Michael Jeter

Michael Jeter
the 44th Emmy Awards, August 1992
Occupation	Actor
Spouse	Sean Blue (1995-2003)

Michael Jeter (August 26, 1952 – March 30, 2003) was an American actor.

Biography

Early life

Michael Jeter was born in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee to Virginia and William Jeter, a dentist. Jeter was a student at Memphis State University (now the University of Memphis) when his interests changed from medicine to acting. He performed in several plays and musicals at Circuit Theatre and its sister theatre Playhouse on the Square in mid-town Memphis. He left Memphis to further pursue his stage career in Baltimore, Maryland, as he had heard it was hard to get work in New York without an Equity card.

Career

His woebegone look, extreme flexibility and high energy led Tommy Tune to cast him in the Off-Broadway Cloud 9 and, on Broadway, in a memorable role in the musical Grand Hotel, for which he won a Tony Award in 1990. Much of his film and television work specialized in playing eccentric, pretentious or wimpy characters, as in The Fisher King, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and Drop Zone. Although occasionally, Jeter was able to stay away from these kinds of roles for more appealing characters like Jurassic Park III, Air Bud, The Green Mile and Open Range. He won an Emmy award in 1992 for his role in the television sitcom Evening Shade. He was also a favorite with younger audiences in his role as "Mr. Noodle's brother Mr. Noodle" on Sesame Street from 2000 to 2003. The movies The Polar Express and Open Range are dedicated to his memory.

Personal life

Jeter was open about being gay and his troubles with drug and alcohol addiction, and for a short time retired from entertainment. He returned to voice Smokey and Steamer in The Polar Express for which he received praise. It was his final film role and the movie was dedicated to him with a statement at the very end of the credits reading, "Dedicated to the memory of Michael Jeter" with his photo next to it. He was diagnosed HIV-positive in 1997, although he died from an epileptic seizure . He was cremated and his ashes were scattered.

Work

Theatre

• Once in a Lifetime
• G. R. Point
• Cloud 9
• Grand Hotel
• Alice in Concert
• Greater Tuna

Television

• Mrs. Santa Claus (1996, as Santa's right-hand elf)
• Evening Shade (1990-1994, as Herman Stiles)
• Tales of the City (1994 PBS miniseries)
• Gypsy (1993 TV version)
• Sesame Street: as Elmo's friend "Mr. Noodle's Brother, Mr. Noodle"
• Picket Fences
• Hothouse (1988)
• From Here to Eternity
• Taken
• Alice at the Palace (1981)

Filmography

The Polar Express (2004) Open Range (2003) Welcome to Collinwood (2002) Jurassic Park III (2001) The Green Mile (1999) The Gift (2000) Jakob the Liar (1999) True Crime (1999) The Ransom of Red Chief (1998) Patch Adams (1998) Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998) The Naked Man (1998) Mouse Hunt (1997), Quincy Thorpe

Air Bud (1997) The Boys Next Door (1996) Waterworld (1995) Drop Zone (1994) Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993) The Fisher King (1991) Tango & Cash (1989) Dead Bang (1989) The Money Pit (1986) Zelig (1983) Ragtime (1981) Hair (1979)

External links

• Michael Jeter at Find a Grave
• Please use a more specific IBDB template. See the documentation for available templates.

{{subst:#if:Jeter, Michael|}} [[Category:{{subst:#switch:{{subst:uc:1952}}

|| UNKNOWN | MISSING = Year of birth missing {{subst:#switch:{{subst:uc:2003}}||LIVING=(living people)}}
| #default = 1952 births

}}]] {{subst:#switch:{{subst:uc:2003}}

|| LIVING  = 
| MISSING  = 
| UNKNOWN  = 
| #default = 

}}