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Birth
Leslie Odom Jr was born on August 6th, 1981, in Queens, New York City. He, along with his family moved to Philadelphia where he was raised. His mother was a nursing home recreation director while his father was a salesman. -
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Young Schooling
He attended Julia R. Masterman School for middle school and then went on to attend Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts. -
Childhood
Since he was a child, he had a passion for singing. He performed at the Canaan Baptist Church, where his family attended. When he was 13 years old, he won an oratory competition on African American history and received a scholarship to Philadelphia’s nonprofit Freedom Theatre, Philadelphia’s oldest African American theater -
Early Roles
His first role at Freedom Theatre was acting as an enslaved person in William Gibson’s 'The Miracle Worker'. Later, when Leslie was 17 years old, he earned his first role on Broadway, "Rent". -
College
Leslie was invited to play Mereb in Disney's "Aida," another Broadway musical but he turned it down for his education. He attended Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh and graduated with honors before moving to Los Angeles in 2003. -
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Other Boardway performances
As previously mentioned, he was in the Broadway play 'Rent' but also played in 'Leap of Faith', another Broadway play, as Isaiah Sturdevant. -
Spouse
He got married to Nicolette Robinson, on December 1st, 2012. They are happily married to this day. -
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Social Advocate
Leslie's upbringing helped him further develop his role in advocacy. He recognizes the importance of representation, visibility, and opportunities for marginalized communities. He hopes to open doors for more generations with his work. -
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Partnerships
Leslie has a great partnership with Lin Manuel Miranda. They have a long history from 2014 when they starred together in 'Rent'. Odom co-starred in Miranda’s 2021 directorial film debut, 'Tick, Tick…Boom!'. They continue to work together as artists. -
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Music Career
He has dabbled in many art forms, one of them being music. He released his first album, a self-titled album in 2014. Since then, he released four more albums. The most recent is When a Crooner Dies, released November 17, 2023. -
Most notable role, Aaron Burr
Leslie had his big break in the play 'Hamilton' as Aaron Burr, the protagonist in the play. His final appearance in the play occurred on July 9, 2016. -
Tony Award
Leslie won the 2016 Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical for his performance as Aaron Burr in the Broadway sensation Hamilton (2015). -
Grammy
Leslie received a Grammy in 2016 for his role as Aaron Burr in the play 'Hamilton'. He is a three-time nominee. -
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Children
The couple introduced their first child, Lucille Ruby born in April 2017, and later they had their son, Able Phineas, born in March 2021. -
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Producer
Leslie is a multitalented individual, he is/was the producer of multiple media such as: 'Live from Lincoln Center' (2018), 'Untitled Leslie Odom Jr./Kerry Washington Project' (2019), 'Love in the Time of Corona' (2020), and 'Great Performances' (2024). -
Writing
In March 2018, Odom Jr. added the title of author to his resume with the release of his book – Failing Up: How to Take Risks, Aim Higher and Never Stop Learning. It focuses on how to unlock your full protentional even when it may seem impossible. -
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Voice acting
Leslie Odom Jr. has lent his voice to characters in animated films like "Central Park" and "Arlo the Alligator Boy." -
Fun Fact
Leslie Odom Jr. performed "America the Beautiful" at the 2021 Super Bowl. -
Movies
Though he is in many movies, one of his most notable roles was in 'One Night in Miami' where he played as Sam Cook. He also released a cover of “A Change Is Gonna Come". -
Inspiration(s)
Odom, Jr. says that Pulitzer Prize Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers by Kendrick Lama was a "powerful source of inspiration" for him. He says the album inspired him to speak his truth with courage. -
More on Arron Burr
Aaron Burr was Leslie's most impactful role. In an interview with PBS he says, "...I was the avatar and so, people got to see a young black man as this complicated...Interesting, flawed, beautiful human being." He showed his gratitude for his role as Arron Burr, saying that "I got to do that. If I never get to do it again, I got to do it once." -
Sources
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