Photo: The Tony Awards / CC BY 3.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
David Alan Grier feels like one of those performers whose body of work runs deeper than casual fans realize. I know him best for In Living Color and Martin in the 1990s, but the detail that grabs me is the 1982 Theatre World Award and a Volpi Cup for Best Actor at Venice, because that points to serious dramatic chops underneath the comedy. Being ranked among Comedy Central's greatest stand-ups while also commanding the stage tells me he never let himself get boxed in. To me he is a rare double threat, equally at home making a room laugh and earning festival acclaim, and I respect that balance.
Overview
David Alan Grier (born June 30, 1956) is an American actor and comedian. Known for his roles on stage and screen, Grier gained popularity playing multiple roles in the American sketch comedy television series In Living Color (1990–1994) and Reverend Leon Lonnie Love on the Fox comedy series Martin (1993–1997). In 2004, Grier was ranked no. 94 on Comedy Central's 100 Greatest Stand-Ups.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- David Alan Grier
- Name (Japanese)
- デヴィッド・アラン・グリア
- Reading
- でゔぃっど・あらん・ぐりあ
- Born
- June 30, 1956 (age 69)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Cancer / Monkey
- Origin
- Detroit, Michigan, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- screenwriter / stage actor / television actor / film actor / film producer
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Cass Technical High School
- University
- University of Michigan
Awards & achievements
- 1982 Theatre World Award
- Volpi Cup for Best Actor
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | Candy Cane Lane | — | |
| Notable work | The Color Purple | — | |
| Notable work | The American Society of Magical Negroes | — |
6. Links
Screenwriter — see all → · Stage actor — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.