Series Stars... - Festival de télévision de Monte-Carlo

Series Stars...
Once described as “the most beautiful human ever,” Taye
Diggs was working as one of the Disney characters in
Tokyo’s Disneyland in 1966 when he heard he’d won his
greatest break - the evil landlord Benny in the Tony Award
and Pulitzer Prize-winning Broadway show, “Rent.”
His triumph in the Jonathan Larson musical (based on Puccini’s “La
bohème”) opened doors to more Broadway shows, movies (“How
Stella Got Her Groove Back,” “Equilibrium”) and TV, from “Ally
McBeal” to “Kevin Hill” - a swinging bachelor lawyer suddenly in
charge of his cousin’s ten month old daughter.
During an interview in 2006, Diggs mentioned his favourite show of the
moment included a certain “Grey’s Anatomy.” Cut to 2007 and he’s
playing Dr. Sam Bennett at Seattle Grace Hospital for two chapters
as a lead-in to Shonda Rhime’s spin-off, “Private Practice,” still going
strong after 50 hours of high maintenance medical thrills and spills.
Diggs got his BA degree in musical theater from Syracuse University
and made his debut in the ensemble cast of the five-time Tony Award
winning musical, “Carousel.” He met his wife, Idina Menzel, on
Broadway; they appeared together in three shows and had therir
own productioin last September: Walker Nathaniel Diggs.
Well, that’s what it says on the birth certificate But his folks call him
anything but. For a few examples, Skywalker, Walkman, Walkathon
and Little Papa, “I’m worried that he doesn’t know his name because
we have so many nicknames for him,” says Pop, whose own nickname,
Taye, stems from the playful pronunciation of Scotty as Scottay.
“These days,” he went on, “my own name has turned into: Honeycould-you-just.
As in... Honey-could-you-just get me some tea
Honey-could-you-just get the baby seat Honey-could-you-just…
Honey-could-you-just… ‘Yes, baby, I’m right there!’”
TC
“Honey-could-you-just…”
A Hero For More
Than One Day...
Without question it has been
one helluva year for Jimmy
Jean-Louis - the Haitian-born, er,
Haitian in “Heroes.”
January 12 His homeland suffers
a devastating earthquake killing
thousands and making many more
homeless. Jimmy fears his elderly
parents had died in their crushed
home..
January 16-17 He flies home for
an emotional reunion with his folks.
“It was just this amazing relief to
be able to see them and hug them.
That was great... It’s so terrible what
has happened to Haiti. People still
have no idea of how bad it is, even
with all the videos you see. It is
extremely, extremely bad. Bodies
being burned...something I wouldn’t
wish anyone would ever see.”
February 1 Jimmy is there when
Paul Haggis directs the video of
“We Are the World 25 for Haiti”
in the same studio as the original
25 years ago. Also taking part:
Jeff Bridges, Hary Connick Jr.,
Miley Cyrus, Celine Dion, Jennifer
Hudson, Gladys Knight, Barbra
Streisand, etc.
February 10 The video is first
broadcast during the start of the
Vancouver Olympics.
March 21 He joins Danny Glover
in a Washington special event
to benefit two charities working
in Haiti including Jimmy’s fund,
Hollywood Unites For Haiti.
Jimmy started studying dance
in Paris, modelled for Ferré and
Valentino, in Italy, spent three years
in the musical, “La Belle Epoque,”
in Spain and made the French
“Emmanuelle” TV series and movies
with Monica Bellucci, Jane Fonda,
Harrison Ford, Bruce Willis
“From a young boy growing up
in Haiti, living with no electricity
or running water, my journey to
Hollywood has been rich with
experience. I take little for granted
and appreciate the beauty of life,
knowing that there is so much
more to learn.” Tony Crawley
24