Taye Diggs (born Scott Diggs January 2, 1972) is an American actor. He hails from Brooklyn, New York and was raised in Rochester, New York. In Rochester he attended School of The Arts better known as SOTA. He is the oldest of five children; he has two brothers and two sisters. Diggs married his Rent costar, Broadway star Idina Menzel on January 11, 2003.

Biography

Taye Diggs received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in musical theater from Syracuse University. Diggs' debut was in the ensemble cast of the five-time Tony Award-winning musical Carousel. In 1996, he got his big break, originating the role of the nasty landlord Benny in Jonathan Larson's Tony Award- and Pulitzer Prize-winning Rent. After Rent he appeared as Mr. Black alongside Menzel's Kate in Andrew Lippa's off-Broadway production of The Wild Party. Diggs also had a stint as Billy Flynn in the long-running Broadway revival of Chicago and replaced Norbert Leo Butz (an original Rent standby) as the love interest of Menzel's character in the runaway hit Wicked.

Diggs then moved from stage to television, with a role on the soap opera Guiding Light. In 1998, he made his film debut in How Stella Got Her Groove Back. The following year he accepted roles as a tantric s-- god in Doug Liman's Go. Audiences could next see him as an AWOL groom in the coming-of-age drama The Wood. Malcolm D. Lee's The Best Man features Diggs as an author and groomsman to Morris Chestnut's character, the titular best man suffering from pre-wedding jitters. He also starred in the remake of William Castle's The House on Haunted Hill.

Taye Diggs portrayed the title character on the short-lived UPN television series Kevin Hill. He reprised the role of Benny for the 2005 Rent film.

Taye Diggs is featured on the following cast recordings: Carousel 1994 revival cast; Rent 1996 original Broadway cast; The Wild Party (Lippa version) original off-Broadway cast. He also sings on the Rent film soundtrack.

In 2003, Taye Diggs was on Punk'd after being tricked by Ashton Kutcher or his crew members, while his body is being inspected at a Punk'd-operated hospital.

As of January 2006, he is guest-starring as Will Truman's love interest, James, on the final season of Will & Grace. In his personal life, he is currently married to his RENT co-star Idina Menzel, who played the role of Maureen. The two were married on January 11, 2003. While the two currently have no children, they do have a pet dog named Sammy Davis Jr.

Film List

•  30 Days (2006) .... Donnell's Older Brother
•  Slow Burn (2006)
•  Rent (2005) .... Benjamin "Benny" Coffin III
•  Drum (2004) .... Henry Nxumalo
•  Malibu's Most Wanted (2003) .... Sean
•  Basic (2003) .... Pike
•  Chicago (2002) .... The Bandleader
•  Equilibrium (2002) .... Brandt
•  Brown Sugar (2002) .... Andre Romulus 'Dre' EllisDre
•  Just a Kiss (2002) .... Andre
•  New Best Friend (2002) .... Artie Bonner
•  The Way of the Gun (2000) .... Jeffers
•  House on Haunted Hill (1999) .... Eddie Baker
•  The Best Man (1999/I) .... Harper Stewart
•  The Wood (1999) .... Roland
•  Go (1999) .... Marcus
•  How Stella Got Her Groove Back (1998) .... Winston Shakespeare

TV Credits

•  Will & Grace (2006) TV Series .... James
•  Cake (2006) (TV) .... Hemingway Jones
•  Kevin Hill (2004) TV Series .... Kevin Hill
•  Punk'd (2003) TV Series (one episode) .... Himself
•  Ally McBeal (1997) TV Series ... Jackson Duper (2001)

---

This Taye Diggs Biography Page is Copyright The Planets © 2004 - 2006 Chuck Ayoub