in The Green Mile
(Photo: © Warner Brothers)
Michael Jeter, who won a 1990 Tony Award for his role of Otto Kringelein in the musical Grand Hotel, was found dead in his Hollywood Hills home on Sunday, March 30. Though news reports attributed his death to natural causes, Jeter had for years been very open about the fact that he was HIV-positive. At the time of his demise, he was 50.
Jeter was also an Emmy Award winner, having earned that prize for his role of assistant football coach Herman Stiles on the series Evening Shade. His other television work included appearances in Jerry Herman’s Mrs. Santa Claus and the TV movie versions of Gypsy and The Boys Next Door, as well as his role of Mr. Noodle on Sesame Street.
Raised in Lawrenceberg, Tennessee, Jeter studied theater at Memphis State University. On the New York stage, he appeared in such shows as The Boys Next Door, Cloud Nine, and G.R. Point, for which he won a Theatre World award in 1979. Before coming to New York, Jeter worked in regional theater.
Among the actor’s film credits were The Fisher King, The Green Mile, Jurassic Park III, Patch Adams, Ragtime, and Zelig, not to mention his brief but unforgettable role in the movie version of Hair. At the time of his death, he was working on a new film titled The Polar Express.
He is survived by his companion, Sean Blue; his parents, Dr. William and Virginia Jeter; a brother and four sisters.
