The highly regarded actor Daniel J Travanti was born Danielo Giovanni Travanty in the southeastern part of Wisconsin on March 7 1940 but raised for a time in Iowa before returning to his native state The youngest son of an American Motors auto worker he showed both athletic and academic prowess in high school on both the football and debate teams It was during the course of his studies at the University of Wisconsin that Dan first developed a strong abiding interest in drama appearing in many college plays while there He in fact turned down top football scholarships in order to pursue his acting dream Following training at the Yale School of Drama he costarred as Nick with Colleen Dewhurst in a touring company of Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf in 1965 and he was off and running