Michael Jeter
Highest Rated: 97% Zelig (1983)
Lowest Rated: 14% South of Heaven, West of Hell (2000)
Birthday: Aug 26, 1952
Birthplace: Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, USA
Versatile character player of the NYC stage with a mild Tennessee twang who is best known for his Emmy award-winning portrayal of likeable dweeb Herman Stiles, assistant coach to Burt Reynolds on the southern fried sitcom "Evening Shade" (CBS, 1990-94). Jeter first gained acclaim--and a Tony award--for his featured turn as the dying clerical worker (played in the original film by Lionel Barrymore) in the Broadway hit "Grand Hotel, The Musical" (1990). His off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway credits have included "The Boys Next Door," "Greater Tuna," and "Cloud 9." Jeter's film and TV credits extend back to 1979 when he made his feature debut with a small role in Milos Forman's film version of "Hair." He has appeared in a number of TV-movies and miniseries including "Gypsy" (CBS, 1993), starring Bette Midler, and "Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City" (PBS, 1994). Jeter has fared well playing extreme characters, such as in his small but indelible role as a homeless cabaret singer with AIDS in Terry Gilliam's "The Fisher King" (1991). He was nominated for another Emmy for playing a decidedly eccentric frog breeder in a 1993 episode of the quirky CBS-TV drama "Picket Fences"--a part written specially for him. Back on the big screen, Jeter provided sturdy comic support to Whoopi Goldberg in "Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit" (1993), proved adept in the Wesley Snipes actioner "Drop Zone" (1994) as a nerdy computer whiz wanted by both the cops and the crooks. In an emotional TV interview with Jann Carl of "Entertainment Tonight" in July 1997, Jeter disclosed that he had tested positive for HIV. He remained active in the industry, though, turning in a fine performance as a Cajun death row inmate in the Oscar-nominated "The Green Mile" (1999) and joining the cast of the long-running PBS children's series "Sesame Street" in 2000 as Mr. Noodle in the "Elmo's World" segments. After a turn in the high-profile sequel "Jurassic Park III" (2001) Jeter had a notable supporting turn as one of the loveable losers hoping for a big heist in "Welcome to Colinwood" (2002) and was tapped by director-star Kevin Costner to appear in the Western "Open Range" (2003). The actor had just completed a turn in a Performance Capture suit to film his dual role as the CGI characters Smokey and Steamer in the Robert Zemeckis-directed "The Polar Express" (2004), again opposite Hanks, when he died unexpectedly of undetermined causes.
Photos
Michael Jeter
Filmography
Movies
Credit | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
56% |
|
The Polar Express |
Smokey/ |
$125.9M | 2004 |
79% |
|
Open Range | Percy (Character) | $58.3M | 2003 |
55% |
|
Welcome to Collinwood | Toto (Character) | $334.0K | 2002 |
49% |
|
Jurassic Park III | Udesky (Character) | $181.2M | 2001 |
14% |
|
South of Heaven, West of Hell | Uncle Jude (Character) | $26.4K | 2000 |
58% |
|
The Gift | Gerald Weems (Character) | $12.0M | 2000 |
29% |
|
Jakob the Liar | Avron (Character) | $5.0M | 1999 |
79% |
|
The Green Mile | Eduard 'Del' Delacroix (Character) | $136.8M | 1999 |
56% |
|
True Crime | Dale Porterhouse (Character) | $16.6M | 1999 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Ransom of Red Chief | Bill Driscoll (Character) | - | 1998 |
No Score Yet |
|
Zack and Reba | Oras (Character) | - | 1998 |
21% |
|
Patch Adams | Rudy (Character) | $135.0M | 1998 |
51% |
|
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas | L. Ron Bumquist (Character) | $10.6M | 1998 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Race for Atlantis | Pindar (Voice) | - | 1998 |
43% |
|
Thursday | Dr. Jarvis (Character) | $2.0K | 1998 |
48% |
|
Air Bud |
Norman F. 'Norm' Snively/ |
$24.6M | 1997 |
44% |
|
Mouse Hunt | Quincy Thorpe (Character) | $61.8M | 1997 |
No Score Yet |
|
Mrs. Santa Claus | Arvo (Character) | - | 1996 |
No Score Yet |
|
The Boys Next Door | Arnold Wiggins (Character) | - | 1996 |
47% |
|
Waterworld | Old Gregor (Character) | $88.2M | 1995 |
39% |
|
Drop Zone | Earl Leedy (Character) | $26.7M | 1994 |
No Score Yet |
|
Bank Robber | Night Clerk 1 (Character) | - | 1993 |
63% |
|
Gypsy | Mr. Goldstone (Character) | - | 1993 |
18% |
|
Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit | Father Ignatius (Character) | $57.0M | 1993 |
85% |
|
The Fisher King | Homeless cabaret singer (Character) | $39.4M | 1991 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Just Like in the Movies | Vernon (Character) | - | 1990 |
97% |
|
Zelig | Freshman #2 (Character) | - | 1983 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | My Old Man | George Gardner (Character) | - | 1979 |
TV
Credit | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Sesame Street |
Unknown (Guest Star), Music Performer, Guest |
1998 2000 2002 2004 |
No Score Yet | 95% | Hey Arnold! | Unknown (Guest Voice) | 2002 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Touched by an Angel | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1999 |
50% | No Score Yet | Second Noah | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1997 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Murphy Brown | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1997 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Suddenly Susan | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1996 |
38% | No Score Yet | Can't Hurry Love | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1996 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Chicago Hope | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1995 |
82% | 92% | Picket Fences | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1995 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Evening Shade | Herman Stiles (Character) | 1990-1994 |