Early life

Diggs was born in Newark, New Jersey, and grew up in Rochester, New York. His mother, Marcia (née Berry), is a teacher and actress, and his father, Andre Young, is a visual artist. When he was a child, his mother married Jeffries Diggs, whose surname Taye took. His nickname, Taye, comes from the playful pronunciation of Scotty as "Scottay". He is the oldest of five children. He has two brothers, Gabriel and Michael, and two sisters. He attended Allendale Columbia School in Rochester and later transferred to School of the Arts. He received a BFA in musical theater from Syracuse University.

Diggs performed many times at the popular Lakes Region Summer Theatre in Meredith, New Hampshire. He also spent a summer at the New London Barn Playhouse in New London, New Hampshire. His Broadway debut was in the ensemble cast of the 1994 Tony Award-winning revival of the musical Carousel. In 1995, he also performed as a dancer in Sebastian's Caribbean Carnival at Tokyo Disneyland.

Career

In 1996, Diggs originated the role of the nasty landlord Benny in Jonathan Larson's Tony Award- and Pulitzer Prize-winning Rent, which also starred his future wife, Idina Menzel. After Rent, he appeared as Mr. Black opposite Idina Menzel's character of Kate in Andrew Lippa's off-Broadway production of The Wild Party at Manhattan Theatre Club. Diggs also played The Bandleader in the 2002 film version of the long-running Broadway revival of Chicago and filled in as Billy Flynn on Broadway. He also temporarily filled in for Norbert Leo Butz (an original Rent standby) as the love interest Fiyero of Menzel's Elphaba character in Wicked.

Diggs then moved from stage to television with a role on the soap opera Guiding Light. In 1998, he made his film debut in How Stella Got Her Groove Back, which brought Diggs much acclaim and exposure. The following year, he played a tantric sex god in Doug Liman's Go, and AWOL groom in the coming-of-age drama The Wood along side Omar Epps. Malcolm D. Lee's The Best Man features Diggs as the title character, an author and best friend of the groom (portrayed by Morris Chestnut).

He also starred in the remake of William Castle's The House on Haunted Hill. Diggs was featured in an episode of America's Next Top Model helping the contestants through an acting challenge. Another notable role of his was on the comedy-drama Ally McBeal as a lawyer named Jackson Duper who was the love interest of the character Renee Raddick and the possible love interest of the Ling Woo character.

Diggs portrayed the title character on the short-lived UPN television series Kevin Hill which despite critical acclaim was not renewed for a second season. He reprised the role of Benny for the 2005 Rent film. Diggs is featured on the following cast recordings: Carousel 1994 revival cast; Rent 1996 original Broadway cast; The Wild Party original off-Broadway cast. He also sings on the Rent film soundtrack. In 2002, he reprised his role as the Bandleader in the film adaptation of Chicago, and also played opposite Christian Bale as Bale's partner/antagonist Brandt in the dystopian sci-fi thriller Equilibrium.

In 2003, Diggs appeared on the TV show Punk'd after being tricked by Ashton Kutcher, while getting a check-up at a Punk'd-operated doctor's office. In early 2006, Diggs guest-starred for several episodes as Will Truman's love interest, James, on the final season of Will & Grace. In May, ABC picked up his pilot, Day Break, in which he portrayed a detective trapped in the same day and forced to relive it to clear his name of murder; the show debuted in mid-November 2006, but was abruptly canceled due to poor ratings. Although his film and television career continue to move forward, he still returns to the stage frequently. He was seen opposite James McDaniel in Charles Fuller's A Soldier's Play at Second Stage Theatre in New York.

Diggs co-starred opposite Kate Walsh in Private Practice, the 2007 spin-off of Grey's Anatomy. Diggs had a guest role on The West Wing as a Secret Service agent in charge of the security detail for the President's daughter. He then guest-starred on Grey's Anatomy again in the Grey's Anatomy/Private Practice Crossover Event. Diggs stars in the live adaptation of the comic Dylan Dog: Dead of Night. He also narrated the ESPN Films documentary The Fab Five about University of Michigan basketball players Chris Webber, Juwan Howard, Jalen Rose, Jimmy King, and Ray Jackson. Diggs is one of the stars of the independent film drama Between Us that won the grand jury prize at the 2012 Bahamas International Film Festival among its other festival appearances.

Since the summer of 2014, Diggs has starred in serial crime drama Murder in the First with Kathleen Robertson.

In 2015, Diggs wrote two children's book, Mixed Me! and Chocolate Me, illustrated by Shane W. Evans and published by FSG.

Diggs performed the role of Hedwig in the Broadway production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch at the Belasco Theatre from July 22, 2015 until the production's closing on September 13, 2015.

In 2016, Diggs will host a U.S. version of the British game show You're Back in the Room on FOX with hypnotist Keith Barry.

Personal life

Diggs married actress Idina Menzel, his Rent co-star, on January 11, 2003. Their son, Walker Nathaniel Diggs, was born on September 2, 2009. In 2013, Diggs and Menzel separated after ten years of marriage. Their divorce was finalized on December 3, 2014.

Diggs is the co-artistic director of a dance company, Dre.dance, with fellow Broadway veteran and School of the Arts alumnus Andrew Palermo.

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1998	How Stella Got Her Groove Back	Winston Shakespeare	Nominated—Acapulco Black Film Festival Award for Best Actor
1999	Go	Marcus
1999	The Wood	Roland
1999	The Best Man	Harper Stewart	Nominated—NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture
1999	House on Haunted Hill	Eddie Baker	Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Supporting Actor - Horror
2000	The Way of the Gun	Jeffers
2002	New Best Friend	Artie Bonner
2002	Just a Kiss	Andre	Uncredited
2002	Brown Sugar	Andre Romulus 'Dre' Ellis	Nominated—NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture Nominated—Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Chemistry Nominated—Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Liplock
2002	Equilibrium	Andrew Brandt
2002	Chicago	The Bandleader	Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Cast Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Acting Ensemble Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Nominated—Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Cast
2003	Basic	Jay Pike
2003	Malibu's Most Wanted	Sean (aka Blood Bath)
2004	Drum	Henry Nxumalo
2005	Rent	Benjamin "Benny" Coffin III	Nominated—Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Cast
2005	Cake	Hemingway Jones
2007	Slow Burn	Jeffrey Sykes
2008	Days of Wrath	Steve Lerato
2010	Our Family Wedding	Whipped Friend	Uncredited
2011	Dylan Dog: Dead of Night	Vampire Vargas
2011	The Fab Five	Narrator
2012	Between Us	Carlo
2012	Scooby-Doo! Music of the Vampire	Tommy
2013	The Best Man Holiday	Harper Stewart	Acapulco Black Film Festival Award for Best Cast
2013	Baggage Claim	Langston Jefferson Battle III	Nominated—Acapulco Black Film Festival Award for Best Cast
2015	Larry Gaye: Renegade Male Flight Attendant	Rasta Cab Driver
2016	The Best Man Wedding	Harper Stewart	Announced
2017	My Little Pony	TBA	Filming

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1996	New York Undercover	Stephon	Episode: "No Greater Love"
1996	Law & Order	Sky Bell	Episode: "Good Girl"
1997	Guiding Light	Adrian "Sugar" Hill	Unknown episodes
1997	101 Dalmatians: The Series	Dre	Episode: "He Followed Me Home"
2001	Ally McBeal	Jackson Duper	10 episodes Nominated—NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
2003	Punk'd	Himself	Episode: "2.5"
2003	Ed		Episode: "Captain Lucidity"
2003	The West Wing	Secret Service Agent Wesley Davis	2 episodes
2004	America's Next Top Model	Himself	Episode: "The Girls Meet Taye Diggs"
2004-2005	Kevin Hill	Kevin Hill	22 episodes NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series
2006	Will & Grace	James	4 episodes
2006-2007	Day Break	Detective Brett Hopper	13 episodes
2007-2009	Grey's Anatomy	Dr. Sam Bennett	3 episodes
2007-2013	Private Practice		111 episodes NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Nominated—NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series Nominated—NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Nominated—People's Choice Award for Favorite TV Drama Actor
2009	The Super Hero Squad Show	Black Panther	Episode: "Tremble at the Might of M.O.D.O.K.!"
2009	Better Off Ted	Greg	Episode: "Love Blurts"
2010	Sesame Street	Taye Diggs	Episode: "Snuffle Sneeze"
2013	New Girl	Artie, the coffee shop owner	Episode: "Coach"
2014-present	Murder in the First	Inspector Terrance English	22 episodes Nominated—NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series Nominated—People's Choice Award for Favorite Cable TV Actor
2014	The Good Wife	Dean Levine-Wilkins	3 episodes
2015	Repeat After Me	Himself	Episode: "#1.8"
2015	Rosewood	Mike Boyce	Recurring
2016	NCIS	USMC Gunnery Sergeant Aaron Davis	Episode: "Scope"

Awards and nominations

Year	Association	Category	Nominated work	Result
1999	Acapulco Black Film Festival	Best Actor	How Stella Got Her Groove Back	Nominated
2000	Blockbuster Entertainment Awards	Favorite Supporting Actor - Horror	House on Haunted Hill	Won
	NAACP Image Awards	Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture	The Best Man	Nominated
2002		Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series	Ally McBeal	Nominated
2003	Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards	Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Cast	Chicago	Won
	NAACP Image Awards	Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture	Brown Sugar	Nominated
	Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards	Best Cast	Chicago	Nominated
	Teen Choice Awards	Choice Movie Chemistry	Brown Sugar	Nominated
		Choice Movie Liplock		Nominated
	Screen Actors Guild Awards	Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture	Chicago	Won
2005	NAACP Image Awards	Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series	Kevin Hill	Won
2006	Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards	Best Cast	Rent	Nominated
2008	NAACP Image Awards	Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series	Private Practice	Nominated
2009		Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series		Won
2010		Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series		Nominated
2011	People's Choice Awards	Favorite TV Drama Actor		Nominated
2012	NAACP Image Awards	NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series		Nominated
2013	Acapulco Black Film Festival	Best Cast	Baggage Claim	Nominated
		Best Cast	The Best Man Holiday	Won
2015	NAACP Image Awards	Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series	Murder in the First	Nominated
2016	42nd People's Choice Awards	Favorite Cable TV Actor		Nominated

In popular culture

• In 2012, in the "Dr. Klaustus" episode of the animated series American Dad!, the character Roger sees a picture of Diggs in a magazine and comments that he is "still perfect". He refers to Diggs as "my constant, my ebony north star".
• On the NBC series Parks and Recreation, Diggs is often referenced by character Tom Haverford, who likens himself to Diggs. He also fantasizes about co-owning a burlesque nightclub with Diggs and two of the Pussycat Dolls.
• On the ABC/TBS television series Cougar Town, the character Laurie Keller is shown to have a crush on Diggs. She describes his smile as one that "lights up the world" and has numerous pictures of him in her apartment.

[ Source: Wikipedia ]