Michael Jeter
Michael Jeter | |
|---|---|
 At the 45th Emmy Awards, August 1993 | |
| Born | August 26, 1952 Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Died | March 30, 2003 (aged 50) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Cause of death | HIV |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Memphis State University |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1979–2003 |
| Spouse | |
Michael Jeter (August 26, 1952 – March 30, 2003) was an American actor.
Early life
Michael Jeter was born in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee. His mother, Virginia (née Raines), was a housewife. His father, William Claud Jeter (March 10, 1922 – March 1, 2010),[1] was a dentist. Jeter had one brother, William, and four sisters, Virginia, Amanda, Emily, and Larie.[2] 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 the Circuit Theatre and its sister theatre, the Playhouse on the Square, in mid-town Memphis. He left Memphis to further pursue his stage career in Baltimore, Maryland.
Jeter was in a relationship with Sean Blue from 1995 until his death in 2003.
Career
His woebegone look, extreme flexibility, and high energy led Tommy Tune to cast him in the off-Broadway play, Cloud 9, and again on Broadway in a memorable role in the musical Grand Hotel, for which he won a Tony Award in 1990. Much of his work specialized in playing eccentric, pretentious, or wimpy characters, as in The Fisher King, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, and Drop Zone. Occasionally, Jeter was able to stay away from these types of roles for more diverse characters like those he portrayed in Jurassic Park III (where he was killed by a dinosaur), Air Bud, The Green Mile, and Open Range. He won an Emmy Award in 1992 for his role in the television sitcom Evening Shade as math teacher and assistant football coach Herman Stiles. In the Evening Shade episode "Chip Off the Old Brick" Brian Keith plays his macho truck driver father, Brick Stiles. 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.[3][4] He appeared in an episode of Touched by an Angel in 1999 as Gus an Insurance Salesman who arrives in Las Vegas in the episode, 'The Man Upstairs'.[5]
Death
On March 30, 2003, Jeter was found dead in his Hollywood home at the age of 50, victim to HIV positive.[6] He was cremated and his ashes were scattered.[7]
Tributes
The Polar Express, in which Jeter played Smokey and Steamer using motion-capture, 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.[8]
Work
Theatre
Television
- Touched by an Angel (1999 as Gus)
- 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)
- Sesame Street (as Mr. Noodle's brother, Mr. Noodle, in Elmo's world)
- Picket Fences
- Hothouse (1988)
- From Here to Eternity
- Taken
- Alice at the Palace (1981)
Filmography
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References
- ^ [1]
- ^ "Michael Jeter Biography". filmreference. 2008. Retrieved 2008-07-06.
- ^ The Polar Express film credits.
- ^ Open Range film credits.
- ^ http://www.touched.com/episodeguide/seasonfive/516.html
- ^ "Actor Michael Jeter Dead At 50". CBS. April 1, 2003.
- ^ http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Jeter&GSfn=Michael&GSbyrel=all&GSdyrel=all&GSob=n&GRid=7319052&df=all&
- ^ The Advocate, September 2, 1997
External links
- 1952 births
- 2003 deaths
- American film actors
- American musical theatre actors
- American stage actors
- American television actors
- American voice actors
- Drama Desk Award winners
- Emmy Award winners
- Gay actors
- People from Lawrence County, Tennessee
- Actors from Tennessee
- Theatre World Award winners
- Tony Award winners
- University of Memphis alumni
- LGBT people from the United States