Taye Diggs

Actor

Birthday

January 2, 1971

Age

55 years old

Zodiac

♑︎ Capricorn

Birthplace

NewarkNew Jersey

Height

174 cm · 5′9″

Taye Diggs is an American actor and singer known for originating Benny in the Broadway musical Rent. He is also recognized for roles in How Stella Got Her Groove Back, The Best Man, Chicago, Private Practice, and All American.

Personal life

Diggs was married to actress Idina Menzel, whom he met as a fellow cast member of Rent, from 2003 to 2014. Their son, Walker Nathaniel Diggs, was born in 2009.

Diggs also had relationships with real estate agent Amanza Smith and television personality Apryl Jones. He co-artistic directs the dance company Dre.dance with Broadway performer Andrew Palermo.

Broadway roles and Rent

Diggs made his Broadway debut in the ensemble of the 1994 revival of Carousel. He later originated the role of Benny, the landlord, in Jonathan Larson's Rent in 1996. Idina Menzel was also part of the original production, and Diggs reprised Benny in the 2005 film adaptation.

His stage work has included Mr. Black in The Wild Party, Billy Flynn in Chicago, Fiyero in Wicked, Captain Richard Davenport in A Soldier's Play, and the title role in Hedwig and the Angry Inch. In 2025, he returned to Broadway as the Duke of Monroth in Moulin Rouge! The Musical.

Film and television career

Diggs made his film debut as Winston Shakespeare in How Stella Got Her Groove Back in 1998. His subsequent film roles included Harper Stewart in The Best Man and The Best Man Holiday, Andre Ellis in Brown Sugar, the Bandleader in Chicago, Brandt in Equilibrium, and Rick in Set It Up.

On television, he played Kevin Hill in the UPN drama Kevin Hill, Dr. Sam Bennett in Grey's Anatomy and its spin-off Private Practice, Inspector Terrance English in Murder in the First, and Councilman Angelo DuBois in Empire. From 2018 through 2024, he starred as head coach Billy Baker in All American. He has also voiced Capper in My Little Pony: The Movie, King Triton in Disney Junior's Ariel, and Pupsicle in RoboGobo.

Diggs won both of his appearances on Lip Sync Battle, competing against Ne-Yo and Erika Jayne. He also hosted Hypnotize Me and hosted Back in the Groove.

Books and other work

Diggs has written four children's books: Mixed Me! and Chocolate Me, both published in 2015, followed by I Love You More Than... in 2018 and My Friend! in 2021. Shane Evans illustrated all four books.

He has also narrated the ESPN Films documentary The Fab Five, which focuses on the University of Michigan basketball players Chris Webber, Juwan Howard, Jalen Rose, Jimmy King, and Ray Jackson. His stage and screen work has earned him NAACP Image Awards, a Blockbuster Entertainment Award, and Screen Actors Guild and Critics' Choice ensemble awards for Chicago.

Quick facts

Taye Diggs took the surname Diggs after his mother married Jeffries Diggs.
His nickname Taye came from the playful pronunciation of Scotty as Scottay.
Diggs received a BFA in musical theater from Syracuse University in 1993.
Before becoming known as an actor, Diggs performed as a dancer at Tokyo Disneyland in 1995.
He originated the role of Benny in the 1996 Broadway production of Rent and reprised the role in the 2005 film.
Diggs appeared alongside Idina Menzel in Rent, The Wild Party, and Wicked.
He played Dr. Sam Bennett in 111 episodes of Private Practice.
Diggs is the only two-time winner in the history of his appearances on Lip Sync Battle.
He wrote four children's books, all illustrated by Shane Evans.
Diggs co-artistic directs the dance company Dre.dance with Andrew Palermo.
He narrated the ESPN Films documentary The Fab Five about five University of Michigan basketball players.
The cast of Chicago, including Diggs, won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.