Michael Jeter, the diminutive actor who delighted children as “Sesame Street’s” Mr. Noodle and earned a Tony for the Broadway musical “Grand Hotel” and an Emmy for his role as assistant coach in Burt Reynolds’ television series “Evening Shade,” has died. He was 50. Jeter was found dead Sunday in his Hollywood home by his life partner, Sean Blue. Guttman said that the actor recently completed his work on Robert Zemeckis’ yet-to-be-released film “The Polar Express,” starring Tom Hanks, and that filming was suspended Monday because of Jeter’s death. Jeter earlier worked with Hanks on the film “The Green Mile,” in which he played a hapless, mouse-loving condemned murderer.
Versatile as he was, Jeter never considered himself a dancer. Yet when he danced for director-choreographer Tommy Tune in the 1990 musical “Grand Hotel,” he earned not only a Tony but an Outer Critics Circle Award, a Drama Desk Award and the Clarence Derwent Prize for his role as the dying bookkeeper off for one final fling in Berlin. Two years later, Jeter earned an Emmy for his work as Herman Stiles, the wimpy assistant to Reynolds, who played a pro football player turned coach.
Born on Aug. 26, 1952, in Lawrenceburg, Tenn., Jeter began medical studies at Memphis State University, but also discovered a love for acting. After graduation, he moved to New York and worked as a law firm secretary until he won his debut role in Milos Forman’s film adaptation of the musical “Hair.” Among Jeter’s stage plays were “Alice,” “G.R. Point,” “Cloud 9,” “Greater Tuna,” “Once in a Lifetime,” “Zoo Story,” “Waiting for Godot” and “The Boys Next Door.” Services are pending. Memorial donations can be made to AIDS Project Los Angeles.
The first movie I ever noticed him in was the film version of Hair, which I saw in high school. Heplayed the little guy at the draft induction center who refused to take off his socks, which segued into a rousing version of “White Boys/Black Boys.”
Michael Jeter was an out and proud gay actor who was one of the first actors to go public with his HIV+ status and then continued to work even as he struggled with his illness. His most interesting role, I thought, was as the deranged homeless gay man in Terry Gilliam’s The Fisher King.
One of those faces that showed up a lot of places, but I didn’t really recognize him consistently until I saw as Mr. Noodle when I watch Sesame Street with my kids…
Man, do my kids enjoy correcting Mr. Noodle with Elmo ("no, Mr. Noodle, no!! get on the bicycle the OTHER way!!) …he will be missed.
Man. I was just thinking of him the other day, when I was musing on some of the really good actors you don’t see enough of. His performance in The Fisher King is one of the great supporting performances in cinema, IMHO.
The Fisher King is one of my all-time favorite movies. I wasn’t aware that he was HIV+, and hearing that brought back that scene where he’s sitting on Jack’s lap in the ER and he’s talking about how he’s watched all his friends die of AIDs. Truly sad.
Okay. I dug it up. The Gordon who passed on was Matt Robinson, the original Gordon. He left the show in 1971!!! Roscoe Orman, the Gordon #3 and the Gordon most of us know and love is still alive and well as far as I know.
I just checked IMDB about Gordon. There were three Gordons. The first one was Matt Robinson, Holly Robinson Peete’s dad. He died in 2002, and played Gordon on Sesame Street from 1969 to ~1972. It’s very sad - Matt Robinson suffered from Parkinson’s for a long, long time. Here is a picture of Matt Robinson.
There was Hal Miller, who just spent a little bit of time on Sesame Street. I don’t remember him, but there’s a picture of him here.
The Gordon that I always knew was played by Roscoe Orman. You can see his picture here (at the very bottom). He’s still alive.
N.B. The dates of all of these Gordons considerably, depending on the sources.
(Where’s the bittersweet smiling through your tears smiley?)