Leslie Odom Jr.

Born on August 6, 1981 in the New York borough of Queens, Leslie Odom, Jr. grew up on East Oak Lane in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where his family moved when he was very young. He began singing in the choir at the Baptist church the clan attended. He graduated with honors from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, and later studied Acting at the Freedom Theater in Philadelphia. After moving to New York, he made his Broadway stage debut as Paul, director of an AIDS therapy group, in the legendary musical “Rent.” He was continuing on the boards with various shows when he began appearing regularly on series, such as Gilmore Girls , where he was the pompous editor of the Princeton newspaper. Between 2003 and 2006 he appeared from time to time inCSI: Miami as Joseph Kayle, a lab technician specializing in fingerprinting. He also played an FBI agent in the miniseries Missing , a priest in Law & Order: SVU , a dancer in Smash , and a kidney volunteer on Grey’s Anatomy . On film, he landed a supporting role in Red Squad , where he was a World War II pilot. “Every time I close my plane, I feel like I’m closing my coffin,” said his character.

When he was performing the musical “Once on this Island” by Lynn Ahrens, he was asked to help an actress, Nicolette Kloe Robinson , learn the play, who had to replace one of the company’s members, who had left unexpected way. Her love arose between them, so Leslie Odom Jr. married her on December 1, 2012. The couple has had two children.

Despite having a bulging career, Leslie Odom Jr. did not make a splash until Lin-Manuel Miranda in 2015He signed him as Aaron Burr, third vice president of the United States, who duels with the protagonist in “Hamilton.” With his skill, he transformed the bad guy, a vengeful presidential hopeful, into a humane and vulnerable guy. “My parents wouldn’t let me play with guns when I was a kid, not even squirt guns,” he recalls. “I wasn’t allowed to dream of having one as a toy. My mom laughs now, because, she says, “Every time I turn on my TV, in every movie and every play, you’re brandishing a gun and threatening to blow things up.” And she adds: “I didn’t raise you like this.” So, I’ve gotten pretty used to playing the villains. I think I’m drawn to his humanity; not the bad things they do,

Despite the fact that this musical premiered in a small theater, it was so successful that it was transferred to a larger one, on Broadway, where it became the biggest success in recent decades, which was a boost to the career of the members of the distribution. She co-starred with Cynthia Erivo in the drama Harriet: The Quest for Freedom , where she played a real-life character, anti-slavery activist and writer William Still. In Murder on the Orient Express , directed by and starring Kenneth Branagh , Leslie Odom Jr.he played Dr. Arbuthnot, who is traveling on the action train to return home after being relieved of his army posting in India, a role which in the 1974 version of the role had been played by himself Sean Connery .

His singing and acting skills made Leslie Odom Jr. the ideal actor to play the legendary singer Sam Cooke, in One Night in Miami… , the directorial debut of regular actress Regina King, which reconstructs this artist’s encounter with Malcolm X, the boxer Cassius Clay, and the American football player Jim Brown. For his role, he lost weight and used prosthetics. For this film, he has won two Oscar nominations, as a supporting actor, and as a composer, along with Sam Ashworth, of “Speak Now”, a theme that sounds in the final credits. “When we saw a screening of the first cut, Ashworth and I noticed that there was an awkward silence at the end. We thought about what could fill that silence. What needs to be said after having made this trip? And that’s how we got the words that are heard in the song”, recalls the star. “My double nomination means that something has changed in Hollywood, because until now we were not allowed to cross borders. Or they considered you an actor or a musician, but never both.Mary J. Blige , for Mudbound , Lady Gaga , for A Star Is Born , and Cynthia Erivo for the aforementioned Harriet .

Despite achieving a milestone at the Academy Awards, Leslie Odom Jr. hasn’t rested on his laurels. He plays a role in The Many Saints of Newark , a feature-length prequel to The Sopranos . He has also released several jazz records, which have been well received, and has written a book, “Failing Up: How to Risks, Aim Higher, and Never Stop Learning”, with which he intends to inspire young people to fight for their dreams. , telling them of the many setbacks he has suffered before succeeding.