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Michael Jeter

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.

Highest rated movies

97% 88% Zelig
85% 85% The Fisher King
79% 84% Open Range
79% 94% The Green Mile
63% 75% Gypsy
58% 55% The Gift
56% 49% True Crime
55% 55% Welcome to Collinwood

Filmography

Movies

Credit
56% 64% The Polar Express Smokey/Steamer (Voice) $125.9M 2004
79% 84% Open Range Percy (Character) $58.3M 2003
55% 55% Welcome to Collinwood Toto (Character) $334.0K 2002
49% 37% Jurassic Park III Udesky (Character) $181.2M 2001
14% 26% South of Heaven, West of Hell Uncle Jude (Character) $26.4K 2000
58% 55% The Gift Gerald Weems (Character) $12.0M 2000
29% 63% Jakob the Liar Avron (Character) $5.0M 1999
79% 94% The Green Mile Eduard 'Del' Delacroix (Character) $136.8M 1999
56% 49% True Crime Dale Porterhouse (Character) $16.6M 1999
No Score Yet 47% The Ransom of Red Chief Bill Driscoll (Character) - 1998
No Score Yet 52% Zack and Reba Oras (Character) - 1998
21% 73% Patch Adams Rudy (Character) $135.0M 1998
51% 89% 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% 81% Thursday Dr. Jarvis (Character) $2.0K 1998
48% 38% Air Bud Norman F. 'Norm' Snively/Clown the Hound (Character) $24.6M 1997
44% 49% Mouse Hunt Quincy Thorpe (Character) $61.8M 1997
No Score Yet 61% Mrs. Santa Claus Arvo (Character) - 1996
No Score Yet 88% The Boys Next Door Arnold Wiggins (Character) - 1996
47% 43% Waterworld Old Gregor (Character) $88.2M 1995
39% 32% Drop Zone Earl Leedy (Character) $26.7M 1994
No Score Yet 17% Bank Robber Night Clerk 1 (Character) - 1993
63% 75% Gypsy Mr. Goldstone (Character) - 1993
18% 61% Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit Father Ignatius (Character) $57.0M 1993
85% 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% 88% 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