▁Tony ▁Award ▁nomin ations ▁for ▁Best ▁A ctor ▁for ▁his ▁roles ▁in ▁the ▁plays ▁God ▁of ▁Car n age , ▁Black bird ▁and ▁To ▁Kill ▁a ▁Mock ing bird . ▁He ▁is ▁the ▁founder ▁and ▁current ▁executive ▁director ▁of ▁the ▁Ch else a , ▁Michigan – based ▁Pur ple ▁Rose ▁Theatre ▁Company . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁Daniel s ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Ath ens , ▁Georgia , ▁to ▁Mar jor ie ▁J . ▁( née ▁Fer g us on ) ▁and ▁Robert ▁Lee ▁" Bob " ▁Daniel s ▁( 1 9 2 9 - 2 0 1 2 ). ▁He ▁spent ▁the ▁first ▁six ▁weeks ▁of ▁his ▁life ▁in ▁Georgia , ▁where ▁his ▁father ▁was ▁then ▁teaching , ▁and ▁grew ▁up ▁in ▁Ch else a , ▁Michigan . ▁His ▁father ▁owned ▁the ▁Ch else a ▁L umber ▁Company ▁and ▁was ▁a ▁one - time ▁mayor ▁of ▁Ch else a . ▁ ▁Daniel s ▁was ▁raised ▁Method ist . ▁He ▁briefly ▁attended ▁Central ▁Michigan ▁University ▁and ▁participated ▁in ▁the ▁school ' s ▁the ater ▁program . ▁In ▁the ▁summer ▁of ▁ 1 9 7 6 , ▁he ▁attended ▁the ▁Eastern ▁Michigan ▁University ▁drama ▁school ▁to ▁particip ate ▁in ▁a ▁special ▁B ic ent enn ial ▁Re pert ory ▁program , ▁where ▁he ▁performed ▁in ▁The ▁Hot ▁l ▁Baltimore ▁and ▁three ▁other ▁plays ▁performed ▁in ▁re per toire . ▁Marshall ▁W . ▁Mason ▁was ▁the ▁guest ▁director ▁at ▁EM U , ▁and ▁he ▁invited ▁Daniel s ▁to ▁come ▁to ▁New ▁York ▁to ▁work ▁at ▁the ▁Circle