Michael Jeter was an American film actor born August 26th, 1952 and passed away in March 30th of 2003. During his life, Jeter won a Tony Award for his role in the Broadway musical Grand Hotel and an an Emmy for his television role in the sitcom Evening Shade.
Biography
Born August 26th, 1952 in Lawrence, Tennessee to Virginia and William Jeter, Michael grew up with five other siblings; a brother and four sisters. While studying medicine at Memphis State University (now University of Memphis), Jeter switched his focus to acting and began performing in the Circuit theater and the Playhouse Theater. Jeter eventually left Memphis for Boston to further his career. In his many roles, Jeter won a Tony in 1990 and an Emmy in 1992. Jeter was also a favorite with younger audiences with his role on Sesame Street as “Mr. Noodle”, the brother of “Mr. Noodle” from 1999 til his death in 2003. Michael was found dead in his Hollywood home at the age of 50 following a public battle with Human Immunodeficiency Virus. He was cremated and his ashes spread. Despite having HIV, Jeter’s partner, Sean Blue, stated publicly that Jeter had died of an epileptic seizure. Jeter’s final film, The Polar Express, was dedicated to his memory.
Selected Filmography
- The Money Pit (1986)
- Tango and Cash (1989)
- Waterworld (1995)
- Mouse Hunt (1997)
- The Green Mile (1999)
- Jurassic Park /// (2001)
- Open Range (2003)
- The Polar Express (2004)
Work for Jurassic Park ///
For the third Jurassic Park film, director Joe Johnston cast Michael Jeter for the role of Udesky, a booking agent who helped Paul Kirby (William H. Macy) and Amanda Kirby (Tea Leoni) find their missing son, Eric, who had crash landed on Isla Sorna during a parasailing trip.
