David Alan Grier as Charlie | The Patient on FX
David Alan Grier
Charlie Addison
As Alan’s former therapist and mentor, "Charlie Addison," portrayed by David Alan Grier, often prods Alan by asking uncomfortable but critical questions. He serves as both a guiding light and a coping mechanism for Alan in his new reality.
Career Highlights
Countless theater, television, film and comedic endeavors have pushed David Alan Grier's career to remarkable heights. The Tony Award® winner and GRAMMY® Award nominee received an MFA from the Yale School of Drama and has received many accolades and awards throughout his career, not the least of which was his inclusion on Comedy Central’s list of the “100 Greatest Stand-Ups of All Time.”
Grier’s illustrious television career is highlighted by his turn as a principal cast member on the Emmy Award-winning show In Living Color, where he created and portrayed some of the iconic show’s most memorable characters. Grier most recently appeared in the HBO series A Black Lady Sketch Show and costarred in the Spectrum Original Joe Pickett as “Vern Dunnegan.” Grier appeared on the hit Netflix comedy series Dad Stop Embarrassing Me alongside Jamie Foxx, and will next be seen starring alongside Foxx in the Netflix feature film They Cloned Tyrone.
Grier has appeared in dozens of films, most recently Paramount’s Clifford the Big Red Dog; Netflix’s Coffee and Kareem; The Big Sick produced by Judd Apatow; Arizona starring alongside Kaitlin Olson, Danny McBride, Justin Theroux and Seth Rogen; and Tyler Perry’s Peeples starring alongside Kerry Washington and Craig Robinson. He also costarred in A24’s Native Son and the dramatic indie film Sprinter, produced by Will Smith. Grier notably starred in the original version of the fantasy adventure film Jumanji. He made his film debut in Streamers, directed by Robert Altman, for which he won the Golden Lion for Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival.
Grier began his professional acting career on Broadway as Jackie Robinson in The First, for which he earned his first Tony Award nomination. Grier starred in David Mamet’s acclaimed play Race opposite James Spader and Kerry Washington, for which he received his second Tony Award nomination. He received his third Tony Award nomination for his performance in what The New York Times called the "stand-out role of the rakish, drug-dealing Sporting Life" in Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess.
Sony Pictures Television is developing the multiple award-winning play A Soldiers Play as a limited series, which will be titled A Soldiers Story. Grier, who won the Tony Award in 2022 for his role as “Sgt. Vernon Waters” on Broadway, will star and executive produce the series.