Danny Tripp

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

[edit] Personal history
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, Matt's decision to go back to Studio 60 is a show of support to Danny, because Danny is a recovering drug 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 roof 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. The two start dating after that event. In "K&R" Jordan became Danny's fiance, moments before she was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia and wheeled into surgery. After she regains consciousness from the birth and surgery, they discuss names and she asks him to sign pre-prepared adoption papers for the baby, "Rebecca Tripp".

Danny may be Jewish; Jack Rudolph refers to him and Matt as "a bunch of Jews" in K&R Part I. Seeing as Matt is himself Jewish, it is unclear if this was fact or an assumption. In the final episode of the series, Matt congratulates Danny on the birth of his daughter by saying "mazal tov", to which Danny replies "gesundheit".

[edit] In Real Life
Danny is believed to be mostly based on Aaron Sorkin's frequent collaborator and Studio 60 executive producer Thomas Schlamme,[1] although Danny's drug relapse corresponds with Sorkin's personal history.[2]