Race Tony Nominee David Alan Grier Shares How He Stays Positive and Moist

Tony nominee David Alan Grier, who plays lawyer Henry Brown in David Mamet’s Race, has had a long career as a performer. He was nominated for a Tony for his Broadway debut in The First in 1981, and he's done everything from musical theater (Dreamgirls, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum) to television comedy (In Living Color, Chocolate News) and a whole lot more. Needless to say, the easygoing Grier knows what he needs in a backstage space. Read on to see what the star keeps close at hand in his digs at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre, where he stars opposite James Spader, Kerry Washington and Richard Thomas in Mamet’s explosive drama.

Photo by Jenny Anderson for Broadway.com


“Here’s my picture of [Race co-star] Richard Thomas and me. It makes me laugh! We look like a middle-aged gay couple celebrating same-sex marriage. It was taken at a benefit for Haiti, but it doesn’t look like we’re raising much money in that picture.”


“This is very important: my couch. You gotta have a couch, man! One of the first plays I did was A Soldier’s Play. I was doing Dreamgirls at night, and then during the day, I was rehearsing A Soldier’s Play. I always needed to rest and all they had was an Equity couch. It was like a rubber mat under a table. This is much nicer. I throw the pillows off and crash out with Chinese food.”


“This little card says, ‘Be fearless! Be the best!’ Kerry Washington had all of these positive affirmations in her dressing room, and James Spader went up there and he’s like, 'Oh my God! You’ve got to see this!' So we all ran up there and stole them and put them around. We gave her more apropos sayings—stuff like, ‘Give up, all is lost!’”


“Someone said to me, 'Oh, you’ve got to get a humidifier. If you don’t, you’re voice will be ruined.' And I was like, 'Really? OK!' So the humidifier is always here. I have one in my house—everywhere. I was into the negative ionizer thing, which is supposed to take all of the particles out, but that’s too much. I’m over that.”


“I used to bring my computer and external speakers, but then you have to carry all that stuff home. The iPhone is the smallest, most compact personal computer device. I can check my email and then just put it in my pocket and go home.”