A handsome, charismatic, classically trained African-American actor who started his film career in dramatic roles but soon came to specialize in comedy, David Alan Grier studied acting at the Yale School of Drama before plying his craft in a New York Shakespeare Festival production of "Richard III". He won a Tony nomination for his portrayal of baseball great Jackie Robinson in the musical "The First" (1981). Grier went on to perform in a number of other Broadway and off-Broadway shows, most notably "A Soldier's Play", in a part that he later recreated for Norman Jewison's faithful film adaptation, "A Soldier's Story" (1984). Grier returned to the Great White Way in 1997 following in the sandals of Zero Mostel, Nathan Lane and Whoopi Goldberg in the role of Pseudolous, the slave seeking freedom in "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum".

After a succession of character roles in films and guest spots on TV, Grier was cast in Keenan Ivory Wayans' tribute to the "Blaxploitation" movie, "I'm Gonna Git You Sucka" (1988). This led to his becoming one of the original ensemble players on Wayans' TV series "In Living Color" (Fox, 1989-94). Grier's memorable characterizations for the landmark series include Antoine Merriwether, the non-bald half of the "Men On..." sketches and a less than kind impression of Muhammad Ali. He has since appeared in several feature comedies including "Boomerang" (1992), as a buddy of Eddie Murphy, and "Blankman" as the "super" hero's elder brother, and the Pauly Shore vehicle "In the Army Now" (both 1994). He returned to series TV to headline the short-lived "Preston Episodes" (Fox, 1995), in which he was a principled journalist working for a tabloid newspaper, and as a supporting player on the short-lived "Damon" (Fox, 1998). Grier fared much better as the star of his own sitcom "DAG" (NBC, 2000-01), playing a Secret Service agent assigned to protect the outspoken First Lady (Delta Burke).

Grier continued to make appearances in several television projects—including Comedy Central's "Premium Blend," which he hosted for one season, and "Crank Yankers"—before being cast in the 2002-2004 ABC television comedy series "Life With Bonnie," starring Bonnie Hunt. Hunt, who had worked with Grier on her 2000 film "Return to Me," tapped Grier for his off-the-cuff abilities in the largely improvised sit-com. He also had a notable role in writer-director-star Mario Van Peebles' "Baadassss!" (2004), recounting Melvin Van Peebles' efforts to film his 1971 classic "Sweet Sweetback's Baadassss Song." After a dramatic turn in the acclaimed indie, “The Woodsman” (2004), Grier returned to warm comedic waters in “Bewitched” (2005), the cannibalistic rehash of the 60’s sitcom courtesy of Nora and Delia Ephron.