Birth Place: Detroit, MI, USA
After graduating from Yale, Grier landed the role of Jackie Robinson in the short-lived Broadway musical The First, directed by Martin Charnin and written by Joel Siegel. Grier was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical and won the Theatre World Award for The First. He got his start on the National Public Radio radio drama adaptation of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back in 1981. He was the voice of a nameless X-wing fighter pilot during the Battle of Yavin.
Grier later starred as James "Thunder" Early in the hit Broadway musical Dreamgirls. Grier made his film debut in 1983 in Streamers, directed by Robert Altman. He won the Golden Lion for Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival for the film. He appeared in the Negro Ensemble Company production A Soldier's Play and reprised his role in the film version A Soldier's Story. Grier appeared as a geology professor at Hillman College in the show A Different World.
After his success on In Living Color, Grier began appearing in film comedies such as Boomerang, as Eddie Murphy's shy friend Gerard in 1992; Blankman, with Damon Wayans, in 1994; In the Army Now, as Fred Ostroff with Pauly Shore and Andy Dick, also in 1994; and as Carl Bentley, a factory employee turned police officer whose car is crushed and eaten by a giant pod in Jumanji in 1995. He played Rev. Leon Lonnie Love on the TV series Martin.
Grier appeared with Tom Arnold in the 1997 comedy McHale's Navy as Ensign Charles Parker. In 1999, he made a guest appearance as himself in the "Aw, Here it Goes to Hollywood" episode of Nickelodeon's sitcom Kenan & Kel. After the cancellation of In Living Color, Grier starred in the short-lived sitcoms The Preston Episodes, Damon (with In Living Color co-star Damon Wayans), and DAG. He had a cameo in the Robert De Niro and Edward Burns film 15 Minutes (2001) as a Central Park mugger. In a departure from the comedic roles he played on In Living Color, he portrayed an abusive father in Rusty Cundieff's anthology film Tales from the Hood.
In 2002, Grier joined the cast of the improv-based ABC sitcom and Bonnie Hunt vehicle Life with Bonnie which ran for two seasons. During this time, he continued to appear in comedy films but also returned to drama in the films Baadasssss! (2003) and The Woodsman (2004). He starred in his own Comedy Central stand-up special The Book of David: The Cult Figure's Manifesto. He is also a frequent guest on the Comedy Central show Crank Yankers. Grier was the host of the NBC show Thank God You're Here. He starred in Gym Teacher: The Movie (2008) playing the villain, Shelly Bragg. He appeared as Uncle Henry in the ABC 2005 television film The Muppets' Wizard of Oz.
Grier guest starred in Season 6 of Fox's Bones. He played Professor Bunsen Jude, the Science Dude, the host of a children's television program. This character was inspired by Bill Nye "the Science Guy".
In May 2013, Grier appeared in Tyler Perry Presents Peeples, playing the role of Virgil Peeples, alongside Kerry Washington and Craig Robinson. Also in 2013, Grier appeared in The Watsons Go To Birmingham, a Hallmark Channel adaptation of Christopher Paul Curtis' 1995 Newbery Honor-winning novel, The Watsons Go to Birmingham – 1963. He appeared on the CBS TV-adaptation of Bad Teacher, playing the role of principal Carl Gaines. He played the Cowardly Lion in NBC's live performance of The Wiz, which aired on December 3, 2015.
In 1998, Grier co-starred with Jon Stewart in Elmopalooza, as the director of Stewart's production crew, who he often chastises at Elmo and Telly after realizing what happened to the rest of the cast. In 2008, Grier starred in the Comedy Central series Chocolate News which had satirical sketches about current events and news stories. It lasted for one season of ten episodes. Grier appeared as Jimmy Dale in the series Queen Sugar appearing in Season 3 and played the role of Mr. Packard in the Paramount Pictures film Clifford the Big Red Dog.
In April 2022, it was announced that Grier would join the cast of the upcoming musical remake, The Color Purple. He is set to play Pastor Avery, the father of Shug Avery, a role also featured in the 1985 film of the same name.
In 2022, he starred in The Patient on Hulu with Steve Carell.
Grier returned to Broadway to perform in the musical A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum in 1997. He returned to Broadway for the premiere of Race, written and directed by David Mamet, opposite James Spader, Kerry Washington, and Richard Thomas, which opened at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre on December 6, 2009. Grier received his second Tony nomination for the role. He also appeared in the revival production of The Wiz at the La Jolla Playhouse directed by Des McAnuff.
Grier appeared on Broadway as Sportin' Life in the Gershwins' Porgy and Bess, which opened at the Richard Rodgers Theatre on January 12, 2012, alongside Norm Lewis and Audra McDonald. He was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical for this role. In addition to his Tony Award nomination, Grier received a 2013 Grammy nomination for Best Musical Theater Album for his performance on the cast recording of the play.
In January 2020, Grier returned to the stage for the Broadway production of A Soldier's Play, this time playing Tech Sergeant Vernon C. Waters, the role originated by Adolph Caesar in the off-Broadway production. For this role, he won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play.
[1983]Streamers Roger
[1984]A Soldier's Story Corporal Cobb
[1985]Beer Elliott Morrison
[1987]From the Hip Steve Hadley
[1988]Off Limits Rogers
[1988]Me and Him Peter Conklin
[1988]I'm Gonna Git You Sucka Newsman
[1990]Loose Cannons Drummond
[1990]Almost an Angel Det. Bill
[1992]Boomerang Gerard
[1992]The Player David Alan Grier
[1994]In the Army Now Fred Ostroff
[1994]Blankman Kevin Walker
[1995]Tales from the Hood Carl
[1995]Goldilocks and the Three Bears Spike
[1995]Jumanji Bentley
[1997]Top of the World Detective Augustus
[1997]McHale's Navy Ensign Charles Parker
[1999]Stuart Little Red
[1999]Freeway II: Confessions of a Trickbaby Mr. Butz
[2000]3 Strikes Detective Jenkins
[2000]Return to Me Charlie Johnson
[2000]East of A Brother James
[2000]The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle Meures
[2001]15 Minutes Mugger in Central Park
[2001]I Shaved My Legs for This Strip Club Owner
[2002]Tiptoes Jerry Robin Jr.
[2003]Baadasssss! Clyde Houston
[2004]The Woodsman Bob
[2005]Bewitched Jim Fields
[2006]Little Man Jimmy
[2008]An American Carol Rtus Malone
[2008]Kissing Cousins The Griller
[2008]The Hustle Rev. Isaac Montgomery Paid
[2008]The Poker House Stymie
[2009]Dance Flick Sugar Bear
[2009]Astro Boy Mr. Squirt, Math Cowboy, Boxer Robot
[2010]Something Like a Business 3D
[2011]Hoodwinked 2: Hood vs. Evil Moss the Troll
[2013]Peeples Virgil Peeples
[2015]Road Hard Michael Gerard
[2017]The Big Sick Andy Dodd
[2018]Arizona Coburn
[2018]Sprinter Coach
[2019]Native Son Marty
[2020]Coffee & Kareem Captain Hill
[2021]Clifford the Big Red Dog Packard
[2023]The Color Purple Rev. Avery
A Black Lady Sketch Show Preacher, Pastor
Comedy Bang! Bang! Network President
Crank Yankers Landanlius 'The Truth' Truefeld, Danny, Stompie
DAG Jerome Daggett
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child King Maynar, Dudley Bear, Bongo
In Living Color Antoine Mayweather, Reginald McCort
Life with Bonnie David Bellows, Jazz Moe
Martin Rev. Leon Lonnie Love
My Wife and Kids Jimmy
The Carmichael Show Joe Carmichael
The Cool Kids Hank
David Alan Grier, A Soldier's Play
David Alan Grier, A Soldier’s Play
David Alan Grier, A Soldier's Play
David Alan Grier, A Soldier's Play
David Alan Grier, The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess
David Alan Grier, Race
David Alan Grier, The First
David Alan Grier, The First
David Alan Grier has appeared on Broadway in 7 shows.
David Alan Grier has not appeared in the West End.
David Alan Grier has been nominated for several prestigious awards throughout his career, including Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play at the Drama Desk Awards, Distinguished Performance Award at the Drama League Awards, Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play at the Outer Critics Circle Awards, and Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play at the Tony Awards, all for his role in "A Soldier's Play." He was also nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical at the Tony Awards for "The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess," and for "Race." Additionally, he received a Performance award at the Theatre World Awards for his work in "The First" and another nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical at the Tony Awards for "The First."
David Alan Grier has won the Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play from the Outer Critics Circle Awards for "A Soldier's Play," the Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play from the Tony Awards for "A Soldier's Play," and a Performance award from the Theatre World Awards for "The First."
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