You probably know Jesse L. Martin as the sharp-dressed, no-nonsense Detective Ed Green from Law & Order. Or maybe as the soulful Joe West on The Flash. But before the badges and the meta-humans, Jesse was standing on a table in the East Village, belting out an anthem for the dispossessed.
Jesse L. Martin and Rent are inextricably linked. Honestly, it’s hard to separate the man from the character of Tom Collins. He didn’t just play the role; he breathed life into a philosopher-anarchist who became the emotional anchor of a generational phenomenon.
The Moondance Diner Connection
Believe it or not, the story starts at a restaurant.
✨ Don't miss: Duck Dynasty: What Most People Get Wrong About Where to Stream It
Jesse was waiting tables at the Moondance Diner in Soho. He was just another actor trying to pay the bills while chasing the dream. Also working at that same diner? A guy named Jonathan Larson.
Larson was the obsessive, brilliant mind behind Rent. He watched Jesse work. He knew his voice. When it came time to workshop this "rock opera" update of Puccini's La Bohème, Jesse wasn't just some guy who auditioned. He was part of the DNA of the show from the jump.
Jonathan Larson once told the cast to "go as far as you could imagine." Tragically, Larson died of an aortic aneurysm the night before the show's first Off-Broadway preview in 1996. Jesse and the rest of the original cast had to find a way to perform through a haze of literal, soul-crushing grief. That's the energy you hear on the original cast recording. It isn't just acting. It’s a group of friends trying to honor a lost creator.
Why Tom Collins Broke the Mold
In the mid-90s, depictions of gay men on stage—especially those living with HIV/AIDS—were often clinical or purely tragic. Collins was different.
He was a "computer geek" and a philosophy professor. He was brilliant. He was also an anarchist who got expelled from MIT for his "theory of actual reality." Jesse brought a warmth to Collins that felt like a hug. While characters like Roger and Mark were brooding or frantic, Collins was the guy who just wanted to keep his "chosen family" together.
Then there’s the relationship with Angel Dumott Schunard.
Usually, the "vibrant" character is the one doing all the heavy lifting. But Jesse’s Collins provided the perfect counterpoint to Wilson Jermaine Heredia’s Angel. Their chemistry was electric. It wasn't a "political" relationship in the way some critics tried to frame it back then; it was just a deeply human one. When Angel dies, and Jesse sings "I'll Cover You (Reprise)," it’s basically impossible to keep a dry eye. That song remains one of the most powerful moments in musical theater history because of the sheer weight Jesse puts behind every note.
The Leap to the Big Screen
A lot of times, when a Broadway show hits Hollywood, the original cast gets dumped for bigger names.
Not here.
Most of the original crew, including Jesse, returned for the 2005 movie directed by Chris Columbus. By then, Jesse was a massive TV star. He’d been on Law & Order for years. But he went back to the beanie and the layered shirts without missing a beat.
Critics were split on the movie. Some felt the cast was too old to be playing struggling twenty-somethings anymore. Maybe. But seeing Jesse L. Martin reprise the role allowed a whole new generation to see why he was so vital to the show’s success. He grounded the film. In a medium that can often feel flat, his performance felt lived-in.
The Legacy of a "Quiet Revolutionary"
People still walk up to Jesse on the street to sing snippets of "Santa Fe" or "I'll Cover You."
👉 See also: Kristen Bell: For The First Time In Forever (And Why It Almost Didn't Happen)
He’s called it the "gift that keeps on giving."
The impact of Jesse L. Martin in Rent goes beyond just a good performance. He helped normalize a certain kind of black, queer identity on a massive public stage during a time when that was still considered "risky" by producers. He didn't play a stereotype. He played a man who loved deeply, thought deeply, and fought to stay "for life" even when life was being taken away from his community.
What You Should Do Next
If you've only seen him on The Irrational or in his detective roles, you owe it to yourself to go back to the source.
- Listen to the 1996 Original Broadway Cast Recording. Skip the movie soundtrack for a second and listen to the raw, unpolished emotion of the stage version. Jesse’s "Santa Fe" is a masterclass in vocal phrasing.
- Watch the 2005 film. Even if you're a theater purist, seeing the "I'll Cover You (Reprise)" sequence on film captures a close-up vulnerability that you can't always get from the back of a theater.
- Look for the 2008 "Filmed Live on Broadway" version. While Jesse isn't in this specific performance (it’s the closing cast), it helps provide context for the staging he helped create.
Jesse L. Martin didn't just play a role in Rent; he helped define an era of musical theater that prioritizes "actual reality" over polished perfection. He remains the heartbeat of the show, a reminder that even in the face of tragedy, the best thing we can do is measure our lives in love.