Daniel Fathers was born in London, England on March 23, 1966, to scenic designer George Fathers and actress Tessa Shaw. He was initially selected to play the title role in the 1977 film Jesus of Nazareth, although he was eventually let go because of his eye color. His first passion, however, was sports, having entered the prestigious Kelly College on a track and rugby scholarship. During his stay, he made the finals of the All England Schools National’s 400-meter hurdles, and was also selected for the final trials of England’s Under-16 rugby team. He never got the chance to join, however, as he was injured during the trials.
During his stay, he also had the chance to pursue his artistic roots. He received a full dance scholarship to train at the Central School of Dance under renowned ballet star Christopher Gable, and also pursued voice lessons under Robert Palmer at London’s Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. He was cast for the feature film Another Country, but Fathers ultimately didn’t pursue it as pre-production delays led to eventual schedule conflicts.
Father eventually moved to Toronto, Canada, where he was eventually cast alongside Derek Jacobi and Natalie Cole in the television movie Livin’ for Love: The Natalie Cole Story. He eventually pursued further training in acting and appeared in several films, such as Global Heresy, Night’s Noontime and an uncredited role in Rhinoceros Eyes. He was eventually cast in the Toronto production of Mamma Mia! and stayed there for a year.
Fathers also appeared in different television programs, such as Tracker, Street Time, Beautiful People, The Border, The Murdoch Mysteries and The Weight. He has also appeared in several television movies, including The Brady Bunch in the White House, Murder in the Hamptons, Beach Girls, The Tracy Fragments and the two Camp Rock movies. He later accepted a role in series like Combat Hospital and Really Me.