McDaniel's impressive theater credits have included the Broadway productions of John Guare's "Six Degrees of Separation" (in the starring role he originated Off-Broadway), "Someone Who'll Watch Over Me", as a political prisoner opposite Stephen Rea, and August Wilson's "Joe Turner's Come and Gone". He also acted in John Malkovich's Off-Broadway production of Lanford Wilson's "Balm in Gilead". McDaniel has appeared in several features, including "Alice" (1990), "Strictly Business" (1991) and "Malcolm X" (1992).