#RespectYourElders: William Daniels (born 1927) is an Emmy award winning American actor, author and former president of the Screen Actors Guild. He is best known for his roles as Mark Craig in “St. Elsewhere” and George Feeny in “Boy Meets World.”
Daniels began his radio, stage and T.V. career as a teen in the early 1940s, but later described these early years as a form of abuse, due to the long hours with very little compensation. In his autobiography, Daniels wrote, “It has taken me a long time to agree with this diagnosis. It is true that my sisters and I were the tool’s of my mother’s ambitions — her ambitions not just for her children, but for herself.”
He was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1945, but stayed involved with entertainment even then, serving as a disc jockey on an Army radio station while stationed in Italy. After returning from the Army, Daniels used the G.I. Bill to enroll in Northwestern University’s drama program – right in CMSS’ backyard. At Northwestern, he met his wife, fellow actor Bonnie Bartlett. They have now been married for over 65 years.
Despite Daniel’s difficult experiences in childhood, he continued to pursue performance throughout his career, on Broadway and primetime T.V. and in the movies, Daniels truly became a household name during his six years on the medical show “St. Elsewhere,” for which he won an Emmy. Many also know Daniels from his longstanding role on “Boy Meets World,” and its recent spinoff, “Girl Meets World.” This year, Daniels published his autobiography, “There I Go Again: How I Came to Be Mr. Feeny, John Adams, Dr. Craig, KITT, and Many Others.”
For more updates on Daniels, take a look at his recent feature in Fox News.