TAYE DIGGS
Date of Birth: January 2, 1972
The eldest of five siblings, Taye Diggs and his family grew up in Rochester, New York. He was often called upon to help out his young siblings, changing diapers and making sure they stayed on the straight and narrow. The children were all encouraged to express themselves and the environment at home must have been open to the arts -- besides having an actor in the family, there are also two musicians and a dancer. Taye attended a Fine Arts high school and later earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theater.
After his senior year, Diggs performed in a Broadway production of Carousel. His talent was certainly showcased well as he was promptly signed by an agent. Diggs spent some time performing as a Carribean singer at Disney's Tokyo theme park before coming back to New York to perform in the Tony Award-winning Broadway production of Rent as Benny, the evil landlord.
In 1997, Taye made his way to daytime television with a recurring role on the soap opera Guiding Light as Adrian "Sugar" Hill. He appeared on the show for just over a year before moving onto bigger projects. First came a prominent role in the big screen adaptation of Terry McMillan's How Stella Got Her Groove Back as a young hunk trying to woo an older woman played by Angela Bassett. The steamy story made Diggs the object of many a woman's fantasies. Following a stint as a regular on the sitcom Ally McBeal in 2001, Taye continued making movies, then returned to the small screen when he landed the lead role in the UPN TV drama series Kevin Hill, about a single man whose life changes when he inherits a baby. The show debuted in September 2004 to high ratings.
Following his break-out success with Stella, the offers began pouring in. His unique first name came about because friends would pronounce his first name, Scott, as Scottaye, which eventually was shortened to Taye.
He lives in New York City with wife Idina Menzel.
Filmography:
Rent (2005)
Cake (2005)
Cross the Line (2005)
Slow Burn (2004)
Drum (2004)
Malibu's Most Wanted (2003)
Basic (2003)
Chicago (2002)
A Midsummer Night's Rave (2002)
Brown Sugar (2002)
Cross the Line (2002)
Just a Kiss (2002)
Media Whore (2002)
New Best Friend (2002)
Equilibrium (2001)
The Way of the Gun (2000)
House on Haunted Hill (1999)
The Best Man (1999/I)
Go (1999)
The Wood (1999)
How Stella Got Her Groove Back (1998)