David Marshall Grant

Last updated

David Marshall Grant
Born (1955-06-21) June 21, 1955 (age 69)
Education Yale University (Master of Fine Arts)
Occupation(s)Actor, singer, writer
Years active1979–present

David Marshall Grant (born June 21, 1955) is an American actor, singer and writer.

Contents

Life and career

Grant was born in Westport, Connecticut to physician parents. [1] Immediately after graduating from Connecticut College with an M.F.A. and receiving a certificate in fine arts from the Yale School of Drama, his first paying job was as Richard Gere's lover in the Broadway play Bent . [2] A student at Juilliard during summer breaks from high school, Grant soon joined the Yale Repertory Company during his college days, and in 1978, made an impression in the play Bent. [3]

His first screen role was in the 1979 film French Postcards . He went on to appear in several more films. In 1985, he co-starred with Kevin Costner in American Flyers , John Badham's film on bicycle racing. By this time, Grant was working in episodic television and had the role of Digger Barnes in the miniseries Dallas: The Early Years . In 1987, he played Sonny Binkley in the Matt Dillon film The Big Town . In 1989, he portrayed the gay character Russell Weller on the television show thirtysomething . Although he only appeared in four episodes from 1989 to 1990, the role brought him considerable recognition, particularly in one groundbreaking episode that featured his character in bed with another male character, a scene that caused outcry among conservative sponsors at the time.

Grant played roles in various television shows and movies, including Happy Birthday, Gemini , Legs , Labor of Love , CSI: Miami , Law & Order , Criminal Minds , and Alias . He played a gay husband in the 2004 remake of The Stepford Wives ; the father of Anne Hathaway's character in the 2006 film The Devil Wears Prada; and more recently appeared on television in a May 2009 episode of Party Down and in the fifth season premiere of A Million Little Things in February 2023.

On the stage, Grant is most notable for his portrayal of Joe Pitt in the first Broadway production of Tony Kushner's Angels in America . The role earned him a 1994 Tony Award nomination as Best Actor (Featured Role – Play).

In 1998, Grant began a career as a writer. Snakebit, his first play, premiered at Grove Street Playhouse and transferred to the Century Theatre. The play was nominated for the 1999 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play and was nominated for an Outer Critics Circle Award. Current Events, his second play, was produced by Manhattan Theatre Club in 2000. Pen opened in 2006 at Playwrights Horizons. Also in 2006, he began working for the drama series Brothers & Sisters as a screenwriter, story editor and (as of season 2 in September 2007), a series producer. The show was co-produced by Ken Olin, whom Grant had worked with on thirtysomething. In 2012, he was a writer and producer on the musical series Smash .

Grant is the great-great-grandson of the first couple to have their wedding featured in the famous wedding announcement section of The New York Times . [4] He is also a distant cousin to Ulysses S. Grant, the 18th president of the United States. [4]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1979 French Postcards Alex
1980 Happy Birthday, Gemini Randy Hastings
1981The End of AugustRobert
1985 American Flyers David Sommersas David Grant
1987 The Big Town Sonny Binkley
1988 Bat*21 Ross Carver [5]
1990To the Moon, AliceYuppie ManShort film
Air America Rob Diehl
1991 Strictly Business David
1992 Forever Young Lt. Col. Wilcox [6]
1995 Three Wishes Phil
1996 The Rock White House Chief of Staff Hayden SinclairUncredited
The Chamber Governor David McAllister
2002 People I Know Tom Silverton
2004 The Stepford Wives Jerry Harmon
2006 The Devil Wears Prada Richard Sachs
2022 Spoiler Alert Tony

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1981 Kent State TomTelevision film
1982 American Playhouse Bob1 episode
1983LegsSid LewisTelevision film
SessionsJoshTelevision film
1984 Jessie Billy Harding1 episode
1986 Dallas: The Early Years Digger Barnes Television film
1989 Breaking Point OstermanTelevision film
1989-1990 Thirtysomething Russell Weller4 episodes [7]
1990The WindowJakeTelevision Short
The Hitchhiker Jake1 episode
1992What She Doesn't KnowBradTelevision film
Citizen Cohn Robert F. Kennedy Television film
Through the Eyes of a Killer Max CampbellTelevision film
GrahamJebTelevision film
1993 And the Band Played On Dennis SeeleyTelevision film
1995 Chicago Hope Stephen TomilsonEpisode "Internal Affairs"
1996 The Lazarus Man General Philip Sheridan2 episodes
A Season in Purgatory Jerry BradleyTV Mini Series
1997Night SinsFather Tom McCoyTelevision film
Law & Order A.D.A. Charlie HarmonEpisodes "Harvest" and "Shadow"
1998 Labor of Love Mickey WisterTelevision film
Remembering SexMichaelTelevision film
Nothing Sacred Father Martin Briggs6 episodes, 3 unaired [8]
2000 Noriega: God's Favorite Drug DealerTelevision film
2001 Dawson's Creek Officer Sullivan1 episode, uncredited
2002 Law & Order: Criminal Intent A.D.A. Peter BonhamEpisode "Best Defense"
2004 CSI: Miami Headmaster BrooksEpisode "Murder in a Flash"
2005 Numb3rs Brent HauserEpisode "Dirty Bomb"
Alias Ivan Curtis2 episodes
2008 Eli Stone Martin Ostrow1 episode
2009 Party Down Stennheiser1 episode
2018 Code Black Dr. Marchant1 episode
2023 A Million Little Things Gene Grant1 episode
2024 Death and Other Details Lawrence Collier8 episodes

References

  1. "David Marshall Grant Biography (1955-)". Film Reference.
  2. Vaillancourt, Daniel (March 2, 1999). "Writing his own ticket - gay actor/dramatist David Marshall Grant's new play 'Snakebit'". FindArticles . Archived from the original on April 1, 2008.
  3. "David Marshall Grant". Hollywood.com . Archived from the original on November 11, 2017. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
  4. 1 2 Smith Brady, Lois (January 23, 2017). "COMMITTED – 1851 – 1880". The New York Times . Retrieved February 10, 2017.
  5. Kempley, Rita (October 21, 1988). "'Bat 21'". The Washington Post .
  6. "David Marshall Grant". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  7. Kramer, Gary M. (December 7, 2022). "David Marshall Grant on his life, work, and "Spoiler Alert"". Philadelphia Gay News . Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  8. Barnhart, Aaron (March 7, 1998). "Jennifer Beals Joins 'Nothing Sacred'". Chicago Tribune . Retrieved April 11, 2023.