David Lemuel Keith was born on May 8, 1954, in Knoxville, Tennessee, to Lemuel Grady Keith Jr. and Hilda Earle. He graduated from the University of Tennessee with a Bachelor of Arts in Speech and Theater.
Keith began his acting career with a supporting role in The Rose (1979) starring Bette Midler, followed by a supporting role in Brubaker (1980) and co-starring with Richard Gere in An Officer and a Gentleman (1982). He played a local thug in The Great Santini (1979),starred in The Lords of Discipline (1983),and White of the Eye (1987),and held a prominent supporting role opposite Matthew McConheyaug in U-571 (2000).
Keith also played opposite Drew Barrymore in the science fiction horror film Firestarter (1984),and opposite Brooke Shields and Martin Sheen in Running Wild (1995). He portrayed Elvis Presley in Chris Columbus' Heartbreak Hotel (1988),the cowboy "Boo-Hoo" Boone in Frank Oz's The Indian in the Cupboard (1995),and the leading role of Nate Springfield in the horror film Hangman's Curse (2003).
In addition to his film work, Keith co-starred in the sitcom The Class (2006) as Yonk Allen, a retired professional football player. He has appeared in the horror remake Carrie (2002),Daredevil (2003),Raise Your Voice (2004) starring Hilary Duff, and Expiration Date (2006). Keith has also appeared on the television series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999),Law & Order: Criminal Intent (2001),CSI: Miami (2002),NCIS (2003),and Hawaii Five-0 (2010).
He co-starred as Robert Allen's father John Allen on the short-lived Fox drama series Lone Star (2010).
In his personal life, David Keith married realtor Nancy Clark in 2000, and the couple resides in Knoxville, Tennessee.
