Jefferson Mays (born Lewis Jefferson Mays; June 8, 1965) is an American film, stage and television actor. Mays was raised in Clinton, Connecticut with his parents, a naval intelligence officer and a children's librarian, and his siblings. Mays graduated from Yale College, where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree, and the University of California, San Diego, where he earned a Master of Fine Arts. Mays appeared on Broadway in I Am My Own Wife, a Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Doug Wright, from November 2003 (previews) to October 31, 2004. He had appeared in the play Off-Broadway at Playwrights Horizons in May 2003, and at the La Jolla Playhouse in July 2001. Mays won the 2004 Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play, the 2004 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding One-Person Show, an Obie Award, and a 2004 Theatre World Award for his solo performance. He also won the 2007 Helpmann Award for Best Male Actor in a Play for seasons of I Am My Own Wife in Australia in 2006. In 2007, he appeared as Henry Higgins in a revival of Pygmalion and starred as Private Mason in a revival of Journey's End. In August 2009, Mays appeared at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in Quartermaine's Terms by Simon Grey. Mays starred in the 2013 Broadway musical A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder, in which he played eight roles. He won the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical. He also was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical and tied for the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical (with Neil Patrick Harris).
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Movie | Seneca: On the Creation of Earthquakes | Narrator (voice) | 2023-02-20 |
Series | Julia | Albert Duhamel | 2022-03-31 |
Movie | The Tragedy of Macbeth | Doctor | 2021-12-05 |
Series | Perry Mason | 2020-06-21 | |
Series | I Am the Night | George Hodel | 2019-01-28 |
Movie | Curated | The Curator | 2018-09-08 |
Movie | The Ballad of Buster Scruggs | Gilbert Longabaugh (segment "The Gal Who Got Rattled") | 2018-11-09 |
Movie | Rebel in the Rye | William Maxwell | 2017-09-15 |
Movie | I Am Michael | Preacher Teacher | 2015-01-29 |
Movie | Ned Rifle | Dr. Ford | 2015-04-01 |
Movie | My America | 2014-07-04 | |
Movie | The Raven | Voice over (voice) | 2014-10-09 |
Movie | Inherent Vice | Dr. Threeply | 2014-12-12 |
Movie | The Giver | Community (voice) | 2014-08-13 |
Series | The Blacklist | Norman Devane | 2013-09-23 |
Series | The Good Wife | Diplomate Van Buskirk | 2009-09-22 |
Series | Fringe | Nicholas Boone | 2008-09-09 |
Movie | How to Lose Friends & Alienate People | Bill Nathanson | 2008-10-02 |
Movie | The Notorious Bettie Page | Little John | 2005-09-14 |
Movie | Alfie | Dr. Miranda Kulp | 2004-10-22 |
Series | Benjamin Franklin | Elkanah Watson | 2002-11-19 |
Series | Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Keifer Gates | 2001-09-30 |
Movie | The Big Brass Ring | Garne Strickland | 1999-04-20 |
Movie | Cousin Bette | Stidmann | 1998-06-12 |
Movie | Hudson River Blues | 1997-12-12 | |
Series | Liberty! | James Madison | 1997-11-23 |
Movie | The Low Life | Hollywood Mogul | 1995-11-01 |
Movie | Some Folks Call It a Sling Blade | Gerry Woolridge | 1994-03-26 |
Series | Law & Order | Unknown | 1990-09-13 |