Jesse L. Martin

The second most successful original cast member of the Pulitzer Prize and Tony-winning musical Rent (movie star Taye Diggs is the first), Martin was bitten by the acting bug as a child and attended a performing arts high school before earning a BFA from the prestigious Tisch School of the Arts at NYU. He worked primarily on stage in the early '90s but supplemented his income waiting tables, which is how he met fellow server and Rent creator Jonathan Larson. After appearing in the show, Martin landed a number of small-screen spots, including a recurring role on Ally McBeal as the quirky heroine's on-again off-again doctor beau. In 1999, Martin hit the big time when he signed on to the long-running series Law & Order as a rule-breaking detective.