Leslie Odom Jr - Revision history

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	'''Leslie Odom Jr.''' (born August 6, 1981) is an American actor and singer best known for ~~originating the role of~~ [https://biography.wiki/a/Aaron_Burr Aaron Burr] in the Broadway musical ''Hamilton'', ~~for which he~~ won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical. ~~While~~ born in New York, Odom ~~was raised~~ in Philadelphia and ~~considers the city~~ his ~~hometown~~.		'''Leslie Odom Jr.''' (born August 6, 1981) is an American actor and singer. He's best known for playing [https://biography.wiki/a/Aaron_Burr Aaron Burr] in the Broadway musical ''Hamilton'', a role that won him the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical. Though he was born in New York, Odom grew up in Philadelphia and calls it his true home.

	== Early Life in Philadelphia ==		== Early Life in Philadelphia ==

	Odom moved to Philadelphia ~~at age two and grew up~~ in [[East Oak Lane]], a ~~neighborhood in~~ [[Northeast Philadelphia]]. ~~He attended~~ Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA), where he ~~honed his talents~~ alongside ~~many other~~ future ~~entertainment~~ industry professionals.<ref>{{cite web \|url=https://www.phillymag.com/news/2016/06/11/leslie-odom-jr-hamilton-philadelphia/ \|title=Leslie Odom Jr. on Philadelphia and Hamilton \|publisher=Philadelphia Magazine \|date=June 11, 2016}}</ref>		At age two, Odom moved to Philadelphia. He spent his childhood in [[East Oak Lane]], a [[Northeast Philadelphia]] neighborhood. His education came through [[Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts]] (CAPA), where he trained alongside future industry professionals.<ref>{{cite web \|url=https://www.phillymag.com/news/2016/06/11/leslie-odom-jr-hamilton-philadelphia/ \|title=Leslie Odom Jr. on Philadelphia and Hamilton \|publisher=Philadelphia Magazine \|date=June 11, 2016}}</ref>

	Odom made his Broadway debut ~~at age 17~~ in ''Rent''~~, while still a student at CAPA~~. He ~~later attended~~ Carnegie Mellon University, ~~graduating with~~ a Bachelor of Fine Arts in drama.		That's where everything started. At seventeen, while still a CAPA student, Odom made his Broadway debut in ''Rent''. He went on to Carnegie Mellon University after that, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts in drama.

	== Career ==		== Career ==
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	=== Hamilton ===		=== Hamilton ===

	~~In 2015,~~ Odom originated the role of Aaron Burr in ~~''Hamilton''~~, [https://biography.wiki/a/Lin-Manuel_Miranda Lin-Manuel Miranda]'s ~~groundbreaking~~ hip-hop musical about [https://biography.wiki/a/Alexander_Hamilton Alexander Hamilton]. ~~His~~ portrayal of the complex historical figure who eventually killed Hamilton in a duel ~~earned~~ him ~~widespread acclaim~~.		''Hamilton'' changed everything. When Odom originated the role of Aaron Burr in 2015, [https://biography.wiki/a/Lin-Manuel_Miranda Lin-Manuel Miranda]'s hip-hop musical about [https://biography.wiki/a/Alexander_Hamilton Alexander Hamilton] was already generating buzz. But Odom's portrayal of the complex historical figure, the man who eventually killed Hamilton in a duel, made the character unforgettable. Critics and audiences alike couldn't stop talking about him.

	~~For his performance, Odom won~~:		The recognition came quickly:
	* Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical (2016)		* Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical (2016)
	* Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album (2016)		* Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album (2016)

	~~His rendition of~~ "Wait for It" became one of the show's ~~signature~~ songs.		"Wait for It" became one of the show's most iconic songs. You can't talk about ''Hamilton'' without mentioning that number.

	=== Film Career ===		=== Film Career ===

	Odom has ~~built a successful film career~~, ~~including:~~		Odom didn't just rest on Broadway success. His film work has been equally impressive, spanning several genres and types of projects. In 2017, he appeared in ''Murder on the Orient Express''. Then came ''Harriet'' in 2019, where he played William Still, Philadelphia's famous abolitionist. His performance in ''One Night in Miami'' (2020) earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. More recently, he appeared in ''Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery'' (2022) and ''The Exorcist: Believer'' (2023).
	* ''Murder on the Orient Express'' ~~(2017)~~
	* ''Harriet'' (2019~~) - as~~ William Still, ~~the~~ Philadelphia abolitionist
	* ''One Night in Miami'' (2020) - Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor
	* ''Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery'' (2022)
	* ''The Exorcist: Believer'' (2023)

	=== Music ===		=== Music ===

	~~Beyond acting,~~ Odom has released several jazz-influenced albums:		Acting isn't his only passion. Odom has released several jazz-influenced albums over the years:
	* ''Leslie Odom Jr.'' (2014)		* ''Leslie Odom Jr.'' (2014)
	* ''Simply Christmas'' (2016)		* ''Simply Christmas'' (2016)
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	* ''The Christmas Album'' (2020)		* ''The Christmas Album'' (2020)

	His ~~song "Speak Now" from~~ ''One Night in Miami'' ~~earned~~ an Academy Award ~~nomination~~ for Best Original Song.		His work on ''One Night in Miami'' went further still. The song "Speak Now" from that project got nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song.

	== Philadelphia Connection ==		== Philadelphia Connection ==

	Odom ~~frequently~~ credits his ~~Philadelphia~~ upbringing and education at CAPA for ~~shaping his career~~. He ~~has~~ returned to the city ~~for various events and has spoken~~ about ~~the importance of~~ arts education in public schools.		Odom talks often about how Philadelphia shaped his career. He credits both his upbringing there and his education at CAPA for giving him the tools to succeed. He's returned to the city many times, speaking about why arts education matters in public schools.

	~~His role as~~ William Still in ''Harriet'' ~~connected him to Philadelphia history, as~~ Still was a ~~prominent~~ abolitionist ~~based in the city~~ who helped hundreds of enslaved people ~~escape to~~ freedom.		Playing William Still in ''Harriet'' held special meaning. Still was a Philadelphia-based abolitionist who helped hundreds of enslaved people reach freedom. For Odom, connecting with that history and that character felt personal in ways other roles hadn't.

	== Personal Life ==		== Personal Life ==

	~~Odom is~~ married to actress Nicolette Robinson. ~~They have~~ two children and ~~reside~~ in Los Angeles.		He's married to actress Nicolette Robinson. The couple has two children and currently lives in Los Angeles.

	== See Also ==		== See Also ==

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	=== Hamilton ===		=== Hamilton ===

	In 2015, Odom originated the role of Aaron Burr in ''Hamilton'', Lin-Manuel Miranda's groundbreaking hip-hop musical about [https://biography.wiki/a/Alexander_Hamilton Alexander Hamilton]. His portrayal of the complex historical figure who eventually killed Hamilton in a duel earned him widespread acclaim.		In 2015, Odom originated the role of Aaron Burr in ''Hamilton'', [https://biography.wiki/a/Lin-Manuel_Miranda Lin-Manuel Miranda]'s groundbreaking hip-hop musical about [https://biography.wiki/a/Alexander_Hamilton Alexander Hamilton]. His portrayal of the complex historical figure who eventually killed Hamilton in a duel earned him widespread acclaim.

	For his performance, Odom won:		For his performance, Odom won:

Gritty: Add biography.wiki cross-reference links

2026-03-25T15:31:01Z

Add biography.wiki cross-reference links

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:31, 25 March 2026
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	'''Leslie Odom Jr.''' (born August 6, 1981) is an American actor and singer best known for originating the role of Aaron Burr in the Broadway musical ''Hamilton'', for which he won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical. While born in New York, Odom was raised in Philadelphia and considers the city his hometown.		'''Leslie Odom Jr.''' (born August 6, 1981) is an American actor and singer best known for originating the role of [https://biography.wiki/a/Aaron_Burr Aaron Burr] in the Broadway musical ''Hamilton'', for which he won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical. While born in New York, Odom was raised in Philadelphia and considers the city his hometown.

	== Early Life in Philadelphia ==		== Early Life in Philadelphia ==
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	=== Hamilton ===		=== Hamilton ===

	In 2015, Odom originated the role of Aaron Burr in ''Hamilton'', Lin-Manuel Miranda's groundbreaking hip-hop musical about Alexander Hamilton. His portrayal of the complex historical figure who eventually killed Hamilton in a duel earned him widespread acclaim.		In 2015, Odom originated the role of Aaron Burr in ''Hamilton'', Lin-Manuel Miranda's groundbreaking hip-hop musical about [https://biography.wiki/a/Alexander_Hamilton Alexander Hamilton]. His portrayal of the complex historical figure who eventually killed Hamilton in a duel earned him widespread acclaim.

	For his performance, Odom won:		For his performance, Odom won:

Gritty: Automated upload via Philadelphia.Wiki content pipeline

2025-12-31T18:04:23Z

Automated upload via Philadelphia.Wiki content pipeline

New page

{{Infobox person
|name = Leslie Odom Jr.
|image =
|birth_date = August 6, 1981
|birth_place = Queens, New York
|occupation = Actor, singer
|years_active = 1998–present
|notable_works = ''Hamilton'' (Tony Award), ''One Night in Miami'', ''Glass Onion''
}}

'''Leslie Odom Jr.''' (born August 6, 1981) is an American actor and singer best known for originating the role of Aaron Burr in the Broadway musical ''Hamilton'', for which he won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical. While born in New York, Odom was raised in Philadelphia and considers the city his hometown.

== Early Life in Philadelphia ==

Odom moved to Philadelphia at age two and grew up in [[East Oak Lane]], a neighborhood in [[Northeast Philadelphia]]. He attended Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA), where he honed his talents alongside many other future entertainment industry professionals.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.phillymag.com/news/2016/06/11/leslie-odom-jr-hamilton-philadelphia/ |title=Leslie Odom Jr. on Philadelphia and Hamilton |publisher=Philadelphia Magazine |date=June 11, 2016}}</ref>

Odom made his Broadway debut at age 17 in ''Rent'', while still a student at CAPA. He later attended Carnegie Mellon University, graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in drama.

== Career ==

=== Hamilton ===

In 2015, Odom originated the role of Aaron Burr in ''Hamilton'', Lin-Manuel Miranda's groundbreaking hip-hop musical about Alexander Hamilton. His portrayal of the complex historical figure who eventually killed Hamilton in a duel earned him widespread acclaim.

For his performance, Odom won:
* Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical (2016)
* Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album (2016)

His rendition of "Wait for It" became one of the show's signature songs.

=== Film Career ===

Odom has built a successful film career, including:
* ''Murder on the Orient Express'' (2017)
* ''Harriet'' (2019) - as William Still, the Philadelphia abolitionist
* ''One Night in Miami'' (2020) - Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor
* ''Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery'' (2022)
* ''The Exorcist: Believer'' (2023)

=== Music ===

Beyond acting, Odom has released several jazz-influenced albums:
* ''Leslie Odom Jr.'' (2014)
* ''Simply Christmas'' (2016)
* ''Mr'' (2019)
* ''The Christmas Album'' (2020)

His song "Speak Now" from ''One Night in Miami'' earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song.

== Philadelphia Connection ==

Odom frequently credits his Philadelphia upbringing and education at CAPA for shaping his career. He has returned to the city for various events and has spoken about the importance of arts education in public schools.

His role as William Still in ''Harriet'' connected him to Philadelphia history, as Still was a prominent abolitionist based in the city who helped hundreds of enslaved people escape to freedom.

== Personal Life ==

Odom is married to actress Nicolette Robinson. They have two children and reside in Los Angeles.

== See Also ==
* [[Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts]]
* [[William Still]]
* [[Northeast Philadelphia]]

== References ==
<references />

{{#seo:
|title=Leslie Odom Jr. - Philadelphia Wiki
|description=Leslie Odom Jr., Tony Award-winning actor from Philadelphia who originated Aaron Burr in Hamilton, CAPA graduate and acclaimed singer.
|keywords=Leslie Odom Jr, Hamilton, Aaron Burr, Philadelphia, CAPA, Tony Award, Broadway, One Night in Miami
|type=Article
}}

[[Category:People]]
[[Category:Entertainers]]
[[Category:Musicians]]
[[Category:Northeast Philadelphia]]
[[Category:CAPA Alumni]]