Actor and singer Jesse L Martin leads the cast of the new NBC procedural crime drama The Irrational. The actor plays the character with much finesse, portraying the smartness of a behavioral psychologist. Although The Irrational has received mixed to average reviews, Martin’s performances have received praise.
Professor Alec Mercer (Martin) works as a behavioral scientist consultant to the FBI, working alongside his ex-wife, Marisa Clark (Maahra Hill), in solving cases. However, this isn’t the first time Jesse L. Martin has had a prominent role in television. These are Jesse L Martin’s top performances and where you know the actor from.
413 Hope St. (1997)
Jesse L Martin began his on-screen acting career in 1995 in television. However, he only got minor roles for the first two years. Television audiences from the mid to late 90s would recognize Martin from playing Antonio Collins in the Fox drama series 413 Hope St. Although the series was eventually canceled after its first season, 413 Hope St. explored themes of homelessness, drug addiction and recovery, foster care, incarceration, and the prevailing HIV and AIDS. Fox aired 10 episodes of the show from September 11, 1997, to January 1, 1998. Jesse L Martin starred alongside Shari Headley, Richard Roundtree, and Kelly Coffield.
Law & Order (1999–2008)
Jesse L Martin joined the cast of the NBC police procedural and legal drama series Law & Order in 1999. He joined in the series’ season 10 as Junior Detective Edward “Ed” Green. He played the character as a series regular until his exit in season 18. Martin’s character stayed as a Junior Detective from season 10 to season 16. He was promoted to Senior Detective in season 17 and retained the rank until his exit in season 18. Martin also reprised the character in Law & Order spin-off shows. Martin first appeared as the character in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit in 1999, in the spin-off episode, “…Or Just Look Like One.” He played the character in a single episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent in 2001.
Rent (2005)
Chris Columbus‘ musical drama Rent (2005) is one film many film viewers may forget Jesse L Martin starred in. He played the gay philosophy professor, Thomas B. “Tom” Collins. Martin was part of an ensemble cast that included Anthony Rapp, Adam Pascal, Rosario Dawson, Taye Diggs, Wilson Jermaine Heredia, Idina Menzel, and Tracie Thoms. Martin’s character, besides sharing an apartment with friends, was a drag queen, street musician, and Angel Dumott Schunard’s love interest.
The Philanthropist (2009)
The NBC action drama series The Philanthropist (2009) aired for a single season before the network canceled it. Jesse L Martin played a recurring cast role as Philip Maidstone. The character is the lead character, Teddy Rist’s best friend and the co-CEO of Rist’s company. The Philanthropist originally aired from June 24 to August 12, 2009. It’s another role many television audiences forget Martin played in the late 2000s.
Joyful Noise (2012)
The Queen Latifah, Dolly Parton, and Keke Palmer-led cast of Joyful Noise (2012) helped push the musical comedy-drama to success. Although not critics’ favorite, Joyful Noise did resonate with numerous film audiences. Jesse L. Martin played a minor supporting role as the estranged husband to Latifah’s character and the father of Palmer’s character. Marcus Hill (Martin) enlisted for the army, leaving his family behind. Although he makes appearances in a smaller screen time, it’s one of his noteworthy performances in a movie.
Smash (2013)
Jesse L Martin joined Smash in its second season in a recurring role as Scott Nichols. The NBC musical drama series, created by Theresa Rebeck and executive produced by Steven Spielberg, aired for two seasons. Martin’s character, Scott Nichols, was introduced as the director of the Manhattan Theatre Workshop. He plays a part in helping the Hit List take off. He also briefly dated Julia Houston (Debra Messing).
The Flash (2014–2023)
A newer generation of television audiences will more likely recognize Martin from his starring role in The Flash than on Law & Order. Martin played the iconic role of Barry Allen’s surrogate father/legal guardian, Joe West. The character later became Barry Allen’s father-in-law. Joe West is a police detective and father of Iris West-Allen (Candice Patton) and Wally West/Kid Flash (Keiynan Lonsdale). As one of the main cast of The Flash, Jesse L Martin appeared in 176 of 184 episodes, including the first pilot episode and the series finale (“A New World, Part Four”).
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