Who

A former Broadway actor, Martin played Detective Ed Green on Law & Order until he exited the show in 2008.

Backstory

NYU alum Martin (né Jesse Lamont Watkins) says his interest in acting dates back to the fourth grade. His first TV appearance came in 1995 when he had a tiny role on Guiding Light; he was working at a pizza joint at the time and had to view his episode during one of shift breaks. In 1996, he earned his big break when he was cast in the original off-Broadway production of Rent alongside Taye Diggs and Idina Menzel. The success of the show put Martin on the map and he attracted even more attention in 1998 when he made the jump to the small screen as Calista Flockhart's love interest on Ally McBeal. The buzz sparked Dick Wolf's interest and Martin landed the role of Detective Ed Green on Law & Order without even auditioning. Wolf's decision paid off when Martin's 1999 debut episode drew the largest audience in the show's history. In 2008, after nine years playing Detective Green, Martin turned in his badge and exited the show. He'll hit the silver screen at the end of 2008 when he stars as Marvin Gaye in a biopic about the R&B singer called Sexual Healing.

Personal

Martin lives in a Warren Street apartment he paid $1.6 million for in 2003; last summer, he bought the adjoining penthouse for $1.9 million and now enjoys 360-degree views, two fireplaces, and four bedrooms. Notoriously resistant to discussing his personal life, when Martin manages to answer questions about his romances, he does it without using male or female pronouns. Go figure.

For the record

Martin's truck driving father was also named Jesse, so his family called him by his middle name, Lamont. He changed his last name to Martin after his mother married his stepfather.