Danny Tripp

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Danny Tripp
First appearance	Pilot
Information
Gender	Male
Age	39
Occupation	Executive Producer of Studio 60
Portrayed by	Bradley Whitford
Created by	Aaron Sorkin

Daniel Tripp is a fictional character on the US television series Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, played by Bradley Whitford.

[edit] Personal history

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Danny Tripp was educated at Northwestern University. In high school he was president of the Audio/Visual Club and played saxophone in the marching band.

Danny began working at Studio 60 as a segment producer, working his way up to become a co-executive producer. He resigned in 2002 as a display of support for the firing of his friend Matt Albie and went on to direct a critically acclaimed film penned by Matt. The two proceed to watch each other's back and Matt initially refuses to work on the show if Danny isn't hired as well. At one point while in production of the show, Danny insists that Matt get assistance from the writing staff so he doesn't burn himself out.

A recovering alcoholic and cocaine addict, Danny relapsed in 2006 after eleven years of sobriety. He tested positive for cocaine use in an insurance physical, and as a result cannot get bonded as a director until he has been drug-free for eighteen months. In the pilot, Jordan McDeere used this information to convince Danny and Matt to return to Studio 60 as executive producers following the on-air meltdown of Wes Mendell.

Already twice-divorced, there are hints that Danny and Jordan may be developing feelings for each other. In addition to their playful banter and Danny's over-protestation of his dislike for her ("You're very winning... Not to me, to others.") Danny has been seen as Jordan's closest confidante since her ascension to President of NBS and Danny has appeared to be overly interested in the preservation of her career. In the episode "The Christmas Story", Danny admitted to Jordan that he was falling in love with her. "I've been married twice before and I'm a recovering cocaine addict and I know that's no woman's dream of a man, or of a father. Nonetheless I believe I'm falling in love with you. If you want to run, I understand, but you'd better get a good head start 'cause I'm coming for you, Jordan."

Extremely well-connected, Danny has a lot of famous and influential people he'd be willing to use as character references including Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Clint Eastwood, and the Third Earl of Kent (a fictional nobleman, as even though there have been many Earls of Kent in the past, in reality there is currently a Duke of Kent).

In the Harriet Dinner Part II, when he is locked on the ceiling with Jordan, they discuss their relationship and after clarifying that he's genuinely interested in her, Jordan confesses that she likes him too. Since then, the two have been having a relationship that is undisclosed to the public as it might affect her job. In the same episode, it is revealed that Danny is afraid of snakes.

Danny is believed to be based on Aaron Sorkin's frequent collaborator and Studio 60 executive producer Thomas Schlamme,^{[citation needed]} although Danny's drug relapse corresponds with Sorkin's personal history.^[1]

STUDIO 60 ON THE SUNSET STRIP
EPISODES \| CHARACTERS \| CATEGORY \| AWARDS
Primary Characters	Matt Albie \| Danny Tripp \| Jordan McDeere \| Harriet Hayes Tom Jeter \| Simon Stiles \| Jack Rudolph \| Cal Shanley
Secondary Characters	Ricky Tahoe \| Ron Oswald \| Wes Mendell \| Martha O'Dell Jeannie Whatley \| Samantha Li \| Alex Dwyer \| Dylan Killington Darius Hawthorne \| Lucy Kenwright \| Andy Mackinaw \| Wilson White
Organizations	National Broadcasting System \| Tunney Media Group
Fictional Studio 60	The Studio \| The Show \| News 60
Key Creators	Aaron Sorkin \| Thomas Schlamme \| W. G. Walden
view • talk • edit