Jesse L. Martin is known for his slew of TV roles in procedural crime dramas. He played Detective Ed Green on Law & Order and Detective Joe West on The Flash. This week, he returns to television as behavioral scientist Alec Mercer on The Irrational, who does what? Help solve crimes.
However, many theater fans know the entirely other side of Martin, who started his career on the Broadway stage, originating the role of Tom Collins in the award-winning musical Rent and its subsequent 2005 movie. So when he shared that singing is one of the ways he maintains his mental health, it wasn’t too much of a surprise.
“I think anybody that works with me will tell you, even pausing to wait for something, I automatically start singing,” he tells EBONY. “I think that’s my internal humming or purring if you will. Like, I always have a song brewing somewhere, somehow: some of them being my songs, some of them being songs that got stuck in my head, some of them being songs I would love to create.”
Between notes, Martin—who is thrilled to be doing his first EBONY interview—reveals how he connected to his latest character, how his love for Motown drives his work ethic and his Broadway return dream role.
EBONY: What have you learned about human behavior from playing Alec Mercer?
Jesse L. Martin: Well, one of the things I have always done as an actor is be able to pay attention to human behavior. It’s our job to look at behavior and reflect it somehow in a narrative, whether on stage, in film or on television. I’ve learned that there are scientific terms for it, making me feel a little bit more smart. And that didn’t even sound smart, but that’s how it feels a little bit more smart about observation.
How does it feel to be the lead of a procedural drama, especially as a Black man on TV?
It feels fantastic. The landscape for Black actors, particularly on television, is obviously expanding. I’ve been in the space before but never at the helm of a show, and I’m super grateful that NBCUniversal tapped me to do this. I feel an entire responsibility beyond the show to be an ambassador for why we should be there in the first place.
What can we expect in The Irrational, season two? Alec’s girlfriend was kidnapped!
It’s the first thing right out of the gate in the first episode of season two; we will go on the hunt for what happened to Rose Dinshaw. The show galvanizes itself from that moment on. Obviously, she is a very important person in Alec’s personal life and a new person in his work life. Her connections and trajectory as far as her work goes in our little world are vast and often, quite dangerous. It leads to a lot of drama, which is played out in the first episode.
Alec was tormented by his past. What do you do to maintain your mental well-being, and what music do you play to soothe yourself? Any of your own songs, maybe?
I use music not only to relax but even in work. Alec Mercer has a lot of dialogue, and sometimes I play old-school Motown. Back in the day, when I was a little kid, my mom used to put on Motown. And what that usually meant was to get up and help clean up the house. So, that work ethic has bled itself into how much work I have to do learning dialogue and taking in these ideologies and in terms that Alec has to be so adept with. I listen to a little Marvin Gaye and Aretha Franklin, and I even go even older with Duke Ellington. Music is definitely a big part of my personal and professional life.
What would people be surprised to learn about you?
Maybe the big surprise for some people is that I do sing. I’ve heard it many times where people are so used to seeing me in a crime narrative space, be it Law & Order or The Flash, all that time where I ran around with a badge. Even in this show, I help solve crimes and mysteries without a badge, of course. People forget that my origins really come from the theater, and a lot of my theater experience has been musicals. So, I think to a broader audience that would surprise them, but certainly not the New York City theater audience.
What role would you return to Broadway for?
Anything in the August Wilson canon. He had several plays, and I’ve never done any of them on any stage, so if I could do any of them on Broadway, I would be glad to do it. Also, anything in the Shakespeare realm. I’ve been lucky enough to do several things on Broadway as far as Shakespeare goes, but I would do almost any role.
You are a tall man. What’s your personal style?
Ooh, that’s a good question. I’m a really big fan of vintage clothing. I’d probably have to search a little bit harder to find things because I’m kind of built like a toad, with really long arms and legs and a short torso. But I will go with anything that actually fits.
The Irrational, season two, premieres Tuesday, October 8 on NBC.
