David Alan Grier, an actor and comedian, speaks in front of about 100 people last night.

From an early age, David Alan Grier realized he just couldn’t stop the jokes.

The writer, producer, director and actor’s comedic career began in his first grade classrooms, Grier told an audience of about 100 people yesterday night at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center.

“I know a lot of class clowns are really smart, and they know the lessons being taught; they’re beyond it, they’re bored, so they’re just acting out,” said Grier, one of Comedy Central’s top 100 stand-up comedians of all time. “I just always have to be laughing.”

This semester’s first speaker for the Worldwise Arts & Humanities Dean’s Lecture Series — the program that brought Noam Chomsky, David Simon and Angela Davis to the campus last year — Grier later developed his knack for making people laugh into stand-up and humorous roles in Emmy-winning shows, such as In Living Color.

One of his greatest influences, his father, served as a model for Grier in having a voice and delivering a message — but not through comedy. William Grier penned Black Rage, the 1968 book revealing the complex psychological reactions black Americans have to racism.

William also struggled with polio for most of his life, which motivated his son to perform in Porgy and Bess — the Broadway show has a large focus on a polio-stricken character, and David Alan’s role earned him a Tony Award nomination.

“My dad is my hero, and he is in love with this musical,” Grier said. “There’s a part of himself that sees in this play his own character on that stage.”

Following in his father’s footsteps, Grier has taken on multiple performances that delve into the issue of racial prejudice in modern society. His own book, Barack Like Me: The Chocolate Covered Truth, reveals his personal experiences with racism in America and how the election of President Obama has further influenced this subject.

“I had to tell my story and my relationship to this country, to inform the reader as how this affected me as an African-American man,” he said. “My daughter’s life was changed as soon as I realized Obama had the chance to be elected; she’s not going to grow up in the way I grew up, and that was just amazing.”

Grier also shared experiences from his diverse acting career, which includes roles in films such as Boomerang and Jumanji, Broadway shows such as Race and Dreamgirls and television shows such as DAG and Life With Bonnie. His stories ranged from winning the Golden Lion Award for Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival for his debut 1983 performance in Streamers, to now being cast in the upcoming Tyler Perry-produced movie, We the Peeples.

“I’ve been acting over 30 years and have never had to take another job, and that is a blessing,” Grier said of his success. “I’ve had a fruitful and amazing career, and I’m not done yet. I think it’s very important to diversify. Do serious dramas, do musicals, write, produce, direct and take any and all opportunities.”

According to Sheri Parks, the event’s moderator and an associate American studies dean, Grier’s mix of comedic relief and serious racial undertones in his character portrayals is what makes him a special actor. His ability to raise questions about our society while making people laugh made him a great addition to the third year of the Dean’s Lectures, she said.

“The business of show business does not often allow performers to show a wide range of roles or talents,” she said, “but Grier defies that.”

Freshman business major Alicia Arbaiza appreciated the perspectives Grier shed on racial issues, as well as his insights on finding success in any career.

“He has a really big body of work, and he’s a very eclectic actor,” she said. “He seems to do whatever he’s passionate about, and he took control of his own future, which is very commendable.”