Jesse L. Martin may play a behavioral expert on TV, but he was unable to predict his reactions to reading some not-so-subtle fan posts.
The Irrational star, 55, gave his honest opinions of “thirsty internet comments” in an exclusive video shared with Us Weekly on Monday, January 29. “The L. in Jesse L. Martin stands for LOVE OF MY LIFE,” gushed one fan.
Martin called the compliment “fantastic,” adding, “I kind of wish that were true.” After another fan post dubbed him as “perfect,” Martin noted that he’s not without his flaws. “But I’m glad that I’m perfect for somebody out there in the world,” he said with a smile. “I appreciate it, I really do.”
A third fan wrote that they were excited to spend “some quality time with my tv husband Jesse L. Martin” before noting that their life “can be soooo boring.” Not sure whether the compliment was a backhanded one, Martin decided to accept the user’s message, stating, “I’ll be there for you, wifey.”
One comment Martin particularly loved read, “Here’s your periodic reminder that Jesse L. Martin is a damn good-looking man.” Thanking the fan, he replied, “Whoever wrote that, thank you. That makes me feel good.”
Despite initially thinking he would be “terrible” at reacting to his fan comments, Martin ended the clip by stating he was “not mad at all” about the experience. “It’s fantastic,” he added before making a self-deprecating joke. “Just know the sexiest thing about me is my dog.”
On NBC’s The Irrational, Martin plays Alec Mercer, a behavioral psychology professor recruited to lend his expertise to help solve criminal cases. Earlier this month, Martin exclusively told Us that he still has “a whole lot to learn” when it comes to psychology.
“But what I have learned so far, is that we all have a little bit of behavioral expert in us, [because] you observe everything from the moment you’re born,” he shared. “I didn’t know the scientific terms for it [or] that there were certain psychoses that were based around it, but I learned that I’ve been watching things just like Alec does for a really long time.”
Having previously played police detectives on shows such as Law & Order and The Flash, Martin was drawn to exploring Alec’s “emotional spectrum” on The Irrational. “I absolutely love that he has access to his emotions in a way that I hadn’t necessarily been able to play so much before, particularly when it comes to playing a detective or being someone who’s into [the] investigation,” he explained to Us.
Martin went on to tease that he doesn’t “know anything” about The Irrational’s upcoming second season, but said he’s “super grateful that we’re going to be there for season 2.”
Check out the full video above to see more of Martin’s thirsty comment reactions.
The midseason premiere of The Irrational airs on NBC Monday, January 29, at 10 p.m. ET.
