Taye Diggs

In 1996, Diggs originated the role of the 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 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 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 alongside 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 1999 remake of William Castle's 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 eighth 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 as Sam Bennett opposite Kate Walsh in Private Practice, the spin-off of Grey's Anatomy, which ran for six seasons from 2007 until 2013. 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 a Grey's Anatomy/Private Practice crossover event. Diggs had a major role in the live action adaptation of the comic Dylan Dog: Dead of Night (2011). 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.

From 2014 until 2016, Diggs starred in the TNT serial crime drama Murder in the First with Kathleen Robertson. The show ran for three seasons. Diggs is the author of four children's books, Mixed Me! (2015), Chocolate Me (2015), I Love You More Than... (2018), and My Friend! (2021), all illustrated by Shane Evans (artist). Diggs performed the role of the titular character 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 2017, Diggs appeared in the films 'Til Death Do Us Part and My Little Pony: The Movie, where he voices Capper the cat.

Diggs has twice appeared on Paramount Network's reality competition series Lip Sync Battle and is the show's only two-time winner. In a third-season episode against Ne-Yo, Diggs sang his competitor's song "Let Me Love You (Until You Learn to Love Yourself)" and then performed as Madonna for round two's performance of "Vogue". In his next appearance, the fourth season's Christina Aguilera tribute episode, he competed against Erika Jayne, performing "Beautiful" and "Candyman".

Diggs hosted the game show Hypnotize Me with hypnotist Keith Barry, based on Barry's British program You're Back in the Room. Diggs starred in the horror film Incarnation alongside Jessica Uberuaga and Michael Madsen, the film was released in 2022. In 2023, Diggs co-starred alongside Apryl Jones in the Peacock streaming film The Comeback. Diggs also starred in BET+ films two part series in 2023 Love & Murder: Atlanta Playboy , with part one releasing on September 21 and the second part releasing on September 28. Diggs starred and was executive producer alongside Meagan Good in Terry McMillan Presents: Forever which premiered on Lifetime on August 24, 2024.

In 2025, Taye Diggs starred in the Lifetime short film I'll Be Home for Margarita Day with Maria Menounos which was presented by Chili's.