John Francis Daley (born July 20, 1985[2]) is an American filmmaker and actor. He is best known for playing high school freshman Sam Weir on the NBC comedy-drama Freaks and Geeks and FBI criminal profiler Dr. Lance Sweets on the crime drama series Bones, for which he was nominated for a 2014 PRISM Award.[3] He plays keyboards and sings for the band Dayplayer.[4]
Daley is the son of R.F. Daley, an actor, and Nancy Daley, a piano teacher.[5] His father is of Irish Catholic background, while his mother is Jewish.[6][7][8][9] He grew up in Nyack, New York,[10] where he played Danny in Nyack Middle School's production of Grease.
In 2001, he co-directed a short film titled What Babies Do. He also wrote and starred in the comedy short Friday Night. In 2005, he appeared in the film Waiting... and in the Fox sitcom Kitchen Confidential. In 2007, Daley joined the cast of the Fox drama series Bones, portraying psychologist Lance Sweets. He co-wrote the season six episode "The Truth in the Myth" with his writing partner Jonathan Goldstein.[citation needed] Sweets was ultimately killed in the season 10 premiere; Bones executive producer Stephen Nathan said Sweets was killed because Daley wanted time off to direct a movie, and he was concerned that Daley's absence would be too long, especially if the directing job led to other jobs.[11]
Daley was also featured in the music video for "Mercy Kiss" by Abandoned Pools.
Daley and Goldstein wrote the screenplay for the 2017 film Spider-Man: Homecoming with four other screenwriters,[14] and were both considered to direct[15] before Jon Watts was hired.[16]
Daley and Goldstein directed the 2018 black comedy Game Night, based on a screenplay by Mark Perez. The film, starring Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams, "earned a raft of glowing reviews for its whip-smart script, energetic performances, and deliberate avoidance of modern comedy's ubiquitous tropes," and grossed $117 million at the worldwide box office, versus a $37 million budget. While Daley and Goldstein did not receive screenwriter credit, they later said they rewrote "almost all of the original script's dialogue, totally overhauled the characters — most notably a creepy cop portrayed by Jesse Plemons — and comprehensively reworked the original script's third act."[17]
In 2018, it was announced that the duo were set to direct a film adaptation of DC Comics' The Flash for their DC Extended Universe,[18] but it was announced in July that they have left the project. Despite this, both Daley and Goldstein received story by credit alongside Joby Harold.[19][20]
In July 2019, it was announced that Goldstein and Daley were entering early negotiations to direct the reboot of Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023).[21] In January 2020, it was announced that, in addition to directing the film, Goldstein and Daley were also writing a new draft of the screenplay.[22]
^"John Francis Daley". Twitter – @JohnFDaley. February 23, 2012. Retrieved March 15, 2012. For Ash Wednesday, I have my Irish Catholic dad put the ash on my forehead, then I have my Jewish mother lick her thumb and wipe it off.
^"The Talented Mr Daley". meinmyplace.com. September 2012. Retrieved March 15, 2012. Um my mom's Jewish and my dad's Irish. I am in fact the same mix as Harrison Ford, which I like to point out as often as possible when I go on dates.
