What's going on, man?

This is, uh, one of my favorite moments in life.

-Ooh! -Having you on the show because--

you know why-- because I grew up watching you

and your cast on In Living Color

as one of the funniest group of human beings ever assembled.

(cheering and applause)

You know...

That's not a compliment

'cause you said, "I was a little baby."

-I didn't say that. I said I grew up. -"I was a child."

I said I grew up. Why are you putting words in my mouth?

-I did not say that. -"I was a toddler watching you,

-a middle to late-middle-aged negro." -I didn't say that.

(laughter)

"At the end of your career,

still peddling those stereotypic jokes."

-I did not say that. -No, thank you.

Well, I-I changed it a little bit,

-but thank you. -Just a little. Just a little bit. Editorial.

Um, no, but congratulations.

-Yep. -This year is gonna be 30 years...

The 30-year anniversary of In Living Color,

-which, for many people... -Yes. Yes.

(cheering and applause)

Which, for many people, reshaped the ideas

of, like, what sketch comedy could be,

how a joke could be told.

Some people feel like it was almost, like,

a moment of protest, but do you ever see it like that?

Did you ever see In Living Color as a political statement?

You know, at the time, we didn't,

but, uh, you know, the moment we were going through it,

it was very much about the stuff

that we as people of color-- black people--

would laugh about amongst ourselves.

-Right. -We were able to put it on TV.

So it became political, you know?

Sometimes you do an action as a...

an expression of freedom, which becomes political

-just because of its point of view. -Wow. Right.

So-so that's really what it was.

But in the moment, we just wanted to get off, man.

We just wanted to finally tell that joke.

You know that joke I always been telling backstage?

-I want to bring it here. -Right.

And we just threw it out there, man. But it was a ball.

It was a ball. I don't think I ever missed a day of work.

Uh, never. I mean, it was...

We had more fun than people watching it.

-It was really great. Yes. -(laughter)

-It felt like it. It genuinely, genuinely felt like it. -Yes.

And you've gone on to make people laugh.

I mean, like, you are one of the funniest human beings

-I've ever seen onscreen. -Thank you. Thank you.

(cheering and applause)

-What I... what I... -But, wait, you know, Trevor...

No, but what I d-- what I didn't know-- what I didn't know is

I-I genuinely didn't know until a few years ago

-how powerful you were as a dramatic actor as well. -Mm.

-You know? -I try to be. I try to be.

I don't think you try to be. I think you succeed in doing that.

And-and, you know, that's what this-this--

that's what this Broadway play's about.

A Soldier's Play is-is coming to Broadway,

and it's a powerful story.

Well, you know, I didn't even know

it had never been on Broadway.

I was in the original production.

-Right. -I took over for Larry Riley. I played C.J. Memphis.

And I was onstage with Sam Jackson,

Denzel Washington, Adolph Caesar.

Right. This was-- this was the play many people say

actually broke their careers, in many ways.

Yes, man. Yeah. So, I did that for about six months.

Then I did the movie,

uh, and I played Cobb, which was a different role.

-Mm-hmm. -And when Kenny Leon called me,

he said, "You know, this is the Broadway debut."

And I assumed it had already been on Broadway.

And he said, "Would you play Waters?"

And I had to do it, man. I had to do it.

So, it's been a complete circle.

-It's been a complete circle. -It's a--

it's a powerful story as well

that seems to-to live eternally.

-Mm-hmm. -You know? It-It's the story that takes place--

if-if I'm not mistaken-- in 1944, and...

-Yeah, '43. Mm. -'43. '44.

-'43. -Actually, '44, because it's after--

-Yes, you're right. -Okay.

-(laughter) -And so...

And-and it's the story, specifically, from-from--

you know, it's-it's a telling of a story

-about black soldiers -Mm-hmm.

-who are on a base, -Yeah. Yes.

dealing with the dichotomy of fighting for their country

-that oppresses them -Mm-hmm.

as second-class citizens.

Yeah, and there's very much this belief,

um, that was there historically

that is there with their characters that,

by letting us black men fight and die for our country,

then maybe this country will view us

as whole human beings and whole citizens.

So, uh, there's a lot of that talk

of, "This will change everything."

You know? "Just our-our participation

-in this war." -Right.

So, we deal with all that.

-Yeah, and-and what's interest... -And there's music.

-(laughing) -No, I'm just-- I'm just kidding. I'm just kidding.

-There's no music. -♪ It's a musical! ♪

(laughing)

(cheering and applause)

-There's no music! There's no music. -No, there's no music.

-No music. -No, but-but-- but it's a-- it's a...

I-I-- You know, I-I think it's a powerful story

not just because of what happens

but because it's a story that also shows you,

-you know, that black people are not a monolith. -Mm-mm.

You know, because, you know, it's not a story where it's

like, black versus white, it's like, no, no,

it's so much more complex than that.

It's black people themselves saying,

"I define myself as this, this is how I see America.

This is how I see America, this is how I see myself in America."

Well, you know what, um, I remember going to see...

-the original production. -Mm-hmm.

-Um, my college roommate Reg E. Cathey... -Oh, wow.

who has since passed away, but he auditioned for this role.

And he called me up and he said, "Listen, man.

"I'm not gonna get this part.

"But you should call your agent, tell him to send you in.

'Cause I know you could get this part."

So, I did just that, and I went to the theater

the night before my audition for Douglas Turner Ward,

and I'm watching the play.

What you said was one of the unique things.

Back, especially back in '82,

-where you have these 12 ch--, uh characters. -Mm-hmm.

All black, but with all different opinions.

-Right. -All different political points of view.

-Mm-hmm. -So, that's really what was unique.

And they're all spouting it, I mean, and it was amazing

to see on stage, and that's really what-what gives it

all that meat, you know, to the story.

Are you ever shocked or-or disappointed

in any way to think that a story

-that was written and created in the '80s... -Mm-hmm.

could be as pertinent to life in America today?

Yeah, I mean, that, there is a sadness there.

And I know that, uh, talking to Kenny Leon,

he said that Charles Fuller, the author...

the playwright really...

his great regret to this day

is, I'm paraphrasing, but he said, you know,

"I'm still not able to be free;

"to walk freely in this country

as my true self."

So, that points to that.

You know, I'm... I'm weary.

I am tired of talking

about the same racial issues.

These same...

uh, incidents of eq-- inequality.

-Mm-hmm. -Uh, uh...

It-it's wearying, but...

this is where we're at.

We've come some way as a society,

but we have a lot more work to do.

Well, it's gonna be exciting to see you in this play

-playing a third character this time. -Mm-hmm.

The play, uh, runs until March.

Thank you so much for being on the show.

-Man... absolutely! -A true honor.

-Happy to be here. -A Soldier's Play.

Currently in previews, opens January 24

at the American Airlines theater on Broadway.

Make sure you go and see it.

David Alan Grier, everybody.