Leslie Odom, Jr. was born on August 6, 1981, in Queens, NY. His family later relocated to Philadelphia, PA where he grew up and sang in the church choir. After graduating from Philadelphia High School for Creative Performing Arts, he attended Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA.
In 2003, Leslie Odom, Jr. moved to LA, where he started to land small roles on TV. He had roles on a number of notable TV shows including Gilmore Girls, CSI: Miami, Vanished, and Smash. As his career picked up, he started landing guest spots and recurring roles.
He made his Broadway debut as a replacement in Rent at the age of 17. Odom also starred in a number of live performances including Dreamgirls, Jersey Boys, and Venice. In 2012 he landed a role in the musical Leap of Faith, and was included on the original cast recording.
Leslie Odom, Jr. also has released a number of albums that include a variety of music. His self-titled album was a mix of jazz and covers of show tunes and pop music. He later produced two Christmas albums, as well as appeared on other artist’s albums. In 2018, he published his first book, Failing Up: How to Take Risks, Aim Higher, and Never Stop Learning.
During this period of his life, Odom married fellow performer, Nicolette Robinson, and together, they have two children.
His breakout role came in the role of Aaron Burr in Lin Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton. The show was based on the biography written by Ron Chernow. The show was set to include a diverse cast, and feature music that replicated traditional show tune and hip-hop styles.
The show was a massive success, and Leslie Odom, Jr. won a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical, beating out writer and lead actor, Lin Manuel Miranda. The musical spawned a cult following, a celebrity-filled cover album, and a filmed version available on Disney+, and Leslie Odom, Jr. became a household name. Since Hamilton, Odom has released more albums, appeared on TV, and even appeared as Sam Cooke in Regina King’s One Night in Miami.
Today, as he celebrates his 40th birthday, we celebrate him as the triple threat that he is.
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Kassidy Garland has had a great appreciation for reading and writing since she was young. She graduated from West Chester University in 2017 with a Bachelor’s Degree in English & Women and Gender Studies. With a concentration in creative writing, Kassidy has 5 years of experience writing blogs, articles, and for social media. Kassidy is also pursuing a Master’s degree in IT with a concentration in Web Development. Based out of Philadelphia, Kassidy loves to write about a number of topics and looks forward to sharing her passion with those at FunTimes Magazine.
