David Marshall Grant
About
Biography
Biography
A versatile actor who bounded into Broadway productions and Hollywood films immediately after graduating from the Yale School of Drama, Grant played leading roles in a number of films and TV-movies before settling into a run of colorful and provocative character roles. A student at Julliard during summer breaks from high school, Grant later joined the Yale Repertory Company during his college days, and in 1978 (the year he graduated), made a strong impression in the play "Bent." The following year he recreated his role on Broadway opposite Richard Gere in this powerful study of gays imprisoned during WWII in a Nazi concentration camp. He also made a likable feature debut as one of a group of college students spending their junior year abroad in the mild teen comedy "French Postcards."
While continuing to act onstage in "The Survivor," "The Tempest," and directing a Los Angeles production of "Bent," Grant performed in TV-movies ("Kent State" 1981, "Legs" 1983) and appeared prominently in interesting if minor films including "Happy Birthday Gemini" (1980). He attracted attention opposite another new face, Kevin Costner, as the younger and more reckless of two bicycling brothers in "American Flyer" (1984). Grant would later play other gung-ho characters, both sympathetic and not, in "Bat 21" (1988) and "Air America" (1990). Similarly magnetic TV roles included Robert Kennedy in "Citizen Cohn" (1992) and a sly Nazi in "Breaking Point" (1989). He portrayed an ambitious politician in James Foley's screen version of John Grisham's "The Chamber" (1996).
Grant's 1989 role as Russell, a gay man who enters the yuppie sphere of pals on TV's acclaimed "thirtysomething," attracted considerable attention. One brief scene, showing Grant talking in bed with a man he had picked up, enraged conservatives nationwide and reportedly lost the show some of its commercial sponsorship. Grant, however, emerged unscathed, playing supporting roles in features including "Forever Young" (1992) and receiving acclaim for his role as a troubled Mormon in the Broadway production, "Angels in America: Millennium Approaches" and its companion piece "Angels in America: Perestroika" (1993-94). Grant has also written the plays, "Snakebit," which has been performed in regional theaters throughout the USA, and "Current Events."
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Writer (Feature Film)
Cast (Special)
Cast (TV Mini-Series)
Life Events
1978
Performed one of the leading roles in the play, "Bent", as part of the Eugene O'Neill Festival
1979
Made film debut in the feature, "French Postcards"
1979
Recreated his role in the play, "Bent", for a Broadway production in which he played opposite Richard Gere
1981
First TV-movie, "Kent State"
1981
Played a leading role in the short-lived Broadway play, "The Survivor"
1984
Attracted some attention with his role in the feature, "American Flyer"
1989
Acted in the Los Angeles stage revival of the play, "The Marriage of Bette and Boo"
1989
Played recurring role of Russell in the ABC serial drama, "thirtysomething"
1990
Acted in the off-Broadway comedy, "Making Movies"
1993
First play "Snakebit" produced at the Remains Theater in Chicago, starring D W Moffett and directed by Campbell Scott
1993
Hosted "The Life of Billy the Kid", a documentary biography which aired on TV's Disney Channel
1998
"Snakebit" performed at Naked Angels in NYC in a production directed by Jace Alexander; moved to commercial run Off-Broadway
1998
Appeared opposite "Angels in America" co-star Marcia Gay Harden in the Lifetime TV-movie "Labor of Love", playing a gay man who agrees to father a child
2000
Second play "Current Events" premiered Off-Broadway produced by the Manhattan Theater Club
2001
Wrote the teleplay for "Jenifer" (CBS), about Jenifer Estess, one of the co-founders of Project ALS
