Jesse L. Martin

Jesse Lamont Martin (né Watkins; January 18, 1969) is an American actor and singer. He is best known for his role of Tom Collins on Broadway in the musical Rent and performed on television as NYPD Detective Ed Green on Law & Order, Captain Joe West on The Flash, and professor Alec Mercer on The Irrational.

Early life Martin, the third of four sons, was born on January 18, 1969 in Rocky Mount, Virginia. His father, Jesse Reed Watkins (1943–2003), was a truck driver, and his mother, Virginia Price, a college counselor. He was born two months premature. His parents divorced when he was a child. His mother eventually remarried and Martin adopted his stepfather's surname.

When Martin was in grade school, the family relocated to Buffalo, New York, but Martin began to dislike speaking because of his Southern accent and was often overcome with shyness. A concerned educator and mentor influenced him to join an after-school drama program and cast him as the pastor in The Golden Goose. Being from Virginia, the young Martin played the character the only way he knew how: as an inspired Southern Baptist preacher. The act was a hit, and Martin emerged from his shell. He took part in a one-night-only reading benefit of Romeo and Juliet to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, alongside Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline, Raúl Esparza, and others on June 18, 2012.

Television work Martin landed roles on Fox's short-lived 413 Hope St. and Eric Bross's independent film Restaurant (1998). Ally McBeals creator, David E. Kelley, attended Rents Broadway premiere and remembered Martin when the show needed a new boyfriend for the title character. His performance as Dr. Greg Butters on Ally McBeal caught the attention of David Duchovny, who cast Martin as a baseball-playing alien in a 1999 episode of The X-Files titled "The Unnatural" that Duchovny wrote and directed.

While still shooting Ally McBeal, Martin heard rumors that actor Benjamin Bratt planned to leave the cast of Law & Order. Martin had tried out for the show years before and won the minor role of a car-radio thief named Earl the Hamster, but decided to wait for a bigger part. With the opportunity presenting itself, Martin approached Law & Order producer Dick Wolf regarding the opening. Wolf hoped to cast him, and upon hearing that CBS and Fox both offered Martin development deals, he gave the actor the part without an audition.

From 1999 to 2008, he starred as Detective Edward "Ed" Green on Law & Order. Altogether, he was the fifth-longest serving cast member behind S. Epatha Merkerson, Sam Waterston, Jerry Orbach, and Steven Hill. He had a brief hiatus at the end of the 2004–2005 season while he was filming the movie adaptation of Rent in which he reprised the role of Tom Collins. Martin's final episode of Law & Order aired April 23, 2008, as he was replaced by Anthony Anderson. Martin returned to NBC a year later as the co-star of The Philanthropist.

On September 14, 2012, NBC announced that Martin would be joining the cast of Smash during season two for a nine-episode arc as Scott Nichols, the artistic director of the Manhattan Theatre Workshop. Martin also starred in an NBC pilot called The Secret Lives of Husbands and Wives as Greg Cooke, however it was not picked up to series.

Martin played Joe West in the superhero series The Flash, a spin-off from Arrow which premiered in October 2014. In the third season episode "Duet", Martin played gangster Digsy Foss in Barry and Kara's dreamworld. In its fifth season in 2018, a back injury forced Martin to take medical leave following the season's fourth episode. From the start of the season until then he was almost always leaning against a wall or sitting down. Martin returned from medical leave in January 2019 with the season's fifteenth episode. He departed as a series regular after the eighth season, having been cast in the NBC pilot The Irrational, in which he already starred.

Film work On March 4, 2013, it was announced that Martin would replace Lenny Kravitz as Marvin Gaye in Sexual Healing, an upcoming biopic directed by Julien Temple, and produced by Vassal Benton and Fred Bestall. Martin had been attached to the Marvin Gaye biopic for years and had stated that it was his dream role to portray the legendary Motown singer. (crew members were said to have not been paid fully for their work on the film ). Approximately 70% of the film had been shot. He co-produced the off-Broadway production of Fully Committed with Rent co-star Adam Pascal (and two other producers).

Personal life In October 2006, Martin returned to Buffalo, New York to work on an independent film (Buffalo Bushido), and was robbed two days after his arrival there.

In 2018, Martin suffered a back injury during the summer. He took a medical leave of absence from The Flash after recording scenes for a few episodes.

After residing in New York City for most his career, he now lives in Vancouver, BC.

Stage work Ring of Men (off-Broadway) – unknown date and character The Butcher's Daughter (Cleveland Playhouse) – unknown character (1993) The Government Inspector (Broadway revival) – Abdulin (original), Panteleyeva (understudy) (1994) The Threepenny Opera (Williamstown, MA; Williamstown Theatre Festival Production) – Macheath (2003) The Winter's Tale (Shakespeare in the Park) – King Polixenes (summer 2010) The Merchant of Venice (Broadway) – Gratiano (2010); Romeo and Juliet (Public Theater; Delacorte Theatre's 50th anniversary) – Gregory, Friar John, Watchman 2 (2012)

Filmography

Film

Television

Explanatory notes