Actor turns to singing

It’s getting harder for Jeff Daniels to play the self-deprecation card.The actor, best known for films like “The Purple Rose of Cairo” and “Terms of Endearment,” has more than 50 concerts under his belt in his new guise as a tongue-in-cheek troubadour.

Tomorrow night, a full house will greet Mr. Daniels when he makes his debut at the Barns at Wolf Trap in Vienna.

Not bad for a man who pokes fun of his transformation with the original ditty “If William Shatner Can, I Can Too.”

Mr. Daniels knew he was on to something when a series of events found him on stage with Guy Clark, John Hiatt, Joe Ely and Lyle Lovett, the latter affectionately calling him “movie boy.”

Mr. Daniels also kicked off the encore on that fateful night.

“This past year I really started to feel I’ve turned the corner,” says Mr. Daniels, who earned raves for his role in 2005’s “The Squid and the Whale.”

His music spins are as much from his Hollywood days as his Midwestern roots. While most actors call either New York or Los Angeles home, Mr. Daniels remains a Detroit Tiger-loving Michigan native. Hewing to his Midwestern values (his minor musical fame hasn’t dented those), he even called this reporter at precisely the minute he said he would.

Mr. Daniels’ songs range from whimsical folk to straight-forward blues — and a few tunes might make the crowd reach for a hankie. Life as a musician, he says, guarantees more control over the finished product than his day job.

“Everything is up to me. The script, the songs, the patter, the relationship … there’s no junior executive saying, ‘try the red sweater and not the blue one,’ ” Mr. Daniels says.

Sauntering on stage while wearing so many hats makes live performances easier.

“The playwright is helping the songwriter build to the climax,” he says of his approach. “The stage actor is out there, too, helping with the timing in front of a live audience.”

His star status, which he acknowledges is the key draw initially, also has its perks away from the stage. Mr. Daniels recalls how he “celebritied” himself backstage to a Keb Mo show a while back and later met with the musician for a three-hour guitar lesson.

Mr. Daniels landed pivotal roles in such films as 1983’s “Terms of Endearment” and Jonathan Demme’s “Something Wild” (1986) which earned him a cache as a respected actor. He bankrolled that fame and the funds it produced to start his own venue for neglected artists.

The Purple Rose Theatre Company, founded in 1991, mines the Midwest for talent. Mr. Daniels contends too many people overlook the artists living in “flyover country.”

“I lose patience with the bicoastal, ‘we-know-everything’ crowd,” says Mr. Daniels, who has written more than 10 plays.

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