Dan Shor | |
|---|---|
 Dan Shor in 2004 | |
| Born | Daniel Shor November 16, 1956 |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1978–present |
| Website | www.shodavision.com |
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).
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.[1] 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.
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 ABC 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 classic music video for the song "Dancing With Myself".[1]
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 as well as 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 of the Western Pacific since 2003. In addition to running his production company, ShodaVision, he remains active in New York theater and was recently involved (as an actor) with the experimental conversational play "Outpost".[2]
He has continued with stage work at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis and at the Pittsburgh Public Theater.
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[3] 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. Shor has worked in videos and shows including "Life On Film: Rock", "Ecomaniacs", "State of Liberty", "Fish Out of Water" and 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.
