Leslie Odom Jr. facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Leslie Odom Jr.
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Odom in 2024
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Leslie Lloyd Odom Jr.
August 6, 1981 New York City, US
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| Education | Carnegie Mellon University (BFA) |
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| Years active | 1998–present |
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| Children | 2 |
Leslie Lloyd Odom Jr. (born August 6, 1981) is a super talented American actor, singer, and songwriter. He first started acting on Broadway in 1998. Many people know him best for his amazing role as Aaron Burr in the musical Hamilton.
For his work in Hamilton, Leslie Odom Jr. won a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical. He also won a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album in the same year. His performance in Hamilton was even filmed for Disney+. This earned him a nomination for a Primetime Emmy Award.
You might also know Leslie Odom Jr. from TV shows like Smash and Person of Interest. He has been in many movies too, such as Murder on the Orient Express and Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. He played the famous singer Sam Cooke in the movie One Night in Miami.... This role earned him nominations for top awards like the Academy Award and Golden Globe Award. He was also nominated for an Academy Award for writing the song "Speak Now" for that movie.
Leslie Odom Jr. also voiced Owen Tillerman in the animated show Central Park on Apple TV+. He has released five music albums, including Simply Christmas and When a Crooner Dies. In 2018, he wrote a book called Failing Up. In 2023, he returned to Broadway in the play Purlie Victorious, earning another Tony nomination.
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Early Life and Education
Leslie Odom Jr. was born in Queens, New York City. His family moved to Philadelphia, where he grew up. He went to Julia R. Masterman School for middle school. For high school, he attended the Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts. He also sang solos in his church choir.
He later went to Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He graduated with honors. After college, in 2003, he moved to Los Angeles to continue his acting career.
Career Highlights
Acting on Stage
Leslie Odom Jr. started studying theater at the New Freedom Theatre in Philadelphia. When he was just 17, he made his first appearance on Broadway in the musical Rent.
He spent a lot of time performing in theater shows in Los Angeles. In 2012, he starred as Isaiah Sturdevant in the musical Leap of Faith on Broadway. After that show, he moved to New York City.
In 2015, Leslie Odom Jr. became famous for his role as Aaron Burr in the off-Broadway production of Hamilton. When the show moved to Broadway, he continued in the same role. For this part, he won a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical and a Grammy Award for the cast album. His last performance as Aaron Burr in Hamilton was on July 9, 2016.
In September 2023, Leslie Odom Jr. returned to Broadway. He starred in the play Purlie Victorious, which closed in February 2024. He earned another Tony nomination for this role.
TV Shows and Movies
Leslie Odom Jr. has appeared in many TV shows. He had guest roles in popular series like Gilmore Girls, Grey's Anatomy, and Supernatural. He also had a recurring role in CSI: Miami from 2003 to 2006.
From 2012 to 2013, he played Sam Strickland in the musical TV series Smash. He also had a recurring role as Peter Collier in Person of Interest. In 2020, he starred in and helped produce the TV miniseries Love in the Time of Corona with his wife, Nicolette Robinson.
He voiced Owen Tillerman in the animated musical-comedy series Central Park. For this voice role, he was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in 2020. He also voiced Kwame in The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder on Disney+.
In movies, Leslie Odom Jr. played Walter Hall in the 2012 war film Red Tails. He was Dr. Arbuthnot in the 2017 movie Murder on the Orient Express. He also starred as William Still in the 2019 film Harriet, which was about Harriet Tubman.
In 2020, he played the famous soul singer Sam Cooke in the movie One Night in Miami.... Critics loved his performance. He received nominations for an Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, and Screen Actors Guild Award for this role. He also co-wrote and performed the song "Speak Now" for the movie, which was nominated for an Academy Award.
More recently, he appeared in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery in 2022. In 2023, he starred in The Exorcist: Believer.
Music Career
In 2014, Leslie Odom Jr. released his first album as a jazz singer, called Leslie Odom Jr.. He later signed with S-Curve Records. In 2016, he released an updated version of his first album. It became very popular, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Jazz charts.
On November 11, 2016, he released his second album, Simply Christmas. This album featured jazz versions of classic Christmas songs. It also hit No. 1 on iTunes and the Billboard Jazz charts.
In 2019, he released Mr., his first album with all original songs. In 2020, he released another holiday album, The Christmas Album. Leslie Odom Jr. often tours to perform his music with a jazz band. In November 2023, he released his fifth studio album, When a Crooner Dies.
Writing
In 2017, Leslie Odom Jr. announced he was writing a book. The book, titled Failing Up: How to Take Risks, Aim Higher, and Never Stop Learning, was published in March 2018. He wrote it to inspire young readers. The book shares his experiences with challenges and how he learned from them to become successful.
Personal Life
Leslie Odom Jr. is married to actress Nicolette Robinson. They got married on December 1, 2012. They have two children: a daughter born in April 2017, and a son born in March 2021.
They met in 2008 when Nicolette was a student at UCLA. Leslie was an assistant director for a play she was in. He helped her learn her part quickly, and they started a romantic relationship.
Awards and Recognitions
Leslie Odom Jr. has won and been nominated for many important awards throughout his career.
- In 2012, he won a Fred and Adele Astaire Award for Best Dancer on Broadway for Leap of Faith.
- For his role in Hamilton, he won a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical and a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album in 2016.
- In 2020, he was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for his voice work in Central Park.
- For his role as Sam Cooke in One Night in Miami..., he received nominations for an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and a Golden Globe Award in 2021.
- He also received an Academy Award nomination for writing "Speak Now" from One Night in Miami....
- In 2019, his college, Carnegie Mellon University, gave him an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree. He also gave the keynote speech at their graduation ceremony.
Images for kids
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Odom in 2024
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Odom as Aaron Burr in Hamilton in 2015
