Scott Leo “Taye” Diggs, is an American Actor. He was born on January 2, 1971. Taye is famous for his portrayal in the Broadway musicals, Rent and Hedwig and the Angry Inch, the TV series, Private Practice from 2007 to 2013, Murder in the First from 2014-2016, and All American from 2018 to 2023, and the films, How Stella Got Her Groove Back in 1998, Brown Sugar, Chicago both 2002, Malibu’s Most Wanted in 2003, and The Best Man in 1999, and it’s 2nd part, The Best Man Holiday in 2013.
He was born in Newark, New Jersey, and raised in South Wedge beside of Rochester, New York. Taye’s mother, Marcia was a teacher and actress, and his father, Andre Young, is a visual artist. In Taye’s childhood, his mother married Jeffries Diggs, whose surname Taye took in his name.
Taye is his nickname which comes from Scooty as Scottay. Taye is the elder son of five children. Taye, has 2 brothers, named, Gabriel and Michael, and 2 sisters, Christian and Shalom.
Taye attended, Allendale Columbia School in Rochester and later some times he went to School of Arts. He is a recipient of BFA in musical theatre in 1993 from Syracuse University College of Visual And Performing Arts.
In Meredith he performed many times, at the popular lakes region summer theatre. He, also spent the summer of 1992 at the New London Barn Playhouse in New London, New Hampshire. His first performance in, Broadway was in the ensemble cast of the 1994, Tony Award winning revival of musical Carousel. Taye also performed as a dancer in Sebastian’s Caribbean Carnival at Tokyo Disneyland in year 1995.
His acting skills are amazing. In 1996, he portrayed the character of the landlord Benny in Jonathan Larson’s Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize Winning Rent, and also starred his future wife, named, Idina Menzel. Later of Rent, we saw him as Mr. Black opposite Menzel’s role of Kate in Andrew Lippa’s Off Broadway production of The Wild Party at Manhattan Theatre Club.
Taye also portrayed the Bandleader in the 2002 film version of the far running Broadway revival of Chicago and filled in as Billy Flynn on Broadway.
He also temporarily filled in for Norbert Leo Butz, As the love interest Fiyero of Menzel’s Elphaba portrayal in Wicked.
He began his television career shows from stage, with a portrayal on the soap opera Guiding Light. He made his first debut film, in How Stella Got Her Groove Back, in 1998, which brought him so much fame and popularity people are started recognizing him after the film. The same year, he played a Tantric sex god in Doug Liman’s Go, and AWOL groom in the coming of age drama The Wood alongside Omar Epps.
Malcom D. Lee’s The Best Man features Taye as the title role, a writer and homie of the groom (portrayed by Morris Chestnut).
Taye starred in the 1999 remake of William Castle’s House on Haunted Hill. Taye was featured in an episode of America’s Next Top Model supporting the contestants through an acting challenge. Other famous character of Taye’s was on the comedy drama Ally McBeal as a lawyer who’s name is Jackson Duper who aas the love interest of the role Renee Raddick and the opposite love interest of the Lion Woo portrayal.
Taye portrayed the lead character on the short lived UPN Tv series Kevin Hill which in spite of critical acclaim was not renewed for a 2nd season. He reprised the portrayal of Benny for the 2005 Rent Film. Taye starred on the following Cast Recordings: Carousel 1994 revival cast, Rent 1996 real Broadway cast, The Wild Party real Off Broadway cast.
Taye also signed on the Rent movie soundtrack. Taye has reprised his role as the Bandleader in the movie adaptation of Chicago, and also played a opposite Christian Bale as Bale’s partner/antagonist Brandt in the dystopian sci-fi thriller Equilibrium in year 2002…
After being tricked by Ashon Kutcher, he starred on the TV show Punk’d in year 2003. He was tricked while getting a check up at a Punk’d operated doctor’s office. Earlier in 2006, he guest starred for several episodes as Will Truman’s love interest, James, on the 8th season of Will & Grace.
ABC picked up his pilot, Day Break, in May, where he played a detective trapped in the same day and pushed to relieve it to clear his name of homicide, the show firsf came in amid of November 2006, but was abruptly cancelled because of poor response. His movie and TV shows career was continued to move ahead, he still returned to the stage frequently. Taye played opposite James McDaniel in Charles Fuller’s A Soldier’s play at Second Stage Theatre in New York.
In 2014 to 2016, he starred in the TNT serial crime drama, Murder in the First with Kathleen Robertson. The show surfaced for 3 seasons. Taye is the writer of Four Children’s books, Mixed Me! 2015, Chocolate Me 2015, I Love You More Than Me… 2018, And My Friend! 2021, all illustrated by Shane Evans.
Taye portrayed the portrayal of the titular role Hedwig in the Broadway production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch at the Belasco Theatrefrom July 22, 2015, until the production’s closingon September 13, 2015. In year 2017, Taye appeared in the movies, Till Death Do Us Part and My Little Pony: The Movie, he gave voice over to Copper the Cat.
He married his co-star, actress Idina Menzel, on January 11, 2003. They had a son, Walker Nathaniel Diggs, who was born on September 2,2009. The duo separated in 2013, after 10 years of marriage. Their divorce was finalized on December 3, 2014. In 2021, he started dating Love & Hip Hop Hollywood star Apryl Jones, who’s the mom of singer Omarion’s children. Taye is the co-artistic director of a dance company, Dre. Dance, with fellow Broadway veteran and School of the Arts alumuns Andrew Palermo.
