David Hyde Pierce

Born: April 1959
Where: Saratoga Springs, New York, USA

Best known to British audiences as the anal-retentive psychiatrist Niles Crane in the hit comedy Frasier, Hyde Pierce has also worked on stage and in film.

After studying acting at Yale University, he moved to New York and made his stage debut as a waiter in Christopher Durang's Beyond Therapy on Broadway.

Others roles included Shakespeare (Much Ado About Nothing, A Midsummer Night's Dream) and a touring production of Peter Brook's The Cherry Orchard in Moscow, Leningrad and Tokyo.

In 1991 he moved to Los Angeles and worked with Kelsey Grammar in The Powers That Be - the next year he was cast in Frasier.

Frasier proved to be the turning point - his portrayal of Niles, aside from winning him a slew of awards, including an Emmy, also provided a number of opportunities for the actor on the big screen.

He landed supporting roles in such films as Sleepless in Seattle, Nixon, the animated A Bug's Life and independent comedy Chain of Fools.

Recently, he provided the voice for Doctor Doppler in Treasure Planet and starred in Steven Soderbergh's Full Frontal.

Upcoming projects include Down With Love opposite Renee Zellwegger.