'To Kill A Mockingbird' Actor Up For Tony Award

(CBS DETROIT/ AP) - Jeff Daniels is nominated for his third Tony Award. Even in the midst of this massive accomplishment, Daniels stays cool, calm and collected. But, Daniels is excited when speaking of character Atticus Finch from the Harper Lee novel "To Kill A Mockingbird", which is now on the stage.

Lee's novel outlined the realities of racial injustice in the Jim Crow South. "To Kill A Mockingbird" won the 1961 Pulitzer Prize for literature and the film adaptation won three deserving Oscars. Knowing the success of the book and film, Daniels wanted to take on Gregory Peck's infamous role with conviction and originality.

"I watched the movie once, and then put it away. I read the book once, and again with highlighting Atticus' stuff," Daniels said.

(Credit: Variety)

David goes on stage to act in front of a live audience eight times a week.

"It's the role of a lifetime, and all I'm trying to do is give the performance of my life every night. Because I know what I got. I know how precious this role is, and that's why I said yes to it for a year," Daniels said.

Another notable mention is Detroit native and co-star Celia Keenan-Bolger, who earned one of the play's nine nominations. Keenan-Bolger is a University of Michigan graduate who has starred in many Broadway productions such as Les Miserables.

(Credit: Michigan Alumnus-University of Michigan)

Surely, the story is still just as timely as it was in 1960.

"It's probably as pronounced as racism has been in decades," Daniels said. "We have to decide whether there is goodness in everyone. Whether there is compassion and generosity and civility and respect for others in everyone. Atticus believes that, and he comes to find out that that may not be the case. And I think as we look around today, that's an arguable point."

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