Jesse L. Martin

Biography: One of the most successful original cast members of the award-winning Broadway musical Rent, Martin became interested in acting as a child. He attended a performing arts high school in Buffalo, New York before earning a BFA from the prestigious Tisch School of the Arts at NYU. In the early '90s, he built up his professional career working primarily on stage, and found himself briefly in the spotlight with a short gig on the CBS soap opera Guiding Light. As he continued to pursue his acting career, he supplemented his income waiting tables and serendipitously met fellow server Jonathan Larson, a composer and playwright who launched Martin into stardom by casting him in the ground-breaking Rent. The musical's phenomenal success led Martin to a recurring role on Ally McBeal as the quirky heroine's on-again off-again doctor beau. In 1999, he embraced full-fledged leading man status when he signed on to play Detective Edward Green on the long-running NBC series Law & Order, a roleOne of the most successful original cast members of the award-winning Broadway musical Rent, Martin became interested in acting as a child. He attended a performing arts high school in Buffalo, New York before earning a BFA from the prestigious Tisch School of the Arts at NYU. In the early '90s, he built up his professional career working primarily on stage, and found himself briefly in the spotlight with a short gig on the CBS soap opera Guiding Light. As he continued to pursue his acting career, he supplemented his income waiting tables and serendipitously met fellow server Jonathan Larson, a composer and playwright who launched Martin into stardom by casting him in the ground-breaking Rent. The musical's phenomenal success led Martin to a recurring role on Ally McBeal as the quirky heroine's on-again off-again doctor beau. In 1999, he embraced full-fledged leading man status when he signed on to play Detective Edward Green on the long-running NBC series Law & Order, a role he inhabited for nine years. These days, he continues to take on impressive stage, film and television roles, proving that his established appeal makes him adaptable to many mediums.… Expand