Jumanji Wiki
Register
Advertisement
Jumanji Wiki

David Alan Grier (born June 30, 1956 in Detroit, Michigan) is an American actor & comedian.

He played Carl Bentley, in the original Jumanji film.

Career[]

  • Grier got his start on the National Public Radio radio drama adaptation of Star Wars in 1980. He was the voice of a nameless X-wing fighter pilot during the Battle of Yavin.
  • Grier's later first taste of star life was in a short-lived Broadway musical called The First where he played famed black baseball player Jackie Robinson. He received a Tony nomination for his performance. He later starred as James "Thunder" Early in the hit Broadway musical Dreamgirls (a role which would later be played in the movie version by Eddie Murphy).
  • Then after a series of movie & TV appearances, he got a job that really got him noticed. It was the job of one of the cast members of the FOX variety show, In Living Color.
  • While doing the show, more movie & TV roles followed including the role of shoe factory worker turned police officer and back again Carl Bentley in the 1995 film Jumanji.

Filmography[]

Film[]

Year Title Role Notes
1983 Streamers Roger Venice Film Festival Award for Best Actor
1984 A Soldier's Story Corporal Cobb
1985 Beer Elliott Morrison
1986 From the Hip Steve Hadley
1987 Amazon Women on the Moon Don 'No Soul' Simmons
1988 Off Limits Rogers
I'm Gonna Git You Sucka Newsman
Me and Him Peter Conklin
1990 Loose Cannons Drummond
Almost an Angel Det. Bill
1994 In the Army Now Fred Ostroff
Blankman Kevin Walker
1995 Goldilocks and the Three Bears Spike
1992 Boomerang Gerard
1995 Tales from the Hood Carl
Jumanji Carl Bentley
1997 McHale's Navy Ensign Charles Parker
Top of the World Detective Augustus
1999 Freeway II: Confessions of a Trickbaby Mr. Butz
Stuart Little Red Voice
2000 3 Strikes Detective Jenkins
Return to Me Charlie Johnson
The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle Measures
2001 15 Minutes Mugger in Central Park
2003 Baadasssss! Clyde Houston
Blue Collar Comedy Tour: The Movie Himself/Announcer
Tiptoes Jerry Robin, Jr.
2004 The Woodsman Bob
2005 The Muppets' Wizard of Oz Uncle Henry TV Movie
Bewitched Jim Fields
2006 Little Man Jimmy
2008 Kissing Cousins The Griller
The Hustle Rev. Isaac Montgomery Paid
The Poker House Stymie
An American Carol Rastus Malone
2009 Dance Flick Sugar Bear
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
2013 Peeples Virgil Peeples
2015 Road Hard Michael
2017 The Big Sick Andy Dodd

Television[]

Year Title Role Notes
1985 The Equalizer Desk Sergeant Episode: "The Lock Box"
1986 All Is Forgiven Oliver Royce 9 episodes
1987 CBS Summer Playhouse Deter Phibin Episode: "Kingpins"
A Different World Prof. Bryan Walcott Episode: "Romancing Mr. Stone"
1988 Tour of Duty Harold Episode: "Soldiers"
Duet Gordon Episode: "Oh My God, I Left the Baby on the Bus"
Tanner '88 Secret Serviceman 2 episodes
1989 ALF FBI Agent #1 Episode: "Wanted: Dead or Alive"
1990 Equal Justice Stone Episode: "A Sucker's Bet"
1990–1994 In Living Color Various 143 episodes
1993–1997 Martin Reverend Leon Lonnie Love 4 episodes
1995 Saturday Night Live Antoine Meriweather Episode: "Damon Wayans/Dionne Farris"
Dream On Marshall Episode: "Take Two Tablets, and Get Me to Mt. Sinai"
The Preston Episodes David Preston 10 episodes
Pinky and the Brain Marlon (voice) Episode: "TV or Not TV"
1995–2000 Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child Various voices 3 episodes
1998 Damon Bernard 13 episodes
Nominated – Image Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Cosby Gil Episode: "Chemistry"
Hercules: The Animated Series Memnon (voice) Episode: "Hercules and the Phil Factor"
1999 A Saintly Switch Dan Anderson Television movie
The '60s Fred Hampton Television movie
Kenan & Kel Himself Episode: "Aw, Here It Goes To Hollywood : Part 2"
2000 Angels in the Infield Bob Bugler Television movie
The X-Files Cinema Audience Episode: "Hollywood A.D."
Buzz Lightyear of Star Command Tubunch (voice) Episode: "Stress Test"
2000–2001 DAG Jerome Dagget 17 episodes
2002 King of Texas Rip Television movie
Sesame Street Aladdin Episode: "#33.45"
Boston Public Laurence Williams Episode: "Chapter Forty-Two"
The Proud Family Reuben (voice) Episode: "Behind Family Lines"
2002–2004 Life with Bonnie David Bellows 44 episodes
Nominated – Image Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor – Television Series
2002–2005 Crank Yankers Various voices 15 episodes
2003 Samurai Jack Da Samurai/Junk Monster (voice) Episode: "Samurai Versus Samurai"
2003–2005 My Wife and Kids Jimmy 3 episodes
2007 Thank God You're Here Host 7 episodes
2010 Bones Professor Bunsen Jude Episode: "The Body and the Bounty"
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Jeremy Swift Episode: "Branded"
2013 Happy Endings Terry Chuckles Episode: "In the Heat of the Noche"
Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja Rudd Rhymez (voice) Episode: "Hip Hopocalypse Now"
2014 The Soul Man Jesse Episode: "Obama Drama"
Bad Teacher Carl Gaines 13 episodes
Black Dynamite Doctor (voice) Episode: "How Honeybee Got Her Groove Back or Night of the Living Dickheads"
2014–2015 Comedy Bang! Bang! Network President Recurring role; 5 episodes
2015–2017 The Carmichael Show Joe Carmichael Main cast; 32 episodes
2015 The McCarthys Dr. Hugh Morris Episode: "Family Therapy"
Cutthroat Kitchen Himself/judge Episode: "Taco Dirty to Me"
The Wiz Live! The Cowardly Lion / Robert The Farmhand Man #2 Live performance
2016 The Eric Andre Show Himself/David Alan Thicke Episode: "Dennis Rodman; Haley Joel Osment"
2017 A Christmas Story Live! Santa Claus Live performance
2017–2018 Snap Decision Host
2018 A Series of Unfortunate Events Hal 2 Episodes
Advertisement