Actor Taye Diggs joins the Small Doses with Amanda Seales podcast to talk about growth and how performing on Broadway taught him how to let go.
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Playing iconic roles in projects like How Stella Got Her Groove Back and Rent, Diggs charmed audiences over his long career on stage and screen. But following his divorce, the chapter he’s on now is about growth and acceptance. “Live and let live. That has never meant more to me than now,” says Diggs.
How Divorce Led To Growth
Since his divorce from singer and Rent co-star Idina Menzel after 10 years of marriage, Diggs has been on a journey. The film and Broadway star says the divorce (a mutual decision) was a wake-up call and a catalyst to his self-discovery journey.
“It started after my divorce,” he tells Small Doses host Amanda Seales. “I felt so lost because how I looked at myself was directly related to being a husband [and] being what I thought a good father was … I had no idea that so much of who I was, was attached to that.”
Upon reflecting on their marriage and the issues that led to divorce, Diggs was determined to grow. “Like okay, I need to change what’s going on with me because this isn’t right,” he told himself. “I started reading more and speaking to different therapists, spiritual teachers.”
“It’s very common for people to be at their lowest before they have a realization,” says Diggs. “And I didn’t realize that.”
The Broadway Role That Taught Him To Let Go
Not long after the divorce, Diggs was offered the starring role in the Broadway cult classic, Hedwig and the Angry Inch. “So I’m at my lowest, I’m in between gigs, and I had been a fan of the show,” he recalls.
He was “petrified” but took the leap. “In that moment, because I was broken down, spiritually I knew: just say yes, this is something that you’re going to grow from. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life,” he says.
The actor admits he’s a classic “overthinker,” so playing Hedwig was more than a job—it was an exercise in letting go and allowing himself to change. “I was forced to let go,” he says. “I became a different kind of performer … Now I bring that to other roles. My work has changed and I’m happy for it.”
Get the full conversation. Listen to “Side Effects of Growth (with Taye Diggs)” here. This episode is also available on Apple and Spotify.
