Leon Thomas III facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Leon Thomas III
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Thomas in 2023
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Leon George Thomas III |
| Born | August 1, 1993 New York City, U.S. |
| Genres | R&B |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 2003–present |
| Labels | |
| Associated acts |
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Leon George Thomas III (born August 1, 1993) is a talented American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor. You might know him best as Andre Harris from the popular Nickelodeon TV show Victorious (2010–2013). Before that, he was the singing voice of Tyrone on the cartoon The Backyardigans.
Leon Thomas III has also made a name for himself in music. He has written and produced songs for many famous artists. These include Ariana Grande, Drake, and SZA. He even won a Grammy Award for his work on SZA's song "Snooze". He was also nominated for a Grammy for co-writing "Gold Roses" by Rick Ross.
Contents
Early Life and Nickelodeon Fame
Leon Thomas III was born in Brooklyn, New York City. He started acting on Broadway when he was only 10 years old. In 2003, he played Young Simba in The Lion King. He also appeared in other Broadway shows like Caroline, or Change and The Color Purple.
In 2007, Leon was in the movie August Rush. He also became the singing voice for Tyrone in the animated series The Backyardigans. He guest-starred on other TV shows like Jack's Big Music Show and Just Jordan. He even appeared in an episode of iCarly called "iCarly Saves TV".
His big break came when he played Andre Harris on Victorious. The show started in 2010 and became very popular. Leon also appeared as Andre in the special crossover episode iParty with Victorious, which brought together characters from Victorious and iCarly. Victorious finished in 2013.
Music Career and Producing Hits
While on Victorious, Leon Thomas III also worked on his own music. In 2012, he released his first mixtape called Metro Hearts. It included his own songs and a cover of Drake's "Take Care" with his Victorious co-star Ariana Grande.
Leon is also a talented songwriter and producer. He worked with Ariana Grande on her 2013 album Yours Truly. He helped write and produce several songs on that album. He also worked on songs for Toni Braxton and Babyface's Grammy-winning album Love, Marriage & Divorce.
In 2013, he released a new song called "Hello How Are You" with Wiz Khalifa. The next year, he released another mixtape called V1bes. Leon has continued to produce music for other artists. He co-produced songs for Post Malone's album Stoney in 2016.
In 2018, Leon released his first EP (Extended Play) called Genesis. An EP is like a mini-album with fewer songs. The next year, he was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Song. This was for co-writing and co-producing "Gold Roses" by Rick Ross and Drake.
He has also co-written and co-produced songs for Ariana Grande's album Positions (2020) and Drake's album Certified Lover Boy (2021). In 2022, he signed a deal with Motown Records through Ty Dolla Sign's new label, EZMNY Records.
In 2024, Leon was one of the writers and producers for the song "Burn" by ¥$ (which is Kanye West and Ty Dolla Sign). He also won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Song for his work on SZA's hit song "Snooze".
Film and Television Appearances
Leon Thomas III has appeared in several movies and TV shows.
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Robin and Roger | Boy | "The Plan" (season 1, episode 3); nine-episode series |
| 2007 | August Rush | Arthur | |
| 2010 | Rising Stars | JR | |
| 2015 | Runaway Island | Evan Holloway | |
| 2017 | Detroit | Darryl |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Just for Kicks | Ty | 2 episodes |
| 2006–2008 | The Backyardigans | Tyrone | Main singing voice role (seasons 2–3) |
| 2007 | Just Jordan | Ronnie | Episode: "Revenge of the Riff" |
| Jack's Big Music Show | Himself | Episode: "Laurie's Big Song" | |
| 2008, 2011 | iCarly | Harper | Episode: "iCarly Saves TV" |
| Andre Harris | Crossover movie: iParty with Victorious | ||
| 2010 | 2010 Kids' Choice Awards | Himself | |
| 2010–13 | Victorious | Andre Harris | Main role, 57 episodes |
| 2011 | True Jackson, VP | Himself | Episode: "True Fame" |
| 2011 Kids' Choice Awards | |||
| 2012 | Figure It Out | Panelist (episodes 20, 23, 31, 38) | |
| 2014 | Satisfaction | Mateo | Recurring role, 6 episodes |
| Robot and Monster | Monster's singing voice | ||
| 2015 | Fear the Walking Dead | Russell | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2017 | Insecure | Eddie | Recurring role |
Music Releases
Leon Thomas III has released studio albums, mixtapes, and EPs. He has also released many singles and appeared on songs by other artists.
Studio Albums
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Electric Dusk | |
| Mutt |
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Mixtapes
| Title | Mixtape details |
|---|---|
| Metro Hearts |
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| V1bes |
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| Before the Beginning |
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Extended Plays
| Title | Extended play details |
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| Genesis |
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Singles
As Lead Artist
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Bub. |
US R&B/HH |
US Adult R&B |
NZ |
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| "Hello How Are You" (featuring Wiz Khalifa) |
2013 | — | — | — | — | non-album single |
| "Favorite" (featuring Buddy) |
2018 | — | — | 17 | — | Genesis |
| "Sunken Place" | — | — | — | — | ||
| "X-Rated" (featuring Benny the Butcher) |
2022 | — | — | — | — | Electric Dusk |
| "Love Jones" (featuring Ty Dolla Sign) |
— | — | — | — | ||
| "Breaking Point" | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Crash & Burn" | 2023 | — | — | — | — | |
| "Breaking Point (Remix)" (featuring Victoria Monét) |
— | — | — | — | ||
| "Dangerous Game” (with Esta.) |
2024 | — | — | — | — | Francis |
| "Mutt" | 9 | 37 | — | 23 | Mutt | |
| "Far Fetched" (featuring Ty Dolla Sign) |
— | — | — | — | ||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | ||||||
As Featured Artist
| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Snapchat" (Yonni featuring Leon Thomas, Eric Bellinger, A-Roc, and Rayven Justice) |
2015 | non-album single |
| "Rendezvous" (Kronic featuring Leon Thomas) |
2017 | |
| "Sho Enough" (Philly Swain featuring Leon Thomas and Safaree) |
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| "Aimless" (Bizzy Crook featuring Lexii Alijai and Leon Thomas) |
2018 | Before I Jump |
| "Too Much" (Bizzy Crook featuring Leon Thomas) |
2019 | Confetti |
| "Settle" (Kosine featuring Leon Thomas) |
2021 | Truth Serum |
| "Lucky" (Tish Hyman featuring Larussell & Leon Thomas) |
2023 | rowspan="2" TBA |
| "Sweetness” (Elmiene featuring Leon Thomas) |
2024 |
Promotional Singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Kid |
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| "It's You" (with Jessie Payo) |
2010 | — | Rising Stars | |||||||||||
| "Countdown" (Victorious cast featuring Leon Thomas III and Victoria Justice) |
2012 | 10 | Victorious 2.0: More Music from the Hit TV Show | |||||||||||
| "Come Clean" (with Michelle DeShon) |
2014 | — | non-album single | |||||||||||
| "PLW" | 2018 | — | Genesis | |||||||||||
| "Until the End of Time" (with Coco Jones) |
2023 | — | non-album single | |||||||||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | ||||||||||||||
Other Charted Songs
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Kid |
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| "Song 2 You" (Victorious cast featuring Leon Thomas III and Victoria Justice) |
2011 | 8 | Victorious: Music from the Hit TV Show |
| "Tell Me That You Love Me" (Victorious cast featuring Victoria Justice and Leon Thomas III) |
11 |
Guest Appearances
| Title | Year | Other artist(s) | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Sing the Day" | 2006 | Anika Noni Rose, Harrison Chad, Marcus Carl Franklin | Bambi II |
| "La Bamba" | 2007 | None | August Rush |
| "I Like That Girl" | 2008 | iCarly: Music from and Inspired by the Hit TV Show | |
| "Free to Fall" | 2010 | Kyle Riabko, Jessie Payo, Natalie Hall | Rising Stars |
| "A Better Day" | Kyle Riabko | ||
| "All I Want" | 2011 | Roshon Fegan | Non-album song |
| "365 Days" | 2012 | Victorious cast | Victorious 3.0: Even More Music from the Hit TV Show |
| "Yes We Can" | 2013 | Nat & Alex Wolff, Natasha Bedingfield | Throwbacks |
| "Can We Talk" | Berner | Drugstore Cowboy | |
| "Show Us" | 2014 | None | Non-album songs |
| "Miss You" | |||
| "Nothing" | The Best of Both Offices Compilation Vol. 4 | ||
| "Too Long" | 2015 | Non-album song | |
| "Fire" | 2016 | Finding Noyvon, J.Kelr | Believe in MPLS |
| "Teacher" | Yonni | #TheGift | |
| "Balance" | 2017 | RichGains, GLC, Nate Mercereau | Gains |
| "Zen" | 2018 | Bizzy Crook | Before I Jump |
| "Arcadia (For the Land)" | 2020 | WavelQ | Arcadia |
| "Lord Knows" | 2022 | Steelo, Dej Loaf | Eldorado Excursions |
| "Patience (Remix) | Eric Bellinger | New Light: The Remixes | |
| "Cowrie Charms" | 2023 | Yussef Dayes, Barbara Hicks | Black Classical Music |
| "Is There Someone New?" | 2024 | Yung Bleu | Jeremy |
| "Guilty" | Conductor Williams | Conductor We Have A Problem, Pt. 3 |
Music Videos
| Title | Year | Other artist(s) | Director(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| As an artist | ||||
| "All I Want" | 2011 | Roshon Fegan | Unknown | |
| "Hello How Are You" | 2013 | Wiz Khalifa | ||
| "Snapchat" | 2015 | Yonni, Eric Bellinger, A-Roc, Rayven Justice | ||
| "Favorite" | 2018 | Buddy | ||
| "PLW" | None | €¥£$ | ||
| "X-Rated" | 2022 | Benny the Butcher | Cameron Dean, Leon Thomas | |
| "Love Jones" | Ty Dolla Sign | Cameron Dean | ||
| "Breaking Point" | 2023 | none | ||
| Guest appearances | ||||
| "Make It Shine" | 2010 | Victorious cast, Victoria Justice | Unknown | |
| "Freak the Freak Out" | Marcus Wagner | |||
| "Beggin' on Your Knees" | 2011 | |||
| "Leave It All to Shine" | iCarly and Victorious casts, Miranda Cosgrove, Victoria Justice | Unknown | ||
| "All I Want Is Everything" | Victorious cast, Victoria Justice | Lex Halaby | ||
| "Make It in America" | 2012 | Anna Mastro | ||
| "L.A. Boyz" | Victorious cast, Victoria Justice, Ariana Grande | Unknown | ||
| "Here's 2 Us" | Victorious cast, Victoria Justice | |||
| "You Don't Know Me" | Victorious cast, Elizabeth Gillies | |||
Production and Songwriting Credits
Leon Thomas III has also worked as a producer and songwriter for many artists.
| Title | Year | Artist(s) | Album | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Honeymoon Avenue" | 2013 | Ariana Grande | Yours Truly | Co-writer |
| "Tattooed Heart" | ||||
| "Lovin' It" | ||||
| "You'll Never Know" | ||||
| "Love Is Everything" | Christmas Kisses | |||
| "Snow in California" | ||||
| "I'd Rather Be Broke" | 2014 | Toni Braxton | Love, Marriage & Divorce | |
| "Can I Get a Moment?" | Jessica Mauboy | Beautiful | ||
| "Kinda Miss You" | 2015 | Deborah Cox | non-album single | |
| "Shake That" | Samantha Jade, Pitbull | Nine | ||
| "Something New" | 2016 | Zendaya, Chris Brown | non-album single | |
| "Yours Truly, Austin Post" | Post Malone | Stoney | Co-producer and co-writer | |
| "Geek'd" | 2018 | Bhad Bhabie, Lil Baby | 15 | Co-writer |
| "Butterfly" | 2019 | Kehlani | While We Wait | |
| "Gold Roses" | Rick Ross, Drake | Port of Miami 2 | ||
| "Scary Nights" | G-Eazy | Scary Nights | ||
| "Summer Magic" | Ai | It's All Me, Vol. 1 | Co-producer and co-writer | |
| "Safety Net" | 2020 | Ariana Grande, Ty Dolla Sign | Positions | Co-writer |
| "Nasty" | Ariana Grande | |||
| "In the Bible" | 2021 | Drake, Lil Durk, Giveon | Certified Lover Boy | Co-producer and co-writer |
| "Love All" | Drake, Jay-Z | |||
| "Pipe Down" | Drake | |||
| "For Tonight" | Giveon | Give or Take | ||
| "Wicked Freestyle" | Nardo Wick | Who Is Nardo Wick? | ||
| "Rent Free" | 6lack | "Rent Free" / "By Any Means" single | ||
| "High School Crush" | 2022 | Buddy | Superghetto | |
| "Poison" | Jack Harlow, Lil Wayne | Come Home the Kids Miss You | ||
| "Another Heartbreak" | Giveon | Give or Take | ||
| "Scarred" | ||||
| "Let Me Go" | ||||
| "Lost Me" | ||||
| "July 16th" | ||||
| "Get to You" | ||||
| "All Wolves Go to Heaven" | YoDogg, Cardo | Raised by Wolves | ||
| "Snooze" | SZA | SOS | ||
| "Wolves" | 2023 | Lauren Jauregui, Russ, Ty Dolla Sign | In Between | |
| "Gone" | Kiana Ledé, Bryson Tiller | Grudges | ||
| "Undefeated" | Mike Dimes | Texas Boy | ||
| "Burn" | 2024 | ¥$ | Vultures 1 |
Broadway Shows
- The Lion King
- Caroline, or Change
- The Color Purple
Tours
- Big Time Summer Tour (joined on August 21, 2012)
Awards and Nominations
Leon Thomas III has won and been nominated for several awards for his acting and music.
| Year | Association | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Young Artist Awards | Best Performance In A Feature Film - Supporting Young Actor (Fantasy or Drama) | August Rush | Won |
| 2012 | NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Youth (Series, Special, Television Movie or Limited-series) | Victorious | Nominated |
| 2020 | Grammy Awards | Best Rap Song | "Gold Roses" | Nominated |
| 2024 | Best R&B Song | Snooze | Won |
