Michael Jeter could make a small, eccentric part matter through sheer physical commitment. We value the dignity he gave people written off as weak or ridiculous, though the films too often asked him to repeat himself.
Fi1m perspective
In The Fisher King (1991), Michael Jeter plays a homeless cabaret singer with the physical confidence of someone who expects us to watch. The part is small; the performance makes no apology for taking up space. We were moved by the way his exuberance keeps the man from becoming merely an object of pity. Terry Gilliam's film lets that large performance belong, and Jeter rewards the licence. We can forgive some of the wandering plot for performances as committed as this.
There is a recognisable narrowing in his screen career: from Herman Stiles in Evening Shade (1990–1994) to a succession of supporting film eccentrics. Old Gregor in Waterworld (1995) fits the pattern. His stage work, including Otto Kringelein in Grand Hotel (1989), had already made use of his physical flexibility and high energy. Those qualities are useful in a brief appearance, but they can also encourage filmmakers to keep ordering the same performance.
The Green Mile (1999) gives him a sympathetic prisoner to play in Eduard Delacroix. Frank Darabont's film can try our patience with its length, and its treatment of Coffey needs more scrutiny than the story gives it. Jeter's contribution is worth separating from those reservations: he makes Delacroix someone to feel for, within a film already working hard to secure our sympathy. His willingness to take a marginal figure seriously is valuable here, though the film's sentiment sometimes needs firmer handling. He is a good reason to watch, without being a reason to overlook the shortcomings.
His later work as Mister Noodle in Sesame Street (2000–2003) gave that physical expressiveness another outlet. The repeated casting as weak or eccentric men remains a frustration, because the confidence of his acting suggests he had more to offer than another variation on the anxious outsider. Nor does admiring Jeter require us to praise every film that employed him. Start with The Fisher King, accepting that Gilliam sometimes lets the story wander; Jeter needs little time to give the evening something worth remembering.
Biography
Michael Jeter (1952–2003) was an American character actor who worked in film, stage and television. He studied at Memphis State University and made his Broadway debut in the late 1970s.
Jeter won a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his performance in Grand Hotel (1989) and a Primetime Emmy Award for his role as Herman Stiles in the sitcom Evening Shade (1990–1994). He also appeared as Mister Noodle on the Elmo's World segments of Sesame Street (2000–2003).
His film roles include the Homeless Cabaret Singer in The Fisher King (1991), Skinner in Tango & Cash (1989), Adolph in Miller's Crossing (1990), Father Ignatius in Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993), Old Gregor in Waterworld (1995), Rudy in Patch Adams (1998), Eduard Delacroix in The Green Mile (1999), Udesky in Jurassic Park III (2001) and voices in The Polar Express (2004).
