‘Dumb and Dumber’ Actor Jeff Daniels Makes Rare Appearance at NFL Playoff Game

Jeff Daniels

Actor Jeff Daniels, 68, made a rare public appearance for an NFL playoff game on Sunday, Jan. 21. The Looming Tower star was spotted energetically cheering with a big smile on his face at the match between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Detroit Lions.

He rocked a Lions blue winter hat to rep his team, as Daniels grew up in Michigan. The Lions took home the win, beating the Buccaneers with a score of 31 to 23, which likely made Daniels very happy.

Singer-songwriter Bob Seger, who is also a devoted Lions fan, was at the game as well, and he shared some photos with Daniels on social media.

Daniels even sat down with Local 4 News for an interview to discuss both the team and his career. The actor and reporters noted that the Lions have officially beaten the rumored Curse of Bobby Layne. Fans believed that ever since Layne was traded in 1958 after helping the Lions win several championships, the team has been cursed to lose.

As the story goes, Layne angrily told the Lions that they wouldn't win another championship for 50 years. Whether or not he really said this is debated, but he was right. Until 2024, the Lions only won one NFL playoff game.

The Detroit football team officially broke the rumored curse when they beat the Los Angeles Rams on Jan. 14, and the Jan. 21 win is icing on the cake. Daniels described the feeling Lions fans have right now as the team continues in the playoffs as "pure human joy."

After the first two playoff wins, Lions fans are hoping the team can take it all the way to the Super Bowl for the ultimate comeback.

In the interview, the Dumb and Dumber star noted that his wife, Kathleen Treado, was also at the stadium, and said that he finally came to watch a game in person because of one person: Peyton Manning. "Peyton Manning's there, so I said I'd show up," he nonchalantly shared. The two collaborated on a fun video in late 2022, in an attempt to break the team curse.

Daniels has taken a short break from acting over the past few years, with his last role in 2021's American Rust. But fans can expect him back on screen by the end of the year, as Daniels will star in the miniseries A Man in Full on Netflix.

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