Allen Leech facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Allen Leech
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Leech in 2011
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| Born |
Alan Leech
18 May 1981 Killiney, County Dublin, Ireland
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| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1998–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Jessica Blair Herman
(m. 2019) |
| Children | 2 |
Allen Leech (born May 18, 1981) is a talented Irish actor. He is widely known for his roles as Tom Branson in the popular TV show Downton Abbey (2010–2015). He also played Paul Prenter in the movie Bohemian Rhapsody (2018).
Leech started acting professionally in 1998. His first big movie role was as Vincent Cusack in Cowboys & Angels (2003). He was even nominated for an award for his role as Mo Chara in Man About Dog (2004). Later, he played Marcus Agrippa in the TV series Rome (2007).
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Who is Allen Leech?
His Early Life
Allen Leech grew up in Killiney, County Dublin, Ireland. His father, David Leech, was the CEO of a computer company. Allen is the third of four children. He has an older brother, Greg, an older sister, Alli, and a younger brother, Simon.
He went to St Michael's College. Allen first became interested in acting when he was 11 years old. He played the Cowardly Lion in a school play of The Wizard of Oz. He loved being on stage and decided right away that he wanted to be an actor.
Becoming an Actor
After that first play, acting became very important to Allen during his teenage years. He got a small part in a play called A Streetcar Named Desire in 1998. This made him even more sure about becoming an actor.
He studied Drama and Theatre at Trinity College Dublin. While he was there, he got his first major roles in the movies Cowboys & Angels and Man About Dog. He has said he spent most of his time going to auditions and acting instead of doing schoolwork!
His Acting Journey
Allen's first professional stage role was in 1998 at the Gate Theatre. He acted alongside famous actress Frances McDormand. He also appeared in other plays like The Queen and Peacock and The Morning After Optimism.
His big break in movies came with Cowboys and Angels. In this film, he played Vincent, a fashion student. He then starred in the 2004 movie Man About Dog.
On TV, Allen played Shane Kirwan in the Irish series Love Is the .... He was nominated for an award for this role. He also played Willy in the TV series Legend.
In 2007, Allen appeared in the HBO series Rome. He played Marcus Agrippa, who was a top soldier and friend to Octavian. In 2010, he was in The Tudors as Francis Dereham.
One of his most famous roles is Tom Branson in the TV series Downton Abbey. His character, Tom, was a chauffeur who had strong beliefs about fairness and Irish independence. These ideas sometimes clashed with the wealthy British family he worked for. Allen also played officer Sam Leonard in Primeval in 2011.
In 2014, he acted with Benedict Cumberbatch in the movie The Imitation Game. Allen played a spy named John Cairncross. In 2018, he played Paul Prenter in the movie Bohemian Rhapsody. This role earned him a nomination for a Screen Actors Guild Award.
Allen returned as Tom Branson in the Downton Abbey movies in 2019 and 2022. He also has an upcoming role in a crime drama called The Vanishing Triangle.
Life Outside Acting
In February 2018, Allen Leech announced he was engaged to actress Jessica Blair Herman. They got married on January 5, 2019, in California. Some of his co-stars from Downton Abbey and Bohemian Rhapsody attended the wedding.
In September 2019, the couple shared that they were expecting their first daughter. In May 2022, they announced they were expecting their second daughter.
See Also
In Spanish: Allen Leech para niños
