Biography
A handsome African-American actor, Jesse L. Martin broke through as part of the original cast of the seminal 1996 Broadway musical, "Rent," a late-1980s, NYC/HIV gloss on Puccini's classic opera "La Bohème." Martin's performance as Tom Collins, a gay professor and lover of the doomed drag queen Angel, led to a recurring role as Dr. Greg Butters, the seemingly perfect new boyfriend of "Ally McBeal" (Fox, 1997-2002). Showing an impressive …
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Career Milestones
| Born in Virginia | ||
| Worked as a waiter at the Moondance Diner in NYC; trained in the position by Jonathan Larson | ||
1978 | Moved with family to Buffalo, NY | |
1992 | Played recurring role on the CBS daytime drama "Guiding Light" | |
1993 | Broadway debut in the ensemble of the National Actors' Theater production of "Timon of Athens"; directed by Michael Langham | |
1994 | Reunited with Langham for the National Actors' Theater production of "The Inspector General" | |
1995 | Primetime TV debut on the Fox drama "New York Undercover" | |
1996 | Originated the role of Tom Collins in Jonathan Larson's award-winning musical "Rent"; show opened off-Broadway before later moving to Broadway | |
1997 | TV series debut as a regular in the short-lived Fox drama "413 Hope Street" | |
1998 | Feature acting debut in the ensemble of "Restaurant" | |
1998 | Played recurring role of Dr. Greg Butters, a love interest for Calista Flockhart's "Ally McBeal" (Fox) | |
1999 | Joined cast of the NBC drama series "Law & Order" as Detective Ed Green | |
1999 | Played a Negro League Baseball player on an episode of "The X-Files" (Fox), written and directed by David Duchovny | |
2005 | Reprised role of Tom Collins, the HIV-positive computer genius in Chris Columbus directed feature adaptation of "Rent" | |
2008 | Made a guest cameo as a postal worker in the TV movie "A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa" (NBC) | |
2010 | Performed for the Public Theater in New York's Central Park in the plays "Winter's Tale" and "The Merchant of Venice" | |
2010 | Returned to Broadway when the production of "The Merchant of Venice" transferred from Shakespeare in the Park | |
2012 | Featured alongside Dolly Parton and Queen Latifah in the musical comedy "Joyful Noise" | |
Awards
2000 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in Law & Order |
2001 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in Law & Order |
2002 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in Law & Order |
2004 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in Law & Order |
2005 | Critics' Choice Award for Best Song in Rent |