Daniel Shor (born November 16, 1956) is an American actor, director, writer, and acting teacher with a career spanning over 40 years. His most recognized roles include Enoch Emery in John Huston's Wise Blood (1979), Pete Brady in Strange Behavior (1981), Ram in Tron (1982), and Billy the Kid in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989).
Early life Shor was born and raised in New York City. He attended McBurney School from the 6th through the 8th grade. His mother, an actress, died when he was 14. He graduated from Elisabeth Irwin High School (June 1974) and began at Northwestern University that fall. He returned to New York, where he landed the lead role of Alan Strang in the first national company of Equus.
Acting Shor's studies continued at the Davis Center for Performing Arts at the City College of New York and at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art in England.
While in London, he appeared with Nigel Planer in Ann Jellicoe's punk rock musical play The Sport of My Mad Mad Mother at The Roundabout Theater. After leaving London for Los Angeles (due to his casting in the title role in the mini-series Studs Lonigan), he produced and reprised his role in his own version of Jellicoe's play, changing the setting from London to New York. Three months later, the set from the production was used in Billy Idol's music video for the song "Dancing with Myself".
Shor's acting credits include Air Force One, Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, Tron, Red Rock West, and John Huston's Wise Blood. Television films and mini-series include Friendly Fire, Elvis and the Colonel: The Untold Story, and The Blue and the Gray (for which Shor won a People's Choice Award). He was a series regular on Cagney and Lacey and several other television series, and he had numerous guest star appearances, including a Ferengi doctor on Star Trek: The Next Generation, a role he reprised seven years later on Star Trek: Voyager. In 1983, he starred in the band Kansas' music video "Fight Fire with Fire" and made appearances in their "Everybody's My Friend" video. Shor's stage performances in Los Angeles and San Diego have brought him eight Drama-Logue and LA Weekly performance awards.
Shor recently returned to the continental U.S. after living and working in the Northern Mariana Islands since 2003. In addition to running his production company ShodaVision, he remains active in New York theater, including the experimental conversational play "Outpost".
He has continued with stage work at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis and at the Pittsburgh Public Theater.
Writing, directing In 1995, Shor directed for the LA Diversified Theater Company, a multi-cultural theater alliance. He directed the Ovation Award winning production of He Who Gets Slapped starring Bud Cort at the Hudson Theater, as well as productions at the LA Theater Center, Company of Angels, Court, Zephyr, Two Roads, and LA Jewish theaters. His productions have received more than 30 Dramalogue, Ovation, and LA Weekly awards.
Shor's credits include two screenplays co-written with Czech film director Jiri Weiss, and he has worked in over 30 short videos for the Saipan and Guam Visitors Channels. His recent work includes Bigfoot Entertainment and Fashion TV's reality show Screen Test. He has also taught acting at the International Academy of Film and Television in Cebu, Philippines.
Filmography Film Acting +YearTitleRoleNotes1979Wise BloodEnoch Emory1981Back RoadsSpivey1981Strange BehaviorPete Brady1982TronRoy Kleinberg / "Ram"1982Talk to MeJulian Howard1983Strangers KissFarris, the Producer1983Strange InvadersTeen Boy (Prologue)1984Mike's MurderRichard1986MesmerizedGeorge1986Black Moon RisingBilly Lyons1988Daddy's BoysHawk1989Bill & Ted's Excellent AdventureBilly the Kid1990Solar CrisisHarvard1990Ghoulies III: Ghoulies Go to CollegeProfessor1993DoppelgangerStanley White1993Red Rock WestDeputy Bowman1997Air Force OneNotre Dame Aide1999Night TrainJones2004Wild RoomiesThe Bartender2009Passing StrangersPhotographershort2011Tron: The Next DayRoy Kleinberg/"Ram"Short2017Crown HeightsDistrict Attorney Snyder2021Come Find MeArthur
Directing +YearTitleNotes2011My Angel My Heroshort
Television +YearTitleRoleNotes1978Once Upon a ClassicClarence / Sir Paragraphepisode: "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court"1979Studs LoniganYoung Studsminiseries1979Friendly FirePrinceTV movie1980If Things Were DifferentEricTV movie1980The Boy Who Drank Too MuchArt CollinsTV movie1980A Rumor of WarManholeminiseries; two episodes1981Knots LandingBobbyepisode: "Step One"1982The Blue and the GrayLuke Geyserminiseries; three episodes1983This Girl for HirePunkTV movie1984My Mother's Secret LifeJack CamarasTV movie1985–86Cagney & LaceyDet. Jonah Newman20 episodes1988Murder, She WrotePierceepisode: "Murder Through the Looking Glass"1988Beverly Hills BuntzTerry Dicksteinepisode: "Terry and the Pirates"1989Beauty and the BeastBernie Spirkoepisode: "What Rough Beast"1989ThirtysomethingKitepisode: "Legacy"1989Star Trek: The Next GenerationDr. Arridorepisode: "The Price"1992Dark JusticeKellogg (Stafford's Attorney) (uncredited)episode: "Instant Replay"1993Elvis and the Colonel: The Untold StoryJassTV Movie1993Against the GrainSheriffepisode: "A House Is Not a Home"1996Star Trek: VoyagerArridorepisode: "False Profits"2000Judging AmyD.A. Daniel Boydepisode: "The Burden of Perspective"2002The X Files2nd ER Nurseepisode: "William"2007Looking for America: A Saipan StorySergeiTV movie, also director2015Blue BloodsLen Hardinepisode: "Rush to Judgment"2017BullDr. Shepardepisode: "Teasher's Pet"2019Jessica JonesMathias Coleepisode: "A.K.A. Customer Service Is Standing By"2022The BlacklistFJ Powellepisode: "Arcane Wireless"
References
External links
June 2003 Tron-Sector Q&A with Dan Shor (RAM) ShodaVision Official Site Article concerning Shor's production company in Saipan "Principal photography wraps up on State" Times Square Article: "Dan Shor is Cool as Hell"