Now, one may be thinking I'm doing this because of the fact that these two gentleman's names are reversals of one another's, and therefore there is comic value.
Wrong. (Well, maybe a little.)
I am a huge fan of both, and have been for decades. And in many ways, chronologically and cinematically their careers parallel.
Unlike Keith David, David Keith is not classically trained, but peruse this piece of information and learn that he paid his dues learning his craft:
I'll start with David Keith because during the very early 80's he was frequently a major player in big budget films. (And I took notice of many on Spectrum!) He appeared in large roles in Take This Job and Shove It, Firestarter, The Lords of Discipline (disappointing, but it is based on one of my favorite novels of all time), Brubaker, White of the Eye (An inexplicable and beautifully shot suspense film that paves the normal 80's murder mystery path before having a not unwelcome third act seizure), and Gulag, as well as supporting parts in An Officer and A Gentleman (earning a golden globe nomination), The Rose, and Back Roads.
There were missteps, of course. During that 80's run, He directed The Further Adventures of Tennessee Buck, complete with notorious tone-deaf and disturbing moments that would have cultivated the same controversy as Revenge of the Nerds' cringe-inducing waterbed Darth Vader scene, if it had achieved the same success and following as Revenge.
However he must be commended for having the cojones to take on H.P. Lovecraft's Colour out of Space in his film, The Curse. Many said it couldn't be filmed. He gave it a shot. Good luck finding it. It doesn't appear to be streaming and the Scream Factory blu appears to be an expensive rarity.
He has popped up in many television, film and direct to video roles and continues to do so to this day. Active recurrently in occasional "A-film" roles such as uber-asshole slugger Jack Parkman in Major League II, "The Devil" Jack Murdock in Mark Steven Johnson's unfairly maligned (especially if you watch the Director's Cut) Daredevil, and one of McConaughey's right hand men in Jonathan Mostow's eternally underrated U-571. (He also seems to play dudes named Jack a lot). He did a fine job as the doubtful detective tracking desperate thief James Spader in the underrated The Stick-Up.
The 2000's for the most part have offered more than its fair share of less than comparative quality, but he's still there.
Keith has the rare ability to be both menacing and kind-hearted, and despite his not cracking the "actor's A-list", that versatility has kept him employed.
A burly guy from Tennessee (the college hat worn several times in White of the Eye, despite his character being from Tucson) with a borderline southern accent, piercing eyes, and a twisty grin, he's a "Hey! it's that guy!" familiar face to many. One of those actors like the terrific Treat Williams, who must have either had an ineffectual agent or just made bad choices for roles. Constantly busy, but not appearing in too many blockbuster films.
He was this damn close, though.
As I said, however, he's still working to this day. I've seen him guest star on major television series like Law & Order: SVU (an effective appearance, this), Hawaii Five-O, among many others, and in many supporting film roles, and he also has a few upcoming movies and a series in the pipe. Socially active, he’s a voice against sexual assault and trafficking.
I liked him a lot in his youth, as his voice and intensity did set him apart from a large portion of his peers. I regarded him as one of my favorite actors as a kid. He hasn’t gone anywhere, but it’s unfortunate he didn't catch that wind of superstardom. Since the late-90's kicked in, the level of material dwindled, but he's been an effective and busy movie journeyman, one whose name and screen presence at least carried the juice to get him leads in direct-to-video films for a substantial period of time.
Let’s just say if David’s in it, I'm probably interested.
