David Alan Grier is an American actor who plays Hal in the Netflix Adaption of A Series Of Unfortunate Events.
Biography[]
David Alan Grier was born in Detroit, Michigan, to Aretas Ruth (Dudley), a schoolteacher, and William Henry Grier, a psychiatrist and writer. He trained in Shakespeare at Yale University, where he received an MFA from the Yale School of Drama.
Grier began his professional career on Broadway as Jackie Robinson in "The First", for which he earned a Tony nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Musical and won the Theatre World Award (1981). He then joined the Broadway cast of "Dreamgirls", before going on to star opposite Denzel Washington in "A Soldier's Play", for which both actors reprised their roles in the film adaptation titled A Soldier's Story (1984). He appeared in Robert Altman's Streamers (1983) as "Roger", a role for which he won the Golden Lion for Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival (1983).
His television work is highlighted by a turn as a principal cast member on the Emmy Award-winning In Living Color (1990) (1990-1994), where he helped to create some of the show's most memorable characters, "DAG" (2000-2001) and "Life with Bonnie" (2002-2004), for which he earned Image and Golden Satellite nominations. David also created, wrote and executive-produced a show for Comedy Central called Chocolate News (2008). Grier also won America's votes as a smooth, debonair, and outrageously irreverent contestant on ABC's smash hit, Dancing with the Stars (2005), in 2009. But Grier didn't hang up his dance shoes just then - he later appeared in the Wayans Brothers' spoof movie, Dance Flick (2009), which hit theaters in May 2009.
In Grier's first book, "Barack Like Me: The Chocolate Covered Truth" (Touchstone / Simon & Schuster; October 6, 2009), the acclaimed comedian expounds on politics, culture and race while recounting his own life story in this edgy, timely, timeless, and hilarious memoir and look at all things Barack Obama.
Grier returned to his theatrical roots 2009/2010; he starred in David Mamet's acclaimed play, "Race", opposite James Spader and Kerry Washington, at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre on Broadway for which he received a Tony Award nomination.[1]
Filmography[]
Film[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Steramers | Roger | |
| 1984 | A Soldier's Story | Corporal Cobb | |
| 1985 | Beer | Elliott Morrison | |
| 1987 | From the Hip | Steve Hadley | |
| 1987 | Amazon Women on the Moon | Don "No Soul" Simmons | |
| 1988 | Off Limits | Rogers | |
| 1988 | Me and Him | Peter Conklin | |
| 1988 | I'm Gonna Git You sucka | Newsman | |
| 1990 | Loose Cannons | Drummond | |
| 1990 | Almost an Angel | Det. Bill | |
| 1992 | The Player | David Alan Grier | |
| 1992 | Boomerang | Gerard | |
| 1994 | In the Army Now | Fred Ostroff | |
| 1994 | Blankman | Kevin Walker | |
| 1995 | Tales from the Hood | Carl | |
| 1995 | Jumanji | Bentley | |
| 1995 | Goldilocks and the Three Bears | Spike | |
| 1997 | McHale's Navy | Ensign Charles Parker | |
| 1997 | Top of the World | Detective Augustus | |
| 1999 | Freeway II: Confessions of a Trickbaby | Mr. Butz | |
| 1999 | Stuart Little | Red | Voice |
| 2000 | 3 Strikes | Detective Jenkins | |
| 2000 | East of A | Brother James | |
| 2000 | Return to Me | Charlie Johnson | |
| 2000 | The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle | Measures | |
| 2000 | Damned If You Do | The Devil | Short |
| 2001 | 15 Minutes | Mugger in Central Park | |
| 2001 | I Shaved My Legs for This | Strip Club Owner | |
| 2002 | King of Texas | Rip | |
| 2003 | Baadasssss! | Clyde Houston | |
| 2003 | Tiptoes | Jerry Robin Jr. | |
| 2003 | Rock Stars Do the Dumbest Things | ||
| 2004 | The Woodsman | Bob | |
| 2005 | The Muppets' Wizard of Oz | Uncle Henry | |
| 2005 | Bewitched | Jim Fields | |
| 2005 | The Davey Gee Show | Various | |
| 2006 | Little Man | Jimmy | |
| 2006 | Thugaboo: Sneaker Madness | Principal Eyeverson / The Man Upstairs / Africans | Voice |
| 2006 | Thugaboo: A Miracle on D-Rock's Street | Principal Eyeverson / The Man Upstairs | Voice |
| 2008 | Kissing Cousins | The Griller | |
| 2008 | The Hustle | Rev. Isaac Montgomery Paid | |
| 2008 | The Poker House | Stymie | |
| 2008 | Gym Teacher: The Movie | Shelly Bragg | |
| 2008 | An American Carol | Rastus Malone | |
| 2009 | Dance Flick | Sugar Bear | |
| 2009 | Astro Boy | Mr. Squirt / Math Cowboy / Boxer Robot | Voice |
| 2010 | Something Like a Business | 3D | |
| 2011 | Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil | Moss the Troll | Voice |
| 2011 | Thugs, the Musical! | Peppermint | Short |
| 2013 | Peeples | Virgil Peeples | |
| 2013 | The Watsons Go to Birmingham | Mr. Robert | |
| 2014 | An En Vogue Christmas | Marty | |
| 2015 | Road Hard | Michael Gerard | |
| 2015 | The Wiz Live! | The Cowardly Lion | |
| 2016 | Jingle Ballin' | Collin | |
| 2017 | The Big Sick | Andy Dodd | |
| 2017 | A Christmas Story Live! | Santa Claus | |
| 2018 | Arizona | Coburn | |
| 2018 | Sprinter | Coach | |
| 2019 | Native Son | Marty | |
| 2020 | Clifford the Big Red Dog | ||
| 2020 | Coffee & Kareem |
Television[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | The Equalizer | Desk Sergeant | One Episode |
| 1986 | All Is Forgiven | Oliver Royce | |
| 1987 | CBS Summer Playhouse | Deter Philbin | One Episode |
| 1987 | A Different World | Prof. Byron Walcott | One Episode |
| 1988 | Tour of Duty | Harold | One Episode |
| 1988 | Duet | Gordon | One Episode |
| 1988 | Tanner '88 | Secret Serviceman | |
| 1988 | Baby Room | One Episode | |
| 1988 | The Dictator | One Episode | |
| 1989 | ALF | FBI #1 | One Episode |
| 1990 | Equal Justice | Stone | One Episode |
| 1995 | Saturday Night Live | Antoine Meriweather | One Episode |
| 1995 | Dream On | Marshall | One Episode |
| 1995 | The Preston Episodes | David Preston | |
| 1995 | Pinky and the Brain | Marlon | Voice
One Episode |
| 1993-1997 | Martin | Rev. Leon Lonnie Love | |
| 1998 | Damon | Bernard | |
| 1998 | Cosby | Gil | One Episode |
| 1998 | Hercules | Voice
One Episode | |
| 1999 | The '60s | Fred Hampton | |
| 1999 | Random Acts of Comedy | Host | |
| 1995-2000 | Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child | King Maynar / Dudley Bear / Bongo | |
| 1999-2000 | The Wonderful World of Disney | Bob Bugler / Dan Anderson | |
| 2000 | The X-Files | Cinema Audience | One Episode |
| 2000 | Buzz Lightyear of Star Command | Tubunch | Voice
One Episode |
| 1990-2001 | In Living Color | Various | |
| 2000-2001 | DAG | Jerome Daggett | |
| 2002 | Sesame Street | Aladdin | One Episode |
| 2002 | Boston Public | Laurence Williams | One Episode |
| 2002 | The Proud Family | Reuben | One Episode |
| 2003 | Cedric the Entertainer Presents | One Episode | |
| 2003 | Samurai Jack | Da Samurai / Junk Monster | Voice
One Episode |
| 2002-2004 | Life with Bonnie | David Bellows / Jazz Moe | |
| 2003-2005 | My Wife and Kids | Jimmy | |
| 2010 | Bones | Professor Bunsen Jude | One Episode |
| 2010 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Jeremy Swift | One Episode |
| 2013 | Happy Endings | Terry Chuckles | One Episode |
| 2013 | Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja | Rudd Rhymez | Voice
One Episode |
| 2014 | The Soul Man | Jesse | One Episode |
| 2014 | Bad Teacher | Principal Carl Gaines | |
| 2014 | Black Dynamite | Doctor | Voice
One Episode |
| 2014-2015 | Comedy Bang! Bang! | Network President | |
| 2015 | The McCarthys | Dr. Hugh Morris | One Episode |
| 2015 | The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon | Ben Carson | One Episode |
| 2016 | Celebrity Conversations | One Episode | |
| 2015-2017 | The Carmichael Show | Joe Carmichael | |
| 2018 | Snap Decision | Host, Himself | One Episode |
| 2018 | A Series of Unfortunate Events | Hal | |
| 2019 | Catastrophe | Tim Cabot | One Episode |
| 2018-2019 | The Cool Kids | Hank | |
| 2019 | A Black Lady Sketch Show | Preacher | |
| 2019 | Queen Sugar | Jimmy Dale | |
| 2002-2019 | Crank Yankers | Landalious "The Truth" Truefield / Various | |
| 2019 | The Resident | Lamar Broome |
Gallery[]
Behind the Scenes[]
