David Alan Grier facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
David Alan Grier
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Grier in 2021
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| Born | June 30, 1956 |
| Education | University of Michigan (BA) Yale University (MFA) |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1977–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Maritza Rivera
(div. 1997)Christine Y. Kim
(m. 2007; div. 2009) |
| Children | 1 |
David Alan Grier (born June 30, 1956) is an American actor and comedian. He is famous for his work in movies, television, and on stage. Many people know him from the comedy show In Living Color, where he played many funny characters. He also played Reverend Leon Lonnie Love on the TV show Martin.
Grier has appeared in many popular movies. These include A Soldier's Story (1984), Boomerang (1992), and Jumanji (1995). More recently, he was in They Cloned Tyrone (2023) and The Color Purple (2023).
He is also a star on the Broadway stage. In 2021, he won a Tony Award for his role in the play A Soldier's Play. He has been nominated for Tony Awards three other times for his acting in musicals and plays.
On television, Grier has had many roles. He played Joe Carmichael in The Carmichael Show and the Cowardly Lion in The Wiz Live! in 2015. He also appeared as Hal in A Series of Unfortunate Events.
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Early Life and School
David Alan Grier was born in Detroit, Michigan. He was one of three children. His mother, Aretas Ruth, was a school teacher. His father, William Henry Grier, was a psychiatrist and an author.
Grier went to Cass Technical High School in Detroit. He later studied at the University of Michigan, where he earned a degree in radio, television, and film in 1978. After that, he went to the famous Yale School of Drama and graduated in 1981.
Acting Career
Broadway and Early Roles
After finishing school, Grier started his career on Broadway. He played the famous baseball player Jackie Robinson in the musical The First. This role earned him his first Tony Award nomination. He also starred in the hit musical Dreamgirls.
His first movie was Streamers in 1983. For his performance, he won a Best Actor award at the Venice Film Festival. He also acted in the play A Soldier's Play and was in the movie version, A Soldier's Story.
Breakthrough on 'In Living Color'
Grier became very famous in the 1990s on the comedy show In Living Color. He was known for playing many different hilarious characters. Some of his most popular characters were the over-the-top Antoine Merriweather in the "Men on..." sketches and the loud shop teacher Al MacAfee.
His success on the show led to roles in many comedy movies. He played Eddie Murphy's friend in Boomerang (1992). He also starred in Blankman (1994) and In the Army Now (1994). In Jumanji (1995), he played Carl Bentley, a police officer whose car gets destroyed by a giant plant.
Television and Film Work
Throughout his career, Grier has worked in both comedy and drama. He starred in the TV shows Life with Bonnie from 2002 to 2004 and The Carmichael Show from 2015 to 2017. He also hosted his own comedy show on Comedy Central called Chocolate News in 2008.
Some of his other notable TV appearances include playing the Lion in The Wiz Live! on NBC. He also had a role in the Netflix show A Series of Unfortunate Events. In 2021, he starred in the movie Clifford the Big Red Dog.
Grier has also been a guest on many shows. He competed on Dancing with the Stars and was a guest judge on the cooking show Cutthroat Kitchen. He currently stars in the comedy series St. Denis Medical.
Return to the Stage
Grier has continued to perform in plays and musicals. In 2012, he was nominated for a Tony Award for playing Sportin' Life in Porgy and Bess.
In 2020, he returned to Broadway in A Soldier's Play. He played a different role this time, Sergeant Vernon C. Waters. For this performance, he won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play. This was a huge achievement in his long stage career.
Personal Life
Grier has one daughter named Luisa. When he was a child, his family marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Detroit. During this march, Dr. King gave an early version of his famous "I Have a Dream" speech.
Grier is a big fan of motorcycles. He is also an excellent cook and enjoys sharing his recipes online.
See also
In Spanish: David Alan Grier para niños
