Key Takeaways
- Damon Wayans Sr. jumped at the chance to reunite with David Alan Grier on St. Denis Medical, saying, “They only had to say David wanted you to do this.”
- Wayans plays Dr. Highland, a charming but pompous physician filling in while Grier’s Dr. Ron recovers from heart surgery, in the NBC comedy’s Season 3 premiere on Nov. 2.
- The former In Living Color partners share few scenes, but Wayans says their decades-long chemistry remains intact and hopes viewers feel their mutual love—and laugh.
Damon Wayans Sr. didn't need a script, a pitch meeting, or much convincing to reunite with David Alan Grier on NBC's St. Denis Medical. All he needed to hear was that his old In Living Color partner wanted him there.
"They only had to say David wanted you to do this. I didn't even really need to read the script," Wayans said. "David has always answered my calls to be in many different projects that I've done. So it was a joy and privilege to return the favor."
Wayans will play Dr. Highland, a charming but pompous physician brought in while Grier's character, Dr. Ron, recovers from heart surgery. Highland immediately becomes the hospital's new favorite, much to the irritation of supervising nurse Alex, played by Allison Tolman.
Of course, this isn't the first time Wayans and Grier have played off each other. The two became household names on In Living Color, where their "Men on Film" sketches introduced audiences to Blaine Edwards and Antoine Merriweather, two flamboyant cultural critics who could dismiss an entire movie with one emphatic "Hated it!"
Their elaborate "two snaps up" routines became part of the show's legacy, although the characters' exaggerated portrayals of gay Black men also drew criticism.
More than three decades later, Wayans says their comedic chemistry hasn't lost a step.
"I've always said that David is an honorary Wayans," he said. “There's instant trust, and we both know that if there's a joke on the table, one of us is gonna get it.”
Wayans also called Grier a "Swiss army knife," praising his ability to move between outrageous comedy and genuine emotion. "David was the glue in a lot of sketches. He grounded us. And then when you'd least expect it he'd steal the scene from you,” he said.
Grier was equally excited about getting the band back together. In an interview with KATU, he revealed that Wayans beat him to the punch before he could even extend an invitation. "Before I got a chance to reach out to Damon and say, 'Hey, we'd like you to come and do this,' he texted me and goes, 'I'm doing this, and I can't wait to see you.'"
The pair previously reunited on the 1998 Fox sitcom Damon, and Grier joined the Wayans family during their 2025 NAACP Image Awards Hall of Fame induction.
As for the latest reunion, Wayans admitted they didn't actually share many scenes, but Grier still showed up on his day off to check on him. "We laughed. Can't tell you what we were talking about, but it was hilarious," Wayans said.
And apparently, getting together means catching up on more than just comedy. "He and I don't see each other too often, so when we get together we gossip like little high school kids," he added.
What does he hope viewers take from tuning in to St. Denis Medical? "I hope they feel the love we have for each other. And then I hope they laugh," he said.
