Michael Jeter

Michael Jeter (August 26, 1952 – March 30, 2003) was an American actor born in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, to William Claud Jeter, a dentist, and Virginia Jeter, a housewife. He had one brother and four sisters. Jeter enrolled at Memphis State University intending to study medicine before shifting his focus to acting. During his time in Memphis, he performed in productions at the Circuit Theatre and its partner venue, the Playhouse on the Square, in midtown Memphis. He subsequently relocated to Baltimore, Maryland, to continue developing his stage career.

Jeter's Broadway career spanned from 1978 to 1989. He made his Broadway debut in the musical Once in a Lifetime in 1979, for which he received a Theatre World Award. He followed that with an appearance in G. R. Point before going on to his most celebrated stage role: Otto Kringelein in the musical Grand Hotel, which opened in 1989. That performance earned him both a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical and a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical, both in 1990. While accepting the Tony Award, Jeter publicly announced that he was in recovery from substance abuse. His stage work also included the role of Giuseppe Zangara in the musical Assassins in 1989. Earlier in his career, Tommy Tune cast him in the off-Broadway production of Cloud 9 in 1981, a role for which Jeter's physical flexibility and high energy were noted as key factors in his casting.

Following his Broadway success, Jeter joined the cast of the CBS sitcom Evening Shade, portraying Herman Stiles from 1990 to 1994. His performance on the series earned him a Primetime Emmy Award. On film, he appeared in a wide range of productions, including Zelig (1983), Miller's Crossing (1990), The Fisher King (1991), Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993), Air Bud (1997), Mouse Hunt (1997), Patch Adams (1998), The Green Mile (1999), Jurassic Park III (2001), Open Range (2003), and The Polar Express (2004). In The Green Mile, he portrayed convicted felon Eduard Delacroix, a role for which he and the rest of the cast received a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination. From 2000 to 2003, Jeter appeared on Sesame Street as Mr. Noodle's brother, Mister Noodle, in the Elmo's World segments. He also appeared in a 1999 episode of Touched by an Angel as Gus, an insurance salesman, in the episode titled "The Man Upstairs."

In his personal life, Jeter was gay and had been in a relationship with his partner, Sean Blue, since 1995. In a 1997 interview on Entertainment Tonight, he publicly disclosed a medical diagnosis. On March 30, 2003, Blue discovered Jeter at their home in Hollywood Hills, California. He was 50 years old. The cause of death was reported as complications following an epileptic seizure. Jeter was cremated, and his ashes were given to Blue. Both Open Range and The Polar Express were in post-production at the time of his death and were released with dedications to his memory. The season 35 premiere of Sesame Street, a special titled "The Street We Live On," was likewise dedicated to Jeter.