Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters: Know Your LGBT History

Today, I am announcing a different direction in my Know Your LGBT History segments. I've focused on movie and television portrayals, but now I want to focus on famous lgbtqs throughout history.

In the coming weeks, I will be featuring people who you may know to be lgbtq and a few that you probably didn't. My first person will be one of my favorite actors, the late Michael Jeter. From wikipedia:

Michael Jeter was born in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee. His mother, Virginia (née Raines), was a housewife. His father, William Claud Jeter (March 10, 1922 – March 1, 2010),was an optometrist. Jeter had one brother, William, and four sisters, Virginia, Amanda, Emily, and Larie.[2] Jeter was a student at Memphis State University (now the University of Memphis) when his interests changed from medicine to acting. He performed in several plays and musicals at the Circuit Theatre and its sister theatre, the Playhouse on the Square, in mid-town Memphis. He left Memphis to further pursue his stage career in Baltimore, Maryland.

His woebegone look, extreme flexibility, and high energy led Tommy Tune to cast him in the off-Broadway play, Cloud 9, and again on Broadway in a memorable role in the musical Grand Hotel, for which he won a Tony Award in 1990. Much of his work specialized in playing eccentric, pretentious, or wimpy characters, as in The Fisher King, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, and Drop Zone. Occasionally, Jeter was able to stay away from these types of roles for more diverse characters like those he portrayed in Jurassic Park III (where he was killed by a dinosaur), Air Bud, The Green Mile, and Open Range. He won an Emmy award in 1992 for his role in the television sitcom Evening Shade as math teacher and assistant football coach Herman Stiles. In the Evening Shade episode "Chip Off the Old Brick" Brian Keith plays his macho truck driver father, Brick Stiles. He was also a favorite with younger audiences in his role as Mr. Noodle's brother, Mr. Noodle on Sesame Street from 2000 to 2003. The movies The Polar Express and Open Range are dedicated to his memory. He appeared in an episode of Touched By An Angel in 1999 as Gus an Insurance Salesman who arrives in Las Vegas in the episode, 'The Man Upstairs'.

Jeter died of AIDS on March 30, 2003, Jeter was found dead in his Hollywood home at the age of 50. Jeter was HIV positive but had been in good health. He was cremated and his ashes were scattered.

Jeter was my dreamboat and for this post, I am going to feature the memorable speech he made after winning a Tony in which he admitted his past problems with alcohol and drugs, as well as the show stopping performance he did in Grand Hotel:

3 comments:

Kenny6:00 PM
"Today, I am announcing a different direction in my Know Your LGBT History segments."

A different direction? No. What do you think this is - your blog or something?

Just kidding. With twin five year olds, two kids in college, a husband who requires constant upkeep, and just being an all around "domestic diva", I don't have a lot of time for the internet. But, when I do, your blog is always a terrific read.
BlackTsunami7:23 PM
Thank you for your support, Kenny ;p
Cuberly8:53 PM
What a perfect pick for kicking off your new direction.
Yeah, choked up doesn't quite describe it.
I had NO clue Jeter was such an astounding hoofer. That was stunning.
Learned even more about an actor I always enjoyed.

Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters

Friday, January 13, 2012

Know Your LGBT History - Michael Jeter

3 comments: