Jefferson Mays

Birthday: 1965-06-08
Birthplace: Connecticut, USA
Gender: Male
Owned By: Unowned

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).

Credits

Year Title Character
2025-01-26 Rebuilding
2021-12-05 The Tragedy of Macbeth Doctor
2018-11-09 The Ballad of Buster Scruggs Gilbert Longabaugh (segment "The Gal Who Got Rattled")
2018-09-08 Curated The Curator
2017-09-15 Rebel in the Rye William Maxwell
2015-04-01 Ned Rifle Dr. Ford
2015-01-29 I Am Michael Preacher Teacher
2014-12-12 Inherent Vice Dr. Threeply
2014-10-09 The Raven Voice over (voice)
2014-09-24 The Cask of Amontillado Fortunato
2014-08-13 The Giver Community (voice)
2014-07-04 My America
2008-10-02 How to Lose Friends & Alienate People Bill Nathanson
2005-09-14 The Notorious Bettie Page Little John
2005-01-24 The Fight
2004-10-22 Alfie Dr. Miranda Kulp
1999-04-20 The Big Brass Ring Garne Strickland
1998-06-12 Cousin Bette Stidmann
1997-12-12 Hudson River Blues
1995-11-01 The Low Life Hollywood Mogul
1994-03-26 Some Folks Call It a Sling Blade Gerry Woolridge