David Alan Grier stars as the Cowardly Lion on NBC's holiday production of "The Wiz Live!"

Countless theater, television, film and comedic endeavors have pushed Grier's career to remarkable heights. His ability to excel across all mediums and contexts is a testament to his inherent sense of comic timing and creative drive. The three-time Tony and Grammy Award nominee was trained in Shakespeare and received an MFA from the Yale School of Drama. Grier 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."

On the big screen, Grier recently starred in "Peeples" (2013), opposite Kerry Washington and Craig Robinson. He made his film debut in "Streamers" (1983), directed by Robert Altman, for which he won the Golden Lion for Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival. He also appeared in the Wayans Brothers' spoof movie "Dance Flick" (2009).

Grier's television work is highlighted by his turn as a principal cast member on the Emmy-winning series "In Living Color" (1990–94), where he created and portrayed some of the show's most memorable characters. He starred on "DAG" (2000–01) and "Life with Bonnie" (2003), which earned him NAACP Image Award and Golden Satellite Award nominations. In 2008, Grier created, wrote and starred on Comedy Central's "Chocolate News." Last year, he starred as Principal Carl Gaines on "Bad Teacher" on CBS.

Grier began his professional career on Broadway as Jackie Robinson in "The First," for which he earned a Tony nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Musical and won the Theatre World Award (1981). He then joined the cast of "Dreamgirls" before going on to star opposite Denzel Washington in "A Soldier's Play," for which both actors reprised their roles in the film adaptation, "A Soldier's Story" (1984).

In 2009-10 Grier starred in David Mamet's acclaimed play "Race," opposite James Spader and Kerry Washington at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre on Broadway, for which he received his second Tony nomination. He received his third Tony nomination in 2012 for his performance in "The Gershwins' Porgy & Bess." In 2013, Grier received his first Grammy nomination for the cast recording of "The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess," which was nominated for Best Musical Theater Album.