Nancy Creegan didn't mean to get pregnant, and certainly not with the man she did. That John McFaden never called her again wasn't a surprise. That she kept the kid probably was to everyone but her. Nancy was in no position to raise a child, barely able to keep herself employed and certainly unable to keep a roof over her head long term.
Even after Daniel was born, her ability to provide for them was dubious at best. He spent the following years of his life in and out of shelters with her and often on the street. Not for lack of trying though, Nancy often held down a job just never one that could support the two of them. From a young age, he found his escape in what culture he could consume, be it stealing books and comic books or sneaking into move theatres. He was all of 8 when he announced to his mother that he intended to be an actor. Not because he felt he would be any good at it but because he was certain it would be a quick and easy way to make money. What surprised both of them was that the dream never actually died. While his lifestyle made it hard for him to even stay and school and certainly prohibited him from participating in any extracurriculars, he clung to the dream regardless. At 18 with limited prospects in Philadelphia and a growing certainty that his mother might have been able to get herself out of poverty if she didn't have to support him, he decided to move to Los Angeles. In one of many unwise decisions he would make in the following years, he hitchiked out there. Upon arriving in Los Angeles, success was no easy get. In fact his first two years were spent with not even a job, at least of the acting variety. The odd jobs he worked were numerous and strange. When he was cast in Broken Flowers, he didn't even know who Jim Jarmusch was but as small as the part was, that movie was crucial to getting his career going. It was 2007's There Will Be Blood that really changed things for him though. Suddenly he was someone people talked about, he ended up an Academy Award nominated actor. As he found himself repeating through press, it was weird. After that brush with vague cultural relevance he retreated back to the world of indies until in 2010 an opportunity too good to be true came knowing - to play Zuckerberg in an Aaron Sorkin penned, David Fincher directed film. He signed on the dotted line. Since then the doors have opened just a little easier, and more and more of the parts come to him. Much to his agents annoyance, he hasn't exactly capitalized on that success but he's used to it build a career he is happy with.