David Hyde Pierce

David Hyde Pierce is an American actor and comedian who shot to fame playing the uptight psychiatrist Dr. Niles Crane on the NBC sitcom Frasier. He was born on April 3, 1959 to Laura Marie (née Hughes) and George Hyde Pierce (both deceased) in Saratoga Springs, New York. His father was an aspiring actor but did not achieve much success in this field. He has two older sisters, Barbara and Nancy as well as an older brother, Thomas.

Pierce's original interest was music, and he pursued his love of it by enrolling at Yale University to do a course in classical piano. However, after he graduated from Yale, he shifted tracks in order to become an actor, where his interests clearly lay. He spent the next two decades trying to get his acting career off the ground. He studied acting at Michael Howard Studios, simultaneously supporting himself by working at a variety of jobs ranging from that of a security guard to selling ties at Bloomingdale's.

Pierce made his Broadway debut in 1982 when he got a role in Christopher Durang's Beyond Therapy, however he was yet to achieve big success. He also did quite a few films of note. He was seen in Little Man Tate, Nixon and Down With Love and Sleepless in Seattle. However, the turning point in his life came when he was selected for his defining role by the producers of the soon-to-be launched sitcom Frasier. He was selected not just for his acting skills but also because of his uncanny resemblance to Kelsey Grammer who was to play Dr. Frasier Crane. His character, Niles Crane, was the younger brother of Frasier.

Frasier was a huge success and Pierce became a household name in the United States. His name also became well known overseas thanks to the success of this show in many countries all over the world. The nervous character he played was very well received, both by the audiences and by the critics. As a matter of fact, he was awarded four Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.

Pierce also won a Tony award in 2007 for his performance in the Broadway musical Curtains in which he was the lead actor. He has also found a lot of success as a voice actor. Fans will recognize his voice in various films. They include Pixar's A Bugs Life in which he gave voice to Slim, a stick insect, and also Guillermo del Toro's Hellboy in which he played Abe Sapien. Another notable voice role was in Disney's Treasure Planet.

David Hyde Pierce also was in the news because of his personal life, more specifically because of his sexual orientation. His sexuality has been under public scanner for a very long time until he came out in public in 2007 about his long term relationship with Brian Hargrove, a television writer, director and producer. Pierce and Hargrove married on October 24, 2008 in California after spending more than two decades together.