David Alan Grier was born June 30, 1956, in Detroit, Michigan to his mother Aretas Ruth, a school teacher, and his father William Henry Grier, a psychiatrist and writer who co-wrote the book "Black Rage". As a young child, Grier marched with his family with Martin Luther King, Jr. in a "March on Poverty" in Detroit. During the march, King gave an early version of his infamous "I Have A Dream" speech.

Grier graduated from Detroit's magnet high school Cass Tech. He went on to graduate from University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Arts before getting his Masters of Fine Arts from the Yale School of Drama in 1981. Later that year, Grier appeared in the National Public Radio adaptation of Star Wars as the voice of an X-wing fighter pilot during the Battle of Yavin. Upon graduating from Yale, Grier landed the role of Jackie Robinson in the Broadway musical "The First".

Career:

Grier made his film debut in the 1983 film "Streamers" which was directed by Robert Altman. His performance earned him the Golden Lion for Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival. Grier's work in television took off when he was cast in the Emmy Award-winning show "In Living Color" which aired from 1990 to 1994. While working on the show, Grier helped create some of the show's most memorable characters.

Grier achieved success not only in film and television but also on the stage. He began his professional career on Broadway as Jackie Robinson in "The First" which earned him a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Musical. He went on to win the Theater World Award in 1981. Grier then joined the cast of "Dreamgirls" before going on to star opposite Denzel Washington in "A Soldier's Play" where both actors reprised their roles in the film adaptation of "A Soldier's Story" in 1984.

As his career progressed and he diversified his acting portfolio, Grier would go on to appear in the show "Dag" which aired from 2000 to 2001. He would then appear in the feature film "Life with Bonnie" in 2003 earning him an Image and Golden Satellite nomination. Grier went on to try his hand at writing for Comedy Central's satirical news show "Chocolate News" in 2008 which he also executive produced. The following year, Grier appeared in the Wayans Brothers' spoof film "Dance Flick".

In 2010, Grier starred in David Mamet's acclaimed play "Race" opposite of James Spader and Kerry Washington. The production was performed at the Ethel Barrymore Theater on Broadway. His performance in "Race" earned him his second Tony Award nomination. Grier received a third Tony Award nomination in 2012 for his performance in "The Gershwin's Porgy & Bess". He would go on to receive his first Grammy nomination when the recording of "The Gershwin's Porgy & Bess" was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album in 2013.