---
name: "Danny Leiner"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/danny-leiner"
fi1m_id: "danny-leiner"
imdb_id: "nm0500444"
tmdb_id: 56591
wikidata_id: "Q690750"
roles: ["Director"]
born: "13 May 1961"
died: "18 October 2018"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 8
average_fi1m_score: 82
average_as: "director"
average_over: 8
updated: "2026-10-07T04:02:45.589820+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Danny Leiner

## Identity

Danny Leiner

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/danny-leiner
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** danny-leiner
- **IMDb ID:** nm0500444
- **TMDB ID:** 56591
- **Wikidata ID:** Q690750
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danny_Leiner, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q690750, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0500444/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/56591

Director. Born 13 May 1961 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA. Died 18 October 2018.

## Details

- **Work:** Director
- **Born:** 13 May 1961, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
- **Died:** 18 October 2018
- **Active:** 1994–2005
- **Frequently works with:** [Bryan Gordon](https://film.one/person/bryan-gordon.md), [Dennie Gordon](https://film.one/person/dennie-gordon.md), [Paul Feig](https://film.one/person/paul-feig.md), [Robert Berlinger](https://film.one/person/robert-berlinger.md), [Rodman Flender](https://film.one/person/rodman-flender.md), [Adam Nimoy](https://film.one/person/adam-nimoy.md), [Allan Heinberg](https://film.one/person/allan-heinberg.md), [Arlene Sanford](https://film.one/person/arlene-sanford.md)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 82, as director, over 8 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1990s 84 (4), 2000s 79 (4)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 82 to 75 across 5 titles
- **Score spread:** 5 at 80+, 3 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Genres:** Comedy 6, Drama 5, Adventure 1, Crime 1
- **Screen time:** 1 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $24m across 1 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danny_Leiner, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q690750, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0500444/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/56591

## Streaming the US now

- **HBO Max:** [*The Sopranos*](https://film.one/tv/the-sopranos.md) (94)
- **Paramount+:** [*Freaks and Geeks*](https://film.one/tv/freaks-and-geeks.md) (88)
- **Netflix:** [*Arrested Development*](https://film.one/tv/arrested-development.md) (87)
- **Disney+:** [*Gilmore Girls*](https://film.one/tv/gilmore-girls.md) (81)
- **Peacock:** [*The Office*](https://film.one/tv/the-office-2005.md) (77)
- **Tubi:** [*Party of Five*](https://film.one/tv/party-of-five.md) (73)
- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle*](https://film.one/film/harold-and-kumar-go-to-white-castle.md) (71)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Danny Leiner (1961–2018) was an American film and television director. He was born in Manhattan, New York, and attended the State University of New York at Purchase.

Leiner directed episodes of numerous television series, including *Freaks and Geeks* (1999), *The Sopranos* (1999), *Arrested Development* (2003), *The Office* (2005) and *Gilmore Girls* (2000). His feature films include *Dude, Where's My Car?* (2000) and *Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle* (2004).

He died in Los Angeles on 18 October 2018.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com, nytimes.com.*

## On Fi1m (8)

- *The Office* (2005), Fi1m 77, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/the-office-2005.md)
- *Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle* (2004), Fi1m 71, Director — [page](https://film.one/film/harold-and-kumar-go-to-white-castle.md)
- *Arrested Development* (2003), Fi1m 87, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/arrested-development.md)
- *Gilmore Girls* (2000), Fi1m 81, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/gilmore-girls.md)
- *Freaks and Geeks* (1999), Fi1m 88, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/freaks-and-geeks.md)
- *The Sopranos* (1999), Fi1m 94, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/the-sopranos.md)
- *Sports Night* (1998), Fi1m 82, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/sports-night.md)
- *Party of Five* (1994), Fi1m 73, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/party-of-five.md)

## Complete filmography (26)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *The Young Kieslowski* (2014), Producer
- *How to Make It in America* (2010), series, Director
- *Balls Out: Gary the Tennis Coach* (2009), Director
- *The Architect* (2006), Producer
- *The Great New Wonderful* (2005), Director
- *The Office* (2005), series, Director — Fi1m 77, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-office-2005.md)
- *Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle* (2004), Director — Fi1m 71, [page](https://film.one/film/harold-and-kumar-go-to-white-castle.md)
- *Arrested Development* (2003), series, Director — Fi1m 87, [page](https://film.one/tv/arrested-development.md)
- *Everwood* (2002), series, Director
- *The Tick* (2001), series, Director
- *Maybe It's Me* (2001), series, Director
- *The Mind of the Married Man* (2001), series, Director
- *Dude, Where's My Car?* (2000), Director
- *Gilmore Girls* (2000), series, Director — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/tv/gilmore-girls.md)
- *Opposite Sex* (2000), series, Director
- *Freaks and Geeks* (1999), series, Director — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/tv/freaks-and-geeks.md)
- *Action* (1999), series, Director
- *Strangers with Candy* (1999), series, Director
- *The Sopranos* (1999), series, Director — Fi1m 94, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-sopranos.md)
- *Felicity* (1998), series, Director
- *Sports Night* (1998), series, Director — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/tv/sports-night.md)
- *Layin' Low* (1996), Director, Writer
- *Remember WENN* (1996), series, Director
- *Party of Five* (1994), series, Director — Fi1m 73, [page](https://film.one/tv/party-of-five.md)
- *Time Expired* (1992), Director
- *Saturday TV Funhouse*, series, Director

## Gallery

- ![Danny Leiner](https://film.one/media/person/60896/gallery-e0b67c3b09a0.jpg) Danny Leiner — Canadian Film Centre from Toronto, Canada, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/29/CFC_in_L.A._43_%285515996366%29_%28cropped%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Danny Leiner and Kirstin Smith at CFC's reception at the Avalon Hotel Beverly Hills. To learn more about the Telefilm Canada Features Comedy Lab, please visit:  (2011)](https://film.one/media/person/60896/gallery-dce17291f3b6.jpg) Danny Leiner and Kirstin Smith at CFC's reception at the Avalon Hotel Beverly Hills. To learn more about the Telefilm Canada Features Comedy Lab, please visit:  (2011) — Canadian Film Centre from Toronto, Canada, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2d/CFC_in_L.A._43_%285515996366%29.jpg/1280px-CFC_in_L.A._43_%285515996366%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/danny-leiner