Hump Day Hotties: The Cast of RENT

I figure I outta get my excitement about the movie version of Rent out of the way a month before it finally premieres so I don't embarrass myself if it starts stinking. I must rid myself of these expectations since the man at the helm has never made a good movie. Well, unless you count Adventures in Babysitting. At least he'll always have that. "Don't F@#k with the Babysitter!". So here's to the men and women of RENT in semi random/sorta descending order of hotness...



The Boys. Let's start with Jesse L Martin who plays Collins. It's his voice that I can't get over. The sweet kindness of his face doesn't hurt either. If you don't have the original cast recording of Rent [why not?] you may still be familiar with his mad skills through his days on the stage in Ally McBeal, a show wherein at least half of the cast members got a primetime showcase for their vocal skills. Lawyers in Boston moonlight as Broadway stars, didn't you know? Taye Diggs = Hot. If you ask for an argument about that you'd hear crickets chirping. But I'm subtracting points for him being married to Idina Menzel who stole the Tony Award that rightfully belonged to either Tonya Pinkins, Donna Murphy, or Kristen Chenowith a couple of years ago. Not that i'm holding a grudge or anything. Taye plays Benny.

Anthony Rapp. I see Anthony all the time in New York City at Broadway shows (both of us mysteriously in the audience on the same nights) and I almost introduced myself while waiting in line right next to him for the opening night of Moulin Rouge! @ the Zeigfield in 2001. Such a cutie. Particularly if you go for guys who are proud and out (nothing being less hot than the closet) and guys who wear glasses (I do --er go for them, not wear them myself). Anthony's official website is here. He plays Mark, my favorite character in Rent, the filmmaker. Adam Pascal is something of a Broadway heartthrob originating the lead male role in the hit Aidaafter his work originating the role of Roger in Rent. His solo CD is available from Sh-K-Boom records if you're so inclined. And we conclude with Wilson Jermaine Herada and he's only in last place just because I'm least familiar with him. He plays Angel, Collin's boyfriend, and he won the Tony for it on Broadway. He's also, clearly, a doll.



The Girls. You begin with Rosario Dawson. The jury is famously still out on whether or not she has anything special to deliver as an actress but as for her sex appeal? Not in question. Smoking hot. She plays junkie stripper Mimi and she's one of only two newbies in the cast (that weren't in the original Broadway production). The other is Tracie Thoms who plays Joanne, Maureen's girlfriend. And finally there's Mrs. Taye Diggs, Idina Menzel who reprises the role that introduced her, Maureen. Recently her star profile rocketed with a blockbuster year+ run as the original lead in Broadway's Wicked. She will be seen in Ask the Dust with Colin Farrel and Salma Hayek next year.