Robert Sean Leonard
| Robert Sean Leonard | |
|---|---|
 Robert Sean Leonard, 2007 |
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| Born | Robert Lawrence Leonard February 28, 1969 Westwood, New Jersey, United States |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1986-present |
Robert Sean Leonard (born February 28, 1969) is an American actor, who has regularly starred in Broadway and off-Broadway productions. Since 2004 he has played the role of Dr. James Wilson on the TV series House. He played Neil Perry in the 1989 movie Dead Poets Society.
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[edit] Early life and career
Leonard was born Robert Lawrence Leonard in Westwood, New Jersey, the son of Joyce P. (née Peterson), a nurse, and Robert Howard Leonard, a Spanish teacher.[1][2] He grew up in Ridgewood, where he attended Ridgewood High School before moving on to Fordham University and later Columbia University School of General Studies and Continuing Education (GS).[3] Because he shares his birth name with another actor, he uses the name of his brother Sean for his Screen Actors Guild membership.[4]
Leonard is a three-time Tony Award nominee (1993, 2001 and 2003), winning in 2001 (Best Actor – Featured Play) for his role as A. E. Housman in Tom Stoppard's The Invention of Love. He had a prior association with Stoppard's work, creating the role of Valentine in the New York premiere of Arcadia at Lincoln Center in 1995. His 2003 Tony nomination was for his portrayal of Edmund Tyrone in a well-received revival of Eugene O'Neill's Long Day's Journey Into Night that co-starred Philip Seymour Hoffman and Brian Dennehy. Leonard has also appeared in Broadway musical productions, in 2001 replacing Craig Bierko as the lead performer in a successful revival of The Music Man. On February 8, 2011 it was announced that Leonard will co-star as Paul Verrall in the 2011 Broadway revival of Born Yesterday beginning in March.[5]
In 1997 Leonard received rave reviews for his role in the Christopher Reeve-directed television film, In the Gloaming. Entertainment Weekly said that, in the film, Leonard "does a first-rate job of juggling Danny's mixture of despair, neediness, and mordant jokiness."[6]
Since 2004, he has played Dr. James Wilson, head of the oncology department, on the FOX TV series House. In 2007, Leonard appeared on Entertainment's Weekly's 100 list as "Dr. Underrated."[7]
Leonard maintains a good friendship with House co-star Hugh Laurie,[8] as well as childhood friend, Dead Poets Society and Tape co-star, Ethan Hawke[9] with whom he founded the Malaparte theater company, along with James Waterston, Steve Zahn, and Frank Whaley.[10]
[edit] Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | The Manhattan Project | Max | |
| 1988 | My Best Friend Is a Vampire | Jeremy Capello | |
| 1989 | Dead Poets Society | Neil Perry | |
| 1990 | Mr. & Mrs. Bridge | Douglas Bridge | |
| 1991 | Married to It | Chuck Bishop | |
| 1993 | Swing Kids | Peter Müller | |
| Much Ado About Nothing | Claudio | ||
| The Age of Innocence | Ted Archer | ||
| 1994 | Safe Passage | Alfred Singer | |
| 1996 | The Boys Next Door | Barry Klemper | TV |
| Killer: A Journal of Murder | Henry Lesser | ||
| I Love You, I Love You Not | Angel of Death | ||
| 1997 | In the Gloaming | Danny | TV |
| 1998 | Standoff | Jamie Doolin | |
| The Last Days of Disco | Tom Platt | ||
| Ground Control | Cruise | ||
| 2001 | Tape | Jon Salter | |
| A Glimpse of Hell | Lt. Dan Meyer | TV | |
| Driven | Demille Bly | ||
| Chelsea Walls | Terry Olsen | ||
| 2003 | The I Inside | Peter Cable | |
| A Painted House | Jesse Chandler | TV | |
| Malcolm In the Middle | An Agent (Season 5 Episode 12) | TV | |
| 2004–present | House | Dr. James Wilson | TV series |
[edit] Theatre credits
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Brighton Beach Memoirs | Eugene Jerome | replacement for Matthew Broderick |
| 1987–1988 | Breaking the Code | Christopher Morcom | |
| 1991 | The Speed of Darkness | Eddie | |
| 1993 | Candida | Eugene Marchbanks | |
| 1994 | Philadelphia, Here I Come! | Gareth O'Donnell in Private | |
| 1995 | Arcadia | Valentine Coverly | |
| 1999 | The Iceman Cometh | Don Parritt | |
| 2000–2001 | The Music Man | Harold Hill | musical; replacement for Craig Bierko |
| 2001 | The Invention of Love | A. E. Housman, aged 18 to 26 | |
| 2003 | Long Day's Journey into Night | Edmund Tyrone | |
| 2003 | The Violet Hour | John Pace Seavering | |
| 2011 to 2012 | Born Yesterday | Paul Verrall |
[edit] Awards and nominations
- Awards
- Nominations
- 1993: Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play – Candida
- 2003: Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play – Long Day's Journey into Night
- 2011: People's Choice Award for Favorite TV Doctor – House M.D.
[edit] References
- ^ Robert Sean Leonard Biography (1969–). Filmreference.com (1969-02-28). Retrieved on 2011-12-03.
- ^ STAGE TO SCREENS: Robert Sean Leonard, David Javerbaum, Plus a Look at Fall TV. Playbill.com (2008-06-02). Retrieved on 2011-12-03.
- ^ Alvin Klein (5 January 1986). "For Stage Novice, 'Acting Is It'". The New York Times. http://select.nytimes.com/search/restricted/article?res=F50713FD3B5C0C768CDDA80894DE484D81. Retrieved 2008-01-17.
- ^ "Robert Sean Leonard, David Javerbaum, Plus a Look at Fall TV". Playbill. 1 June 2008. http://www.playbill.com/news/article/118191.html. Retrieved 2008-01-17.
- ^ Born Yesterday :: Home. Bornyesterdayonbroadway.com. Retrieved on 2011-12-03.
- ^ Tucker, Ken (April 18, 1997), "Classy comes home". Entertainment Weekly. (375):53
- ^ Snierson, Dan (June 29, 2007), "Robert Sean Leonard". Entertainment Weekly. (941/942):69
- ^ The Rod Ryan Show: Interview with Robert Sean Leonard. None. Retrieved on 2011-12-03.
- ^ Warren Curry HALLOWED HALLS: An interview with Chelsea Walls star Robert Sean Leonard. douban.com. 4/18/02
- ^ Biography for Robert Sean Leonard
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Robert Sean Leonard |
- Robert Sean Leonard at the Internet Broadway Database
- Robert Sean Leonard at the Internet Movie Database
- Robert Sean Leonard at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
- Robert Sean Leonard at Yahoo! Movies
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