David Alan Grier: Comedian, Tony Winner and In Living Color Star
David Alan Grier is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for his many characters on the sketch series In Living Color (1990–1994), for playing Reverend Leon Lonnie Love on Martin (1993–1997) and for the film Jumanji (1995). As of November 2026 he plays Ron Leonard on the NBC sitcom St. Denis Medical (2024–present).
David Alan Grier trained as a classical stage actor and won a Tony Award in 2021 for the Broadway revival of A Soldier’s Play. Few performers have moved as easily between Broadway drama, sketch comedy, family films and network sitcoms. Over four decades he has kept a steady presence in all of them.
David Alan Grier: key facts
| Born | June 30, 1956, Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Age | 70 (as of November 2026) |
| Occupation | Actor, comedian, screenwriter |
| Education | University of Michigan; M.F.A., Yale School of Drama |
| Years active | 1981–present |
| Known for | In Living Color (1990–1994), Martin (1993–1997), Jumanji (1995), St. Denis Medical (2024–present) |
| Major awards | Tony Award, Best Featured Actor in a Play (2021) |
| Profiles | Wikipedia · IMDb |
David Alan Grier on stage: from Yale to Broadway
David Alan Grier began his career as a stage actor trained in Shakespeare, earning an M.F.A. from the Yale School of Drama. He appeared on Broadway in Dreamgirls in 1981. He then earned a Tony nomination for playing Jackie Robinson in The First (1983).
His first feature film came the same year: Robert Altman’s Streamers (1983), which won him the Volpi Cup for Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival. Tony nominations followed for Race (2009) and for playing Sporting Life in Porgy and Bess (2012). He finally won the Tony for A Soldier’s Play.
David Alan Grier in comedy: sketch, sitcoms and family films
David Alan Grier became a household name through In Living Color (1990–1994), where he played a wide range of sketch characters. On Fox’s Martin he played the scheming Reverend Leon Lonnie Love. In 2004 Comedy Central ranked him No. 94 among its 100 Greatest Stand-Ups.
On film he moved from Boomerang (1992) and Blankman (1994) to Jumanji (1995), where he played Carl Bentley. He voiced Red in Stuart Little (1999) and played Jim Fields in Bewitched (2005). That same year he was Uncle Henry in The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz. He later created the Comedy Central satire Chocolate News (2008) and starred as Joe Carmichael on The Carmichael Show (2015–2017).
David Alan Grier’s recent work (2020s)
David Alan Grier has worked steadily in the 2020s. His recent work includes Clifford the Big Red Dog (2021) and the FX series The Patient (2022). In 2023 he appeared in They Cloned Tyrone, played Reverend Avery in The Color Purple and played Santa Claus in Candy Cane Lane. He played Roger in The American Society of Magical Negroes (2024) and appears as himself in the documentary Who Is Martin Mull? (2026).
David Alan Grier’s selected screen credits
| Year | Title | Role | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Who Is Martin Mull? | Himself | Documentary |
| 2024–present | St. Denis Medical | Ron Leonard | TV series |
| 2024 | The American Society of Magical Negroes | Roger | Film |
| 2023 | The Color Purple | Reverend Avery | Film |
| 2023 | Candy Cane Lane | Santa Claus | Film |
| 2023 | They Cloned Tyrone | The Preacher | Film |
| 2021 | Clifford the Big Red Dog | — | Film |
| 2018 | A Series of Unfortunate Events | Hal | TV series |
| 2015–2017 | The Carmichael Show | Joe Carmichael | TV series |
| 2015 | The Wiz Live! | The Lion | TV special |
| 2005 | The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz | Uncle Henry | TV film |
| 2005 | Bewitched | Jim Fields | Film |
| 1999 | Stuart Little | Red | Voice role |
| 1995 | Jumanji | Carl Bentley | Film |
| 1993–1997 | Martin | Reverend Leon Lonnie Love | TV series |
David Alan Grier awards and recognition
- 2021 – Tony Award, Best Featured Actor in a Play (win). He won for the Broadway revival of A Soldier’s Play.
- 1983 – Volpi Cup for Best Actor, Venice Film Festival (win). He won for Streamers, his feature film debut, directed by Robert Altman.
- 1982 – Theatre World Award (win). He received this honor for his early Broadway work.
- Tony nominations. He was also nominated for The First (1983), Race (2009) and Porgy and Bess (2012).
FAQ
– What is David Alan Grier best known for?
David Alan Grier is best known for the sketch series In Living Color (1990–1994) and for playing Reverend Leon Lonnie Love on Martin (1993–1997). He is also widely remembered for the film Jumanji (1995).
– Where is David Alan Grier today?
David Alan Grier stars as Ron Leonard on the NBC sitcom St. Denis Medical, which began in 2024. This is his current role as of November 2026.
– How old is David Alan Grier?
David Alan Grier was born on June 30, 1956. He is 70 years old as of November 2026.
– Where was David Alan Grier born?
David Alan Grier was born in Detroit, Michigan. He later studied at the University of Michigan and the Yale School of Drama.
Header photo: The Tony Awards / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 3.0, resized
