Michael-Leon Wooley facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Michael-Leon Wooley
Wooley in 2008
Born	(1971-03-29) March 29, 1971 (age 54) Fairfax, Virginia, U.S.
Other names	Michael Leon Wooley
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1992–present

Michael-Leon Wooley is an American actor, born on March 29, 1971. He is famous for his voice work, especially as Louis the Alligator in Disney's movie The Princess and the Frog. He also voiced Judge Grady in the video game Grand Theft Auto IV.

Early Life and Dreams

Michael-Leon Wooley was born in Fairfax, Virginia. He grew up in Bowie, Maryland. From a young age, Michael-Leon loved music. He started playing the piano when he was just five years old. At first, he wanted to become a professional classical pianist.

However, things changed when he was in high school. He took part in a school play called Oklahoma!. This experience made him very interested in acting and singing. When he was 16, he had a chance to study piano at a special arts school. But he decided to focus on acting and singing instead.

At 18, Michael-Leon won a full scholarship to a famous acting school in New York City. He studied there for a year. After that, he started his journey to become an actor. He performed in a national play tour called Purlie. He also worked as a singing waiter on a dinner cruise ship in Manhattan.

Michael-Leon Wooley's Acting Career

Theatre Performances

In 1992, Michael-Leon Wooley made his first appearance on Broadway. He was an understudy in the musical Five Guys Named Moe. After this, he went on tours with famous groups like The Pointer Sisters. He performed in musicals such as Ain't Misbehavin' and The Wiz.

He returned to Broadway in 2000. He played Olin Britt in The Music Man. Later, he was the voice of Audrey II. This was a man-eating plant in the 2003 Broadway show Little Shop of Horrors. Critics praised his "soulful bass voice" for this role.

In 2004, Michael-Leon performed at Carnegie Hall. This is a very famous concert hall. He was part of a show called "New Faces of 2004." He performed with other Broadway stars.

Film Roles

Michael-Leon Wooley has lent his voice to many characters in movies. He is well-known as the voice of Louis the jazz-playing alligator. This character is from Disney's animated movie The Princess and the Frog. He also played Tiny Joe Dixon in the 2006 movie Dreamgirls. He sang a song called "Takin' The Long Way Home" in that film. More recently, he played Cocoa Butter in the Netflix series AJ and the Queen.

Voice Acting for TV and Games

Michael-Leon's voice is very popular. You might have heard it in many TV commercials. He has done voice-overs for big brands like Reebok and McDonald's. He was also the voice of Twayne Boneraper. This character was a demon boss on the TV show Ugly Americans.

He has appeared as a guest on many TV shows. These include Cosby and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. He also voiced villains like Darkseid and Kalibak on Batman: The Brave and the Bold. From 2013 to 2014, he voiced Tobias Whale in Beware the Batman. He has also voiced characters in Sanjay and Craig, Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness, and Breadwinners.

In video games, he voiced Judge Grady in Grand Theft Auto IV. He also voiced Dexter DeShawn in the game Cyberpunk 2077. In 2012, he voiced Impossibear in the web series Bravest Warriors.

Personal Life

Michael-Leon Wooley is also involved in other activities. In 2008, he performed a song at a fundraiser for Barack Obama. The song was written especially for that event.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video Games