Taye Diggs on his split with Idina Menzel

[Denise W]

Actually he was Benny.

I apologize, you are correct.

Denise

 

[Imzadi]

Who is Taye Diggs or what shoes has he been on.

On TV, he was recently starring in the show, Private Practice. It was a Grey's Anatomy spin-off.

He is now starring in the show on TNT, Murder In the First, which premiered LAST NIGHT. This is why his marriage is in the news at all today. Publicity for the show.

 

[LBIJim]

You've really never heard of her before? She's a HUGE Broadway celebrity!

Yes, she's a BIG STAR on Broadway and perhaps has a small following in the music industry. But to the general US population, she was an unknown before the Oscar mess.

Same with Sutton Foster, Cherry Jones, Laura Benanti, Kelli O'Hara et. al. Big names on Broadway, virtually unknown elsewhere.

I didn't read the link...did the ex-Mr. Adele Dazeem say nasty stuff?

Jim

 

[goofyintoronto]

But she IS famous, as is Taye Diggs. However, being famous doesn't nec. mean that EVERYONE has to have heard of you, just that a really substantial number of people have, because you are notable enough to consistently be on the radar of your country's mainsteam press for your accomplishments.

Infamy actually is more likely to draw more widespread attention than true fame, so the average artist probably wouldn't really want to be so well known that nearly everyone everywhere would recognize his name. That tends to be the sorry privilege of the Hitlers of the world.

There is a joke in Good Will Hunting that highlights the relative nature of fame. In a discussion regarding fame with a respected mathematician colleague, Robin Williams' psychologist character mentions that "in the 60's, a young man graduated from the University of Michigan, did some brilliant work in mathematics, specifically bounded harmonic functions. Then he went to Berkekey, was assistant professor. Then he moved to Montana, blew the competition away." The colleague doesn't recognize the description and asks the young prodigy's name. Williams tells him the name is Ted Kaczynski. The mathematician says he has never heard of him. So Williams asks the bartender who Ted Kaczynski is, and of course, the bartender instantly replies that he was the Unabomber. The point being that no mathematician, no matter how brilliant, is ever going to be as well known to the average man on the street as a convicted mad bomber will be.

The expectation that posters here would know who Menzel is isn't all that odd, given what we all have in common: we are Disney fans. Menzel has worked for Disney or ABC on several projects.

Thanks for the lecture but its not necessary because as I said, I was already reamed out by Idina Menzel fans in the previous thread a while back. (my apologies, I didnt actually read everything you wrote).

 

[NHdisneylover]

Thanks for the lecture but its not necessary because as I said, I was already reamed out by Idina Menzel fans in the previous thread a while back. (my apologies, I didnt actually read everything you wrote).

She didn't ream you out at all She only pointed out that someone can be very famous and still not known by everyone.

 

[goofyintoronto]

She didn't ream you out at all She only pointed out that someone can be very famous and still not known by everyone.

By reaming I was referring to the other thread a while back.

 

[NHdisneylover]

Yes, she's a BIG STAR on Broadway and perhaps has a small following in the music industry. But to the general US population, she was an unknown before the Oscar mess.

Same with Sutton Foster, Cherry Jones, Laura Benanti, Kelli O'Hara et. al. Big names on Broadway, virtually unknown elsewhere.

I didn't read the link...did the ex-Mr. Adele Dazeem say nasty stuff?

Jim

Really? Are all of my friends that far off of the mainstream? Pretty much everyone I know in the US knows who she is (and did before the Travolta thing)

 

[mom2rtk]

On TV, he was recently starring in the show, Private Practice. It was a Grey's Anatomy spin-off.

I knew who Idina Menzel was, but had no clue who Taye Diggs was when I saw this thread. Then last night I was watching an old episode of Private Practice and saw the credits and the lightbulb went off.

I bet a lot fewer people knew the name Idina Menzel before Frozen. I really only know because my sister and her daughter were Wicked groupies for a long time.

 

[moon]

But she IS famous, as is Taye Diggs. However, being famous doesn't nec. mean that EVERYONE has to have heard of you, just that a really substantial number of people have, because you are notable enough to consistently be on the radar of your country's mainsteam press for your accomplishments.

Infamy actually is more likely to draw more widespread attention than true fame, so the average artist probably wouldn't really want to be so well known that nearly everyone everywhere would recognize his name. That tends to be the sorry privilege of the Hitlers of the world.

There is a joke in Good Will Hunting that highlights the relative nature of fame. In a discussion regarding fame with a respected mathematician colleague, Robin Williams' psychologist character mentions that "in the 60's, a young man graduated from the University of Michigan, did some brilliant work in mathematics, specifically bounded harmonic functions. Then he went to Berkekey, was assistant professor. Then he moved to Montana, blew the competition away." The colleague doesn't recognize the description and asks the young prodigy's name. Williams tells him the name is Ted Kaczynski. The mathematician says he has never heard of him. So Williams asks the bartender who Ted Kaczynski is, and of course, the bartender instantly replies that he was the Unabomber. The point being that no mathematician, no matter how brilliant, is ever going to be as well known to the average man on the street as a convicted mad bomber will be.

The expectation that posters here would know who Menzel is isn't all that odd, given what we all have in common: we are Disney fans. Menzel has worked for Disney or ABC on several projects.

I can't say I agree with that. There are people who are HUGE, super famous, (not infamous), but those people tend to be superstars in film/music. Broadway performers usually don't get that kind of stardom. I mean names lie George Clooney, Madonna, Merryl Streep, etc. Even people who don't follow their careers know who they are

As for Idina Menzel, I'd seen her in "Enchanted", but didn't know her name until the Oscar mess. But I knew who Amy Adams was, and I bet the average artist would give anything to be as well know as those stars.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Really? Are all of my friends that far off of the mainstream? Pretty much everyone I know in the US knows who she is (and did before the Travolta thing)

I wouldn't necessarily say your friends are off the mainstream, but they do know of someone who is.

 

[goofyintoronto]

I knew who Idina Menzel was, but had no clue who Taye Diggs was when I saw this thread. Then last night I was watching an old episode of Private Practice and saw the credits and the lightbulb went off.

I bet a lot fewer people knew the name Idina Menzel before Frozen. I really only know because my sister and her daughter were Wicked groupies for a long time.

Yes, exactly. If you arent a broadway fan, how would you know? Because of Enchanted? I've seen the movie and that name didnt ring a bell. I even saw Frozen and still had no clue. And I dont watch Glee. Maybe im clueless? I dunno. But all the pieces came together (for me) when Travolta messed up her name. Lol.

As for Taye Diggs, I know exactly who he is!

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Yes, exactly. If you arent a broadway fan, how would you know? Because of Enchanted? I've seen the movie and that name didnt ring a bell. I even saw Frozen and still had no clue. And I dont watch Glee. Maybe im clueless? I dunno. But all the pieces came together (for me) when Travolta messed up her name. Lol.

Welcome to the club

 

[jrmasm]

Really? Are all of my friends that far off of the mainstream? Pretty much everyone I know in the US knows who she is (and did before the Travolta thing)

It depends on what your interests are.

Do you know who won the last Heisman Trophy?

 

[wvjules]

Really? Are all of my friends that far off of the mainstream? Pretty much everyone I know in the US knows who she is (and did before the Travolta thing)

I had no clue who she was before the Oscar thing either.

 

[NHdisneylover]

It depends on what your interests are.

Do you know who won the last Heisman Trophy?

Nope--I fully admit I am totally ignorant of almost anything sports related. But I never assume that my having not heard of a sports figure means that the person is not famous or well known in the US. It means I like living in my little sports free (other than German soccer) bubble

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Nope--I fully admit I am totally ignorant of almost anything sports related. But I never assume that my having not heard of a sports figure means that the person is not famous or well known in the US. It means I like living in my little sports free (other than German soccer) bubble

I suppose it comes down to different levels of "famous".

Are you famous to those who follow your "thing"? Or, are you famous, period?

 

[JennaDeeDooDah]

Yes, exactly. If you arent a broadway fan, how would you know? Because of Enchanted? I've seen the movie and that name didnt ring a bell. I even saw Frozen and still had no clue. And I dont watch Glee. Maybe im clueless? I dunno. But all the pieces came together (for me) when Travolta messed up her name. Lol.

As for Taye Diggs, I know exactly who he is!

I loved Rent (the movie - never saw it on Broadway) and Maureen was one of my favorites, but would you believe I didn't even realize she was played by the same actress as the woman on Enchanted? I was watching Enchanted again about a year ago and just kept thinking how familiar she looked. Then it suddenly hit me. I swear she looks completely different in that movie than anything else I have seen her in.

 

[rodeo65]

If you don't follow musical theatre, didn't much like Enchanted, don't like Glee, etc I can see where you would not know who she is (I don't know the names of a lot of big sports people). She WAS well known in though, so it is not strange that MANY people did know who she was.

I think the bigger point is that it was ODD that Travolta did not know the name of a huge presence in his own industry, and even ODDER that he didn't take the 5 minutes of prep needed to learn the name of who he would be introducing at the awards--and just relied on seeing it for the first time on cue cards. Very unprofessional.

Maybe he though Xenu (or however you spell it) would carry him through without preparation.

I also never knew her name, although I did see her in Enchanted I never made the connection until after the name screw up had everyone talking about her.

 

[soccerdad72]

Hey, I knew who both of them were - do I win some sort of prize?

Didn't know they were married, though, so I guess I lose points for that.

Didn't care about their marriage failing, either.

 

[Jennasis]

I know who they both are. Didn't know they were married. I like Taye Diggs in the few things I've seen him in. But I cannot stand Idina Menzel. Her voice is like the worst nails on a chalkboard to me.