Taye Diggs facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Taye Diggs
Taye Diggs in 2018
Born	Scott Leo Berry (1971-01-02) January 2, 1971 (age 54) Newark, New Jersey, U.S.
Alma mater	Syracuse University (BFA)
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1994–present
Spouse(s)	Idina Menzel ​ ​ (m. 2003; div. 2014)​
Children	1
Relatives	Misty Copeland (cousin-in-law)

Scott Leo Diggs, better known as Taye Diggs, was born Scott Leo Berry on January 2, 1971. He is a talented American actor. Taye is famous for his roles in popular Broadway musicals like Rent and Hedwig and the Angry Inch. He has also starred in many TV shows, including Private Practice (2007–2013), Murder in the First (2014–2016), and All American (2018–2023). You might also know him from movies such as How Stella Got Her Groove Back (1998), Brown Sugar, Chicago (both 2002), and The Best Man (1999) and its sequel, The Best Man Holiday (2013).

Taye Diggs: Early Life and Education

Taye Diggs was born in Newark, New Jersey, U.S. He grew up in Rochester, New York. His mother, Marcia, was a teacher and actress. His father, Andre Young, is an artist. When Taye was a child, his mother married Jeffries Diggs, and Taye took his stepfather's last name. His nickname, "Taye," came from a playful way of saying "Scotty" as "Scottay."

Taye is the oldest of five children. He has two brothers, Gabriel and Michael, and two sisters, Christian and Shalom. He went to Allendale Columbia School and later to School of the Arts in Rochester. In 1993, he earned a BFA degree in musical theater from Syracuse University.

Before becoming famous, Taye performed in summer theaters in New Hampshire. His first role on Broadway was in 1994 in the musical Carousel. In 1995, he also worked as a dancer at Sebastian's Caribbean Carnival in Tokyo Disneyland.

Taye Diggs: Acting Career Highlights

Taye Diggs became widely known in 1996 when he played the character Benny in the musical Rent. This show won a Tony Award and a Pulitzer Prize. His future wife, Idina Menzel, also starred in Rent. After Rent, he appeared in another musical called The Wild Party.

Taye also played The Bandleader in the 2002 movie Chicago, which was based on the Broadway musical. He even filled in as the character Billy Flynn on Broadway. Later, he temporarily played Fiyero in the musical Wicked, where Idina Menzel played Elphaba.

Moving to TV and Film

Taye then started acting on television, first on the soap opera Guiding Light. In 1998, he made his first movie appearance in How Stella Got Her Groove Back. This movie helped him become very popular. The next year, he was in the movie Go and starred in The Wood. In The Best Man, he played the main character, an author.

He also starred in the 1999 horror movie House on Haunted Hill. Taye even appeared on America's Next Top Model to help contestants with an acting challenge. He had a notable role as a lawyer named Jackson Duper on the comedy-drama Ally McBeal.

Taye played the main character in the TV series Kevin Hill from 2004 to 2005. He also returned to play Benny in the 2005 Rent movie. In 2002, he was in the movie Equilibrium with Christian Bale.

In 2003, Taye was pranked on the TV show Punk'd. In 2006, he had a guest role on Will & Grace. He then starred in the show Day Break, where he played a detective stuck reliving the same day.

Later Roles and Children's Books

From 2007 to 2013, Taye Diggs co-starred as Sam Bennett in Private Practice, a spin-off of Grey's Anatomy. He also narrated a documentary called The Fab Five about famous basketball players. In 2011, he was in the movie Dylan Dog: Dead of Night.

From 2014 to 2016, Taye starred in the crime drama Murder in the First. Taye is also a children's book author! He has written four books: Mixed Me! (2015), Chocolate Me (2015), I Love You More Than... (2018), and My Friend! (2021). All his books are illustrated by Shane Evans (artist).

In 2015, Taye returned to Broadway to play Hedwig in Hedwig and the Angry Inch. In 2017, he voiced Capper the cat in My Little Pony: The Movie.

Taye has appeared twice on Lip Sync Battle and is the only person to win the show twice. He hosted the game show Hypnotize Me in 2019. More recently, he starred in the horror film Incarnation (2022) and the streaming film The Comeback (2023). He also executive produced and starred in Terry McMillan Presents: Forever in 2024.

Taye Diggs earns money from his acting, singing, and writing. His total earnings are estimated to be around $16 million.

Taye Diggs: Personal Life

Taye Diggs is a co-artistic director of a dance company called Dre.dance. He runs it with Andrew Palermo, who also went to the School of the Arts.

Taye married his Rent co-star, actress Idina Menzel, on January 11, 2003. Their son, Walker Nathaniel Diggs, was born on September 2, 2009. They separated in 2013 and their divorce was finalized in 2014.

From 2014 to 2019, Taye was in a relationship with real estate agent Amanza Smith. From 2021 to 2023, he was in a relationship with Apryl Jones.

Taye Diggs: Film Appearances

Taye Diggs: Television Roles

Taye Diggs: Music Videos

Taye Diggs: Stage Performances

Taye Diggs: Awards and Nominations

Taye Diggs has received several awards and nominations for his acting work:

See also

In Spanish: Taye Diggs para niños