Photo by:Ernesto Mancebo
LESLIE ODOM, JR.
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Leslie Odom, Jr. recently released his third full-length album and first of original material, entitled Mr in November, and also starred alongside Cynthia Erivo in the Harriet Tubman biopic Harriet.
Odom Jr. can currently be heard voicing the character of “Owen Tillerman” in Josh Gad’s new animated musical-comedy series Central Park which premiered on Apple TV+ on May 29. He will continue to captivate audiences this year in a filmed performance of the original Broadway production of “Hamilton” set to be released on Disney+ beginning July 3. His other upcoming projects include the film adaptation of the Olivier Award-nominated play One Night in Miami directed by Regina King, where he portrays and performs the original songs of legendary singer Sam Cooke; the feature film Music written and directed by singer-songwriter Sia; and Needle in A Timestack written and directed by John Ridley. Next Spring, he will star in The Many Saints of Newark, a prequel to David Chase’s Award-winning HBO series The Sopranos. Additional film and television credits include Murder on the Orient Express, Only, Red Tails and Smash.
Odom Jr. is best known for his breakout role as ‘Aaron Burr’ in the smash hit Broadway musical Hamilton, for which he won the Tony Award for “Best Actor in a Musical” and a Grammy Award as a principal soloist on the original cast recording. He made his Broadway debut in RENT at the age of 17. He also starred opposite Lin-Manuel Miranda and Karen Olivo in a 2014 City Center Encores! revival of Jonathan Larson’s Tick, Tick…Boom!
In December 2017, Odom Jr. returned to the New York City stage in a solo concert at Jazz at Lincoln Center. The cabaret-style performance was crafted around signature songs and music that shaped this artist's journey, all performed with a world-class band in front of a live audience. The show was filmed for broadcast as an hour-long PBS special as part of the 17-time Emmy Award-winning series, Live from Lincoln Center, and premiered in April 2018.
A Grammy Award-winning recording artist, Odom Jr.’s self-titled debut album was part-funded by a successful Kickstarter campaign and released in 2014 by Borderlight Entertainment, Inc. In June 2016, the album was re-released with additional material and charted at #1 on the Billboard Jazz chart and #147 on the Billboard 200. In winter 2017, he re-released Simply Christmas as a deluxe edition with new arrangements and new songs. The holiday album hit #1 on iTunes and Billboard Jazz Charts.
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. Written in the style of a commencement speech, the book brings together what Odom Jr. has learned in life so far, tapping into universal themes of starting something new, following your passions, discovering your own potential, and surrounding yourself with the right people. Failing Up is about unlocking your true potential and making your dreams come true even when it seems impossible. The book was published by Feiwel & Friends, an imprint of Macmillan Publishers.