Michael Jeter

Michael Jeter
At the 44th Emmy Awards, August 1992
Born	August 26, 1952(1952-08-26) Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, U.S.
Died	March 30, 2003(2003-03-30) (aged 50) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1979–2003
Spouse	Sean Blue (m. 1995-2003)

Michael Jeter (August 26, 1952 – March 30, 2003) was an American actor.

Early life

Michael Jeter was born in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee. His mother, Virginia (née Raines), was a housewife. His father, William Claud Jeter (March 10, 1922 – March 1, 2010), was an [optometrist].http://www.tributes.com/show/William-C.-Jeter-88070972 Jeter had one brother, William, and four sisters, Virginia, Amanda, Emily, and Larie.^[1] Jeter was a student at Memphis State University (now the University of Memphis) when his interests changed from medicine to acting. He performed in several plays and musicals at the Circuit Theatre and its sister theatre, the Playhouse on the Square, in mid-town Memphis. He left Memphis to further pursue his stage career in Baltimore, Maryland.

Career

His woebegone look, extreme flexibility, and high energy led Tommy Tune to cast him in the off-Broadway play, Cloud 9, and again on Broadway in a memorable role in the musical Grand Hotel, for which he won a Tony Award in 1990. Much of his work specialized in playing eccentric, pretentious, or wimpy characters, as in The Fisher King, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, and Drop Zone. Occasionally, Jeter was able to stay away from these types of roles for more diverse characters like those he portrayed in Jurassic Park III (where he was killed by a dinosaur), Air Bud, The Green Mile, and Open Range. He won an Emmy award in 1992 for his role in the television sitcom Evening Shade as math teacher and assistant football coach Herman Stiles. In the Evening Shade episode "Chip Off the Old Brick" Brian Keith plays his macho truck driver father, Brick Stiles. He was also a favorite with younger audiences in his role as Mr. Noodle's brother, Mr. Noodle on Sesame Street from 2000 to 2003. The movies The Polar Express and Open Range are dedicated to his memory.^[2][3]

Death

Jeter died of AIDS on March 30, 2003, Jeter was found dead in his Hollywood home at the age of 50. Jeter was HIV positive but had been in good health. ^[4] He was cremated and his ashes were scattered.^{[citation needed]}

Tributes

The Polar Express, in which Jeter voiced Smokey and Steamer, was his final film role and the movie was dedicated to him with a statement at the very end of the credits reading, "Dedicated to the memory of Michael Jeter" with his photo next to it.^[5]

Work

Theatre

• Once in a Lifetime
• G. R. Point
• Cloud 9
• Grand Hotel
• Alice in Concert
• Greater Tuna

Television

• Mrs. Santa Claus (1996, as Santa's right-hand elf)
• Evening Shade (1990–1994, as Herman Stiles)
• Tales of the City (1994 PBS miniseries)
• Gypsy (1993)
• Sesame Street (as Mr. Noodle and Mr. Noodle's brother in Elmo's world)
• Picket Fences
• Hothouse (1988)
• From Here to Eternity
• Taken
• Alice at the Palace (1981)

Filmography

The Polar Express (2004) Open Range (2003) Welcome to Collinwood (2002) Jurassic Park III (2001) The Gift (2000) The Green Mile (1999) The Black And The White (1999) Jakob the Liar (1999) True Crime (1999) Thursday (1998) The Ransom of Red Chief (1998) Patch Adams (1998) Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998) The Naked Man (1998) Mouse Hunt (1997) Air Bud (1997) The Boys Next Door (1996) Waterworld (1995) Drop Zone (1994) Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993) Bank Robber (1993) The Fisher King (1991) Millers Crossing (1990) Tango & Cash (1989) Dead Bang (1989) The Money Pit (1986) Zelig (1983) Ragtime (1981) Hair (1979)

References

1. ^ "Michael Jeter Biography". filmreference. 2008. http://www.filmreference.com/film/53/Michael-Jeter.html. Retrieved 2008-07-06. 
2. ^ The Polar Express film credits.
3. ^ Open Range film credits.
4. ^ "Actor Michael Jeter Dead At 50". CBS. April 1, 2003. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/04/01/entertainment/main547217.shtml. 
5. ^ The Advocate, September 2, 1997

External links

• Michael Jeter at the Internet Broadway Database
• Michael Jeter at the Internet Movie Database

Persondata
Name	Jeter, Michael
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	August 26, 1952
Place of birth	Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, U.S.
Date of death	March 30, 2003
Place of death	Los Angeles, California, U.S.