Jesse L. Martin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jesse L. Martin
Martin at the PaleyFest Fall TV Previews 2014 for The Flash
Born	Jesse Lamont Watkins (1969-01-18) January 18, 1969 (age 56) Rocky Mount, Virginia, U.S.
Alma mater	New York University (BA)
Occupation	Actor, singer
Years active	1993–present

Jesse Lamont Martin (born January 18, 1969) is an American actor and singer. He is famous for playing Tom Collins in the Broadway musical Rent. He also played Detective Ed Green on the TV show Law & Order. Later, he became known as Captain Joe West on The Flash. More recently, he stars as Professor Alec Mercer on The Irrational.

Jesse L. Martin's Early Life

Jesse Martin was born in Rocky Mount, Virginia. He was the third of four sons. His father, Jesse Reed Watkins, was a truck driver. His mother, Virginia Price, was a college counselor. Jesse was born two months early.

His parents divorced when he was young. His mother later remarried, and Jesse took his stepfather's last name, Martin.

Moving to Buffalo and Finding Acting

When Jesse was in grade school, his family moved to Buffalo, New York. He didn't like speaking much because of his Southern accent. He was also very shy. A helpful teacher encouraged him to join an after-school drama program.

He was cast as a pastor in a play called The Golden Goose. Since he was from Virginia, he played the character like a lively Southern preacher. Everyone loved it, and Jesse started to come out of his shell.

High School and College

Jesse went to high school at the Buffalo Academy for Visual and Performing Arts. There, his classmates voted him "Most Talented."

After high school, he went to New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. He studied theatre there. While at NYU, he was also the popular president of Rubin Dorm.

Jesse L. Martin's Acting Career

After college, Jesse toured the country with a group called John Houseman's The Acting Company. He performed in plays like Shakespeare's Rock-in-Roles. He also appeared in local theatre shows, soap operas, and commercials.

To support himself, Jesse worked as a waiter in New York City. One time, while he was serving pizza, an episode of his show Guiding Light aired in the same restaurant. All the waiters gathered to cheer for his performance!

Broadway Success with Rent

Jesse made his first appearance on Broadway in a play called Timon of Athens. He later performed in The Government Inspector.

While working at a diner, he met a writer named Jonathan Larson. Larson also worked at the restaurant. In 1996, Larson's musical Rent became a huge hit. Jesse played the role of Tom Collins, a gay computer expert and professor.

Rent was a modern version of an old opera called La Bohème. The musical won many awards, including Tony Awards and the Pulitzer Prize. In 1998, the Rent show opened in London, England, with Jesse and three other original cast members.

Returning to the Stage

In 2010, Jesse returned to the stage for some big theatre roles. He performed in The Merchant of Venice and The Winter's Tale. These plays were part of The Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park series in Central Park. He played Gratiano and King Polixenes.

The Merchant of Venice later moved to Broadway. Jesse continued his role as Gratiano for a limited time. He also took part in a special reading of Romeo and Juliet in 2012. This was to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Delacorte Theater. He performed with famous actors like Meryl Streep and Kevin Kline.

Television Roles

Jesse Martin got roles on TV shows like 413 Hope St. and in the film Restaurant. The creator of Ally McBeal, David E. Kelley, saw Jesse in Rent. He remembered Jesse when his show needed a new character. Jesse played Dr. Greg Butters on Ally McBeal.

His performance caught the eye of David Duchovny. Duchovny cast Jesse as a baseball-playing alien in an episode of The X-Files in 1999.

Starring in Law & Order

While still on Ally McBeal, Jesse heard that actor Benjamin Bratt might leave Law & Order. Jesse had tried out for Law & Order years before. He decided to wait for a bigger part.

Jesse talked to Law & Order producer Dick Wolf. Wolf wanted to cast him. When Wolf heard that other networks wanted Jesse, he gave him the role without an audition.

From 1999 to 2008, Jesse starred as Detective Edward "Ed" Green on Law & Order. He was one of the longest-serving cast members on the show. He took a short break in 2005 to film the movie version of Rent. He played Tom Collins again in the movie. Jesse's last episode of Law & Order aired in April 2008.

The Flash and Other TV Shows

In 2012, Jesse joined the cast of Smash. He played Scott Nichols, an artistic director.

Jesse played Joe West in the superhero series The Flash. This show started in October 2014. In 2018, Jesse had a back injury. He had to take a break from The Flash for a few months. He returned to the show in January 2019. He left The Flash as a regular cast member after the eighth season. He then got the lead role in the NBC show The Irrational.

Other Work

Jesse Martin has narrated audio books. These include The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin. He also helped produce an off-Broadway play called Fully Committed. He worked on this with his Rent co-star Adam Pascal.

Jesse is on the board of trustees for the Jonathan Larson Performing Arts Foundation. This foundation helps artists.

Personal Life

In 2018, Jesse Martin had a back injury during the summer. He took time off from The Flash to recover.

For most of his career, he lived in New York City. Now, he lives in Vancouver, Canada.

Stage work

• Ring of Men (off-Broadway) – unknown date and character
• The Prince and the Pauper (off-Broadway) – unknown character and date
• Arabian Nights (off-Broadway) – Prince of Fools, Clarinetist, Boy (1994)
• The Butcher's Daughter (Cleveland Playhouse) – unknown character (1993)
• Timon of Athens (Broadway Premiere) – "Alcibiades' Officer" (original), "Second Masseur" (original), Alcibiades (understudy) (1993).
• The Government Inspector (Broadway revival) – Abdulin (original), Panteleyeva (understudy) (1994)
• Rent (off-Broadway) – Tom Collins (1996)
• Rent (Broadway) – Tom Collins (1996)
• Rent (West End) – Tom Collins (1998)
• Bright Lights, Big City (musical) (concept recording) – Tad
• The Threepenny Opera (Williamstown, MA; Williamstown Theatre Festival Production) – Macheath (2003)
• The Merchant of Venice (Shakespeare in the Park) – Gratiano (summer 2010)
• The Winter's Tale (Shakespeare in the Park) – King Polixenes (summer 2010)
• The Merchant of Venice (Broadway) – Gratiano (2010); transfer from the Shakespeare in the Park production
• Romeo and Juliet (Public Theater; Delacorte Theatre's 50th anniversary) – Gregory, Friar John, Watchman 2 (2012)

Filmography

Film

Television

Images for kids

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  Martin at the 2006 Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS Annual Grand Auction and Flea Market

See also

In Spanish: Jesse L. Martin para niños