfrey-produced "Their Eyes Were Watching God" (ABC, 2005), and the independent comedy "And Then Came Love" (2007). From 2010 to 2012, Daniels enjoyed the recurring role of Longinus, a friend of Mitchell Pritchett (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) and Cameron Tucker (Eric Stonestreet) on "Modern Family" (ABC, 2009- ). When his tenure with the series appeared to come to an end, Daniels was selected to play basketball legend Earvin "Magic" Johnson in the Broadway play "Magic/Bird," which chronicled the Los Angeles Lakers' longtime friendship and professional rivalry with Boston Celtics icon Larry Bird. While appearing in the production, Daniels was cast as one of the three leads in the Denis Leary-produced comedy "Sirens," about a trio of emergency medical technicians in Chicago, for the USA Network.