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

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

Year Title Role Notes
1979 French Postcards Alex
1980 Happy Birthday, Gemini Randy Hastings
1981 The End of August Robert
1985 American Flyers David Sommers as David Grant
1987 The Big Town Sonny Binkley
1988 Bat*21 Ross Carver [5]
1990 To the Moon, Alice Yuppie Man Short 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 Sinclair Uncredited
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

Year Title Role Notes
1981 Kent State Tom Television film
1982 American Playhouse Bob 1 episode
1983 Legs Sid Lewis Television film
Sessions Josh Television film
1984 Jessie Billy Harding 1 episode
1986 Dallas: The Early Years Digger Barnes Television film
1989 Breaking Point Osterman Television film
1989-1990 Thirtysomething Russell Weller 4 episodes[7]
1990 The Window Jake Television Short
The Hitchhiker Jake 1 episode
1992 What She Doesn't Know Brad Television film
Citizen Cohn Robert F. Kennedy Television film
Through the Eyes of a Killer Max Campbell Television film
Graham Jeb Television film
1993 And the Band Played On Dennis Seeley Television film
1995 Chicago Hope Stephen Tomilson Episode "Internal Affairs"
1996 The Lazarus Man General Philip Sheridan 2 episodes
A Season in Purgatory Jerry Bradley TV Mini Series
1997 Night Sins Father Tom McCoy Television film
Law & Order A.D.A. Charlie Harmon Episodes "Harvest" and "Shadow"
1998 Labor of Love Mickey Wister Television film
Remembering Sex Michael Television film
Nothing Sacred Father Martin Briggs 6 episodes, 3 unaired[8]
2000 Noriega: God's Favorite Drug Dealer Television film
2001 Dawson's Creek Officer Sullivan 1 episode, uncredited
2002 Law & Order: Criminal Intent A.D.A. Peter Bonham Episode "Best Defense"
2004 CSI: Miami Headmaster Brooks Episode "Murder in a Flash"
2005 Numb3rs Brent Hauser Episode "Dirty Bomb"
Alias Ivan Curtis 2 episodes
2008 Eli Stone Martin Ostrow 1 episode
2009 Party Down Stennheiser 1 episode
2018 Code Black Dr. Marchant 1 episode
2023 A Million Little Things Gene Grant 1 episode
2024 Death and Other Details Lawrence Collier 8 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. ^ a b 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.
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