Born Name:  David Alan Grier

Born Date:  June 30, 1956

Born Place:  Detroit, Michigan

Died Date: 

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Occupations:  Actor, comedian, author

Brief Biography:  David Alan Grier is renowned for his roles in In Living Color, Jumanji, and numerous Broadway productions. A Yale School of Drama MFA graduate, Grier has earned multiple Tony Award nominations and won a 2020 Tony for his role in A Soldier's Play.

Early Life and Education:
Born to a schoolteacher mother and a psychiatrist/writer father.
Education: Earned a B.A. from the University of Michigan and an MFA from the prestigious Yale School of Drama.

Career Highlights:
Broadway Beginnings: Started his career on Broadway as Jackie Robinson in The First (1981), earning a Tony nomination.
Television Stardom: Gained massive popularity on the sketch comedy show In Living Color (1990–1994). He also starred in Martin, DAG, Life with Bonnie, and The Carmichael Show.
Film Roles: Appeared in Boomerang, Blankman, and Jumanji (as Officer Bentley).
Recent Work: Won a Tony Award in 2021 for A Soldier's Play, appeared in The Wiz Live! (2015), and starred in The Color Purple (2023) and St. Denis Medical (2024–2025).

Other Endeavors: Author: Wrote a memoir titled Barack Like Me: The Chocolate Covered Truth (2009).
Contestant: Appeared on Dancing with the Stars in 2009.
Awards: In addition to Tony nominations/wins, he won the Golden Lion for Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival for his debut in Streamers (1983).