Keith David

Actor Keith David was born June 4, 1956, in the neighborhood of Harlem in New York, NY. David became interested in acting after playing the Cowardly Lion in a school production of The Wizard of Oz.

David studied at the School of Performing Arts in Manhattan and at Juilliard. After graduation, he served as an understudy in a production of the William Shakespeare play Coriolanus. In 1980-81 he remained on the stage as part of John Houseman's The Acting Company and in 1982 was cast in the John Carpenter movie The Thing.

For David, it was the beginning of a long career as a film actor in Hollywood that included performances in Dead Presidents, There's Something About Mary, and the cult comedy Men at Work. David also works frequently as a voice-over actor, including a series of United States Navy recruitment spots, video games and TV cartoons. In 1992, he was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical for his performance as Chimney Man in Jelly's Last Jam.