Sometimes it takes 40 years to make history.

On Sunday night David Alan Grier made history by winning his first Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play. Grier's portrayal as Tech Sergeant Vernon C. Waters in a Solider's Play is a rare dramatic performance.

90s sketch comedy show 'In Living Color' introduced Grier to many, and he is more known as a comedic actor. However, David Alan Grier is a veteran actor who has been in over 50 television shows and many films. The Yale-trained thespian has consistently demonstrated his abilities over his forty-year career. Soldier's Play presented the right opportunity for Grier to show his range, and he won.

Every win has a back story, and sometimes it takes forty years for an industry to recognise one of its best talents.