David Alan Grier is looking back at two of the biggest near-misses of his career — and he is not pretending he got them right. During a recent appearance on NBC’s Today with Jenna & Sheinelle, the St. Denis Medical star admitted he passed on both Seinfeld and Ace Ventura: Pet Detective before either project became a phenomenon.
Grier said he initially turned down Ace Ventura because he did not think the screenplay worked. The role eventually went to Jim Carrey, who transformed the 1994 comedy into a breakout hit. According to Grier, the version he read did not reflect what audiences ultimately saw in theaters.
“I passed on it because it was a bad script,” he said. “What I didn’t see is what Jim saw, which was, ‘Can I do anything?’”
Grier added that Carrey was given the freedom to completely reshape the character and the movie around his own style.
Grier also said he underestimated just how far Carrey could take the material. “He took that script, and he reinvented it,” Grier explained. “And that’s why it was so successful.”
Ace Ventura may have divided critics when it opened, but it quickly became a box-office hit and later spawned a sequel, an animated series, and a made-for-TV spinoff. The film also helped launch Carrey into one of the biggest movie careers of the 1990s, alongside The Mask and Dumb and Dumber.
At the time, Grier and Carrey were already working together at the time on In Living Color, Fox’s groundbreaking sketch comedy series created by Keenen Ivory Wayans. Running from 1990 through 1994, the show became one of the defining comedy programs of its era, introducing mainstream audiences to a cast that included Carrey, Grier, Jamie Foxx, Tommy Davidson, and members of the Wayans family.
In Living Color was also notable for its cultural impact, mixing sharp social commentary with irreverent comedy at a time when few network shows centered on Black performers.
Grier’s other major regret involved Seinfeld. He revealed that he auditioned for George Costanza and even read opposite Jerry Seinfeld before deciding the sitcom would never work.
“I auditioned for George Costanza,” Grier said. “And I read with Jerry, and it was like, ‘George, tell me about your day.’ And I’m like, ‘This man, he can’t act. It’s not funny. This will never be a hit.’”
The role ultimately went to Jason Alexander, and Seinfeld ran for nine seasons, becoming one of the most influential sitcoms in television history.
Now starring as cynical ER doctor Ron on NBC’s St. Denis Medical, Grier can laugh about the opportunities that slipped away. He wrapped up the story with a blunt assessment that has quickly caught attention online: “Well ... wrong again! The bag was fumbled.”
