Grier, David Alan 1955(?)–

views updated

Grier, David Alan 1955(?)–

(David Alan Griers)

PERSONAL

Born June 30, 1955 (some sources cite 1956), in Detroit, MI; son of William Henry (a writer) and Aretas Ruth (maiden name, Dudley) Grier; married Maritza Rivera (some sources spell first name Maritsa; divorced). Education: University of Michigan, B.A., 1978; Yale University, M.F.A., 1981.

Addresses: Agent—Nick Nuciforo, Creative Artists Agency, 9830 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90212; Sean Elliott, Endeavor, 9601 Wilshire Blvd., Sixth Floor, Beverly Hills, CA 90212.

Career: Actor, producer, and writer. Stand-up comedian at various venues.

Awards, Honors: Theatre World Award, 1981, and Antoinette Perry Award nomination, best actor in a featured role in a musical, 1982, both for The First; Volpi Cup (with others), best actor, Venice International Film Festival, 1983, for Streamers; Image Award nomination, outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, 1999, for Damon; Bronze Wrangler Award (with others), outstanding television feature film, Western Heritage awards, 2003, for King of Texas; Image Award nomination, outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series, 2003, and Golden Satellite Award nomination, best performance by an actor in a supporting role in a series, comedy or musical, International Press Academy, 2004, both for Life with Bonnie; named one of the 100 greatest stand-up comedians of all time, Comedy Central, 2004.

CREDITS

Television Appearances; Series

Oliver Royce, All Is Forgiven, NBC, 1986.

Various characters, In Living Color, Fox, 1990–93.

David Preston, The Preston Episodes, Fox, 1995.

Bernard, Damon, Fox, 1998.

Host, Random Acts of Comedy, Fox Family Channel, 1999.

Agent Jerome Daggett, DAG, NBC, 2000–2001.

Host, Premium Blend (also known as Comedy Central's "Premium Blend"), Comedy Central, 2001–2002.

David Bellows, Life with Bonnie, ABC, 2002–2004.

Voice of Landanlius "The Truth" Truefield, Crank Yankers, Comedy Central, between 2002 and 2005.

Television Appearances; Miniseries

Fred Hampton, The '60s, NBC, 1999.

(In archive footage) Himself, Comedy Central Presents: 100 Greatest Stand-Ups of All Time, Comedy Central, 2004.

Television Appearances; Movies

Dan Anderson, "A Saintly Switch" (also known as "In Your Shoes"), The Wonderful World of Disney, ABC, 1998.

Detective Augustus, Top of the World (also known as Cold Cash and Showdown), HBO, 1998.

Bob Bugler, "Angels in the Infield," The Wonderful World of Disney, ABC, 2000.

Rip, King of Texas, TNT, 2002.

Television Appearances; Specials

Host, Pure Insanity II, Fox, 1990.

Himself and multiple characters, The Best of Robert Townsend & His Partners in Crime, HBO, 1991.

Spy Magazine's Hit List: The 100 Most Annoying and Alarming People and Events of 1992 (also known as The Spy 100), NBC, 1992.

(In archive footage) Vulcan, Mo' Funny: Black Comedy in America, HBO, 1993.

TV Guide: 40th Anniversary Special, Fox, 1993.

Himself, The Making of "Blankman," HBO, 1994.

Host, Fox Fall Preview Party, Fox, 1995.

Extreme Comedy, ABC, 1996.

Host, When New Year's Eve Attacks! (also known as Fox's New Year's Eve Live and 1997 New Year's in Las Vegas), Fox, 1997.

Himself, Elmopalooza, ABC, 1998.

Host, American Comedy Awards Viewer's Choice: Class of '99 (also known as Comedy Central Presents the American Comedy Awards Viewer's Choice), Comedy Central, 1999.

NFL All-Star Comedy Blitz, CBS, 1999.

Saturday Night Live: 25th Anniversary (also known as Saturday Night Live: 25th Anniversary Primetime Special), NBC, 1999.

Cohost, Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular, NBC, 2000.

Host, My VH1 Music Awards Pre-Show, VH1, 2000.

Voice of King Maynard, Princess and the Pauper: An Animated Special from the "Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child" Series (animated), HBO, 2000.

AFI's 100 Years … 100 Laughs (also known as AFI's 100 Years, 100 Laughs: America's Funniest Movies), CBS, 2000.

Himself, Laugh Track: 20 Years of Comedy on MTV, MTV, 2001.

Himself, MTV Icon: Janet Jackson, MTV, 2001.

Voice of Bonyo, The Valiant Little Tailor: An Animated Special from the "Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child" Series (animated), HBO, 2001.

Himself, The Book of David: The Cult Figure's Manifesto, Comedy Central, 2002.

Rock Stars Do the Dumbest Things, VH1, 2003.

Voice of Landanlius "The Truth" Truefield, Crank Yankers Christmas Special, Comedy Central, 2004.

Uncle Henry, "The Muppets' Wizard of Oz" (musical), The Wonderful World of Disney, ABC, 2005.

Television Appearances; Awards Presentations

Presenter, Soul Train Comedy Awards, 1993.

Met Life Presents the Apollo Theatre Hall of Fame (also known as Apollo Theatre Hall of Fame), NBC, 1994.

Performer, The 67th Annual Academy Awards, ABC, 1995.

Presenter, The 11th Annual American Comedy Awards, ABC, 1997.

Presenter, The 12th Annual American Comedy Awards, Fox, 1998.

Presenter, The 30th Annual NAACP Image Awards, Fox, 1999.

Presenter, My VH1 Music Awards, VH1, 2000.

Himself, VH1 Big in 2002 Awards (also known as Big in 2002), VH1, 2002.

Host, Young Hollywood Awards, American Movie Classics, 2003.

Presenter, The Fifth Annual Family Television Awards, The WB, 2003.

Himself, BET Comedy Awards, Black Entertainment Television, 2004.

Performer, The 20th IFP Independent Spirit Awards, Bravo and Independent Film Channel, 2005.

Television Appearances; Episodic

Desk sergeant, "The Lock Box," The Equalizer, CBS, 1985.

Hometown, CBS, 1985.

Professor Byron Wallcott, "Romancing Mr. Stone," A Different World, NBC, 1987.

Harold, "Soldiers," Tour of Duty, CBS, 1988.

Secret Service man, "Child's Play," Tanner '88 (also known as Tanner: A Political Fable), HBO, 1988.

Howard, Baby Boom, NBC, 1988.

First FBI agent, "Wanted: Dead or Alive," ALF, NBC, 1989.

Reverend Leon Lonnie Love, "The Break Up: Part 2," Martin, Fox, 1993.

Reverend Leon Lonnie Love, "Checks, Lie, and Videotape," Martin, Fox, 1993.

Himself, "Darker Than Me," The South Bank Show, Independent Television, 1994.

Reverend Leon Lonnie Love, "Wedding Bell Blues," Martin, Fox, 1995.

(As David Alan Griers) Voice of one of the three bears, "Goldilocks and the Three Bears," Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child (animated), HBO, 1995.

Voice of Marlon, Steven Spielberg Presents "Pinky and the Brain" (animated; also known as Pinky and the Brain), The WB, 1995.

"Take Two Tablets, and Get Me to Mt. Sinai," Dream On, HBO, 1995, also broadcast on Fox.

Reverend Leon Lonnie Love, "I, Martin, Take Thee, Pam?," Martin, Fox, 1997.

Himself, "Kenan & Kel Go to Hollywood," Kenan & Kel, Nickelodeon, 1998.

Gil, "Chemistry," Cosby, CBS, 1998.

Voice, Hercules (animated; also known as Disney's "Hercules"), ABC and syndicated, 1998.

Himself, "Aww, Here It Goes to Hollywood: Part 2," Kenan & Kel, Nickelodeon, 1999.

Himself, Pulp Comics: David Alan Grier (also known as Pulp Comedy), Comedy Central, 1999.

(Uncredited) Audience member, "Hollywood A.D.," The X-Files, Fox, 2000.

Voice of Tubunch, "Stress Test," Buzz Lightyear of Star Command (animated; also known as Disney/Pixar's "Buzz Lightyear of Star Command"), UPN and syndicated, 2000.

Himself, "African Americans in Television," Inside TV Land (also known as Inside TV Land: African Americans in Television), TV Land, 2002.

Laurence Williams, "Chapter Forty-Two," Boston Public, Fox, 2002.

Aladdin, Sesame Street (also known as Canadian Sesame Street, The New Sesame Street, Open Sesame, Sesame Park, and Les amis de Sesame), PBS, 2002.

Ed Bradley, Mad TV, Fox, 2002.

Jimmy, "The Sweet Hairafter," My Wife and Kids (also known as Wife and Kids), ABC, 2003.

Himself, Mad TV, Fox, 2003.

Lunch Box Lewis, Mad TV, Fox, 2004.

Jimmy, "The Bahamas: Parts 1 & 2," My Wife and Kids (also known as Wife and Kids), ABC, 2005.

Appeared in All My Children, ABC. Some sources cite an appearance as Jazz Moe in Life with Bonnie, ABC.

Television Guest Appearances; Episodic

Guest host, Later (also known as Later with Bob Costas, Later with Cynthia Garrett, and Later with Greg Kinnear), NBC, 1994.

Guest host, Saturday Night Live (also known as NBC's "Saturday Night," Saturday Night, Saturday Night Live '80, SNL, and SNL 25), NBC, 1995, 1997.

The Rodman World Tour (also known as Dennis Rodman's World Tour '96), MTV, 1996.

The Chris Rock Show, HBO, 1997.

The Rosie O'Donnell Show, syndicated, multiple appearances between 1997 and 2002.

Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher (also known as Politically Incorrect), ABC, 1998.

Host and panelist, The List, VH1, 1999.

The Daily Show (also known as The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Global Edition), Comedy Central, 1999.

Late Night with Conan O'Brien, NBC, 1999, 2002, 2005.

Howard Stern, 2000.

Pajama Party, 2000.

The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn (also known as The Late Late Show), CBS, multiple appearances between 2000 and 2004.

Contestant, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, ABC, 2001.

Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn (also known as Tough Crowd), Comedy Central, 2002.

Jamie Foxx Presents Laffapalooza, Showtime, c. 2002.

Himself, "The Best of Chappelle's Show: Volume 2 Mixtape," Chappelle's Show, Comedy Central, 2003.

Cedric the Entertainer Presents, Fox, 2003.

Dinner for Five, Independent Film Channel, 2003.

E! News Daily (also known as E! News Live and E! News Live Weekend), E! Entertainment Television, 2003.

The Isaac Mizrahi Show, Oxygen Network, 2003.

Last Call with Carson Daly, NBC, 2004.

Late Show with David Letterman (also known as The Late Show and Late Show Backstage), CBS, 2004.

Live with Regis and Kelly, syndicated, 2004, 2005.

Jimmy Kimmel Live, ABC, multiple appearances in 2004 and 2005, 2006.

The Tony Danza Show, syndicated, 2005.

Too Late with Adam Carolla, Comedy Central, 2005.

Unscripted (also known as Untitled Section Eight Comedy), HBO, 2005.

The View, ABC, 2005.

Television Appearances; Pilots

Dieter Philbin, "Kingpins," CBS Summer Playhouse, CBS, 1987.

Host, Pure Insanity!, Fox, 1990.

Various characters, In Living Color, Fox, 1990.

David Preston, The Preston Episodes, Fox, 1995.

Bernard, Damon, Fox, 1998.

The Next Big Thing, CBS, 1999.

Agent Jerome Daggett, DAG, NBC, 2000.

Voice of dog, Dog Days, NBC, 2000.

David Bellows, Life with Bonnie, ABC, 2002.

The Davey Gee Show, Fox, 2005.

Television Producer

Executive producer, The Preston Episodes (series), Fox, 1995.

Producer, The Book of David: The Cult Figure's Manifesto (special), Comedy Central, 2002.

Executive producer, The Davey Gee Show (pilot), Fox, 2005.

Film Appearances

Roger Hicks, Streamers, United Artists, 1983.

Corporal Cobb, A Soldier's Story, Columbia, 1984.

Elliot Morrison, Beer (also known as The Selling of America), Orion, 1986.

Don "No Soul" Simmons, Amazon Women on the Moon (also known as Cheeseburger Film Sandwich), Universal, 1987.

Steve Hadley, From the Hip, De Laurentiis Entertainment Group, 1987.

Newsperson, I'm Gonna Git You Sucka, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1988.

Peter Conklin, Ich und Er (also known as Me and Him), Columbia, 1988.

Rogers, Off Limits (also known as Saigon), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1988.

Detective Bill, Almost an Angel, Paramount Home Video, 1990.

Drummond, Loose Cannons, TriStar, 1990.

Himself, The Player, Fine Line Features, 1992.

Gerard Jackson, Boomerang, Paramount, 1992.

Fred Ostroff, In the Army Now (also known as You're in the Army Now), Buena Vista, 1994.

Kevin Walker, Blankman, Columbia, 1994.

Carl, Tales from the Hood, Savoy Pictures, 1995.

Carl Bentley, Jumanji, TriStar, 1995.

Detective Augustus, Top of the World, 1997.

Ensign Charles T. Parker, McHale's Navy, Universal, 1997.

The Devil, Damned If You Do, Mixed Media, 1999.

Mr. Butz, Freeway 2 (also known as Freeway II: Confessions of a Trickbaby), Full Moon Entertainment, 1999.

Voice of Red, Stuart Little, Columbia, 1999.

Charlie Johnson, Return to Me (also known as Distance Calls), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 2000.

Jenkins, 3 Strikes, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 2000.

Measures, The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle (also known as Die Abenteuer von Rocky und Bullwinkle), Universal, 2000.

Mugger in Central Park, 15 Minutes (also known as 15 Minuten Ruhm), New Line Cinema, 2001.

Strip club owner, I Shaved My Legs for This, 2001.

Art City 3: A Ruling Passion (documentary), Twelve Films, 2002.

Jerry Robin, Jr., Tiptoes (also known as Tiny Tiptoes), Reality Check Productions, 2003.

Limousine driver, Blue Collar Comedy Tour: The Movie, Warner Bros., 2003.

Bob, The Woodsman, Newmarket Films, 2004.

Clyde Houston, How to Get the Man's Foot outta Your Ass (also known as Baadasssss!, Badass, and Gettin' the Man's Foot outta Your Baadasssss!), Sony Pictures Classics, 2004.

Himself, Lexie, York Entertainment, 2004.

Jim Fields, Bewitched, Columbia, 2005.

Brother James, East of A, Cinema Libre Studio, 2006.

Himself, Hooked (short film), 2006.

Stage Appearances

Mahagonny (opera; also known as The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny), Yale Repertory Theatre, New Haven, CT, 1978–79.

Measure for Measure, Yale Repertory Theatre, 1979–80.

Timon of Athens, Yale Repertory Theatre, 1979–80.

An Attempt at Flying, Yale Repertory Theatre, 1980–81.

The Suicide, Yale Repertory Theatre, 1980–81.

Winterset, Yale Repertory Theatre, 1980–81.

Jackie Robinson, The First (musical), Martin Beck Theatre, New York City, 1981.

Love's Labour's Lost, Yale Repertory Theatre, 1981–82.

Private C. J. Memphis, A Soldier's Play, Negro Ensemble Company, Theatre Four, New York City, 1981–82, then Goodman Theatre, Chicago, IL, 1982–83.

James Thunder Early, Dreamgirls (musical), Imperial Theatre, New York City, between 1981 and 1985.

Murderer and Richmond, King Richard III, New York Shakespeare Festival, Public Theatre, Delacorte Theatre, New York City, 1983.

Aslak, Peer Gynt, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Main Stage, Williamstown, MA, 1984.

Thomas, Distant Fires, Hartford Stage Company, Hartford, CT, 1985–86.

Master Frank Ford, The Merry Wives of Windsor, New York Shakespeare Festival, Public Theatre, Delacorte Theatre, 1994.

Whitelaw Savory, One Touch of Venus, City Center Theatre Encores!, Great American Musicals in Concert, New York City, 1996.

Pseudolus and Prologus, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (musical), St. James Theatre, New York City, c. 1997–98.

Fernando Perez, The Mambo Kings (musical), Golden Gate Theatre, San Francisco, CA, 2005.

The Second Annual New York Comedy Festival, New York City, 2005.

Radio Appearances; Series

Supporting role, "Star Wars," NPR Playhouse, National Public Radio, 1981.

Supporting role, "The Empire Strikes Back," NPR Playhouse, National Public Radio, 1983.

Radio Appearances; Episodic

The Howard Stern Radio Show, 2000.

Frequent guest, Loveline, KROQ (Los Angeles) and syndicated.

RECORDINGS

Videos

Himself, Late Night with Conan O'Brien: The Best of Triumph the Insult Comic Dog (also known as The Best of Triumph the Insult Comedy Dog), Lions Gate Films Home Entertainment, 2004.

Himself, Bewitched: Star Shots, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, 2005.

Himself, Casting a Spell: Making "Bewitched," Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, 2005.

(Uncredited) Himself, Kermit: A Frog's Life, Walt Disney, 2005.

Himself, Why I Love "Bewitched," Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, 2005.