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David Alan Grier Talks St. Denis Medical and the Secret to Comedy Success: "That's Why People Come Back"
David Alan Grier plays Ron on NBC's newest comedy, St. Denis Medical. Here's why he took on the role.
Tony Award-winning actor David Alan Grier has accomplished much in his career across stage, film, and TV. So, when he decides to sign on to a project like NBC’s St. Denis Medical, it’s because there’s something he finds really appealing about it.
Despite only being a few episodes in, St. Denis Medical is proving to be a hit among viewers with its premiere raking in big ratings. As people continue to discover the show both on NBC and streaming on Peacock, it’s rapidly becoming a must-watch for comedy fans thanks in large part to its all-star cast as well as its blend of humor and heart.
RELATED: 5 Peacock Shows to Binge To Prepare for St. Denis Medical
Speaking to NBC Insider in a recent interview, Grier discussed what it was that drew him to playing Ron, an ER surgeon, on the new comedy and why he thinks the show is a viable candidate to rank among the great sitcoms in television history.
“So for me, I really feel like the humor and the comedy is organic and earned in nature,” Grier said of the way co-creators Justin Spitzer and Eric Ledgin craft the show. “I think one person online described it as a 'serial comedy,' meaning we legitimize and we earn those emotional moments and at the same time the laughter, and that’s a tricky balance, but when it’s done correctly it’s closer to real life.”
While the show doesn’t really deal in gallows humor, it mines comedy from the rare moments of respite that happen throughout the day in a hospital where the stakes are always high, which forces good spirits to be even higher. Grier noted that those moments in life are relatable, lending the show a little something special.
“I’ve never been to a funeral in which we didn’t laugh,” he continued. “It’s happened every time. Even in great sadness, at some point, someone is going to say something and we end up laughing about some particular characteristic of the person or the recently departed. That’s real life, but it has to be crafted and acted in a certain way to be believable.”
While blending humor and heart makes the show unique and interesting to Grier, he noted that there’s one other quality he hopes will allow it to run in the same conversations as some of the greatest comedies ever.
“It’s like any successful show, regardless of where it takes place. Abbot Elementary is at a school, Cheers is at a bar, Friends is at some dude’s loft we all know he couldn’t afford,” he joked. “The audience is attracted to the relationship between those characters. If we’re successful, that’s really what brings people back. You become attached to these characters.”
He complimented one of the other great NBC sitcoms for its ability to really play with this concept.
“Seinfeld was great at it. It didn’t matter the situation. It could be what kind of bagel you like, it could be 'You’re sitting in my seat,' just the most benign premises,” he concluded. “But if we do it correctly, that’s why people come back.”
The actor concluded by noting he’s excited for viewers to see what’s in store for the characters of St. Denis Medical — including the cast he’s grown to really respect and have fun with — as the remainder of the season progresses.
New Episodes of St. Denis Medical air Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on NBC and are available to stream the next day on Peacock.
