Robert Sean Leonard | |
|---|---|
 Leonard in May 2007 | |
| Born | Robert Lawrence Leonard (1969-02-28)February 28, 1969 (age 56) Westwood, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1986–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
Robert Lawrence Leonard (born February 28, 1969), known asRobert Sean Leonard, is an American actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Neil Perry in the drama filmDead Poets Society (1989) andDr. James Wilson in the medical drama seriesHouse (2004–2012).
A prolific stage actor, Leonard won aTony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his performance inThe Invention of Love in 2001. His other theater credits includeCandida,Long Day's Journey Into Night,Breaking the Code,The Speed of Darkness,Philadelphia, Here I Come!,Arcadia,The Music Man,Born Yesterday,Fifth of July, andTo Kill a Mockingbird.
Robert Lawrence Leonard was born inWestwood, New Jersey, on February 28, 1969.[1] He grew up in nearbyRidgewood, where he attendedRidgewood High School[2] but later dropped out at 17 to pursue acting.[3] He studied atFordham University and later theColumbia University School of General Studies. He studied theater atHB Studio.[4] He has a brother named Sean, whose name he adopted as his new middle name when theScreen Actors Guild advised him to take astage name because his birth name was already taken by another actor.[5]
Leonard is a three-timeTony Award nominee, and wonBest Featured Actor in a Play in 2001 for his role asA. E. Housman inTom Stoppard'sThe Invention of Love. He had previously played the role of Valentine in the New York premiere of Stoppard'sArcadia at Lincoln Center in 1995. He was nominated for a Tony in 2003 for his portrayal of Edmund Tyrone in a well-received revival ofEugene O'Neill'sLong Day's Journey Into Night, co-starringPhilip Seymour Hoffman,Brian Dennehy, andVanessa Redgrave. He has also appeared in Broadway musical productions, and replacedCraig Bierko as the lead performer in a revival ofThe Music Man in 2001. He co-starred as Paul Verrall in the 2011 Broadway revival ofBorn Yesterday.[6]
Leonard andEthan Hawke, who have been friends since co-starring inDead Poets Society, co-founded New York'sMalaparte theater company alongsideJames Waterston,Steve Zahn, andFrank Whaley in 1991.[7][8] The company was officially dissolved in 2000, partly because its members wanted to devote more time to their families.[9] Hawke later referred to the company's heyday as "pretty much the most thrilling period of [his] life".[10]
Leonard's early film roles includedThe Manhattan Project (1986),My Best Friend Is a Vampire (1987), andDead Poets Society (1989). In 1993, he had a leading role in the filmSwing Kids, playing Peter Müller,[11] appeared in the Shakespeare film adaptationMuch Ado About Nothing, and appeared inMartin Scorsese'sThe Age of Innocence. In 1997, he received rave reviews for his role in the television filmIn the Gloaming, directed byChristopher Reeve.Entertainment Weekly said that Leonard "does a first-rate job of juggling Danny's mixture of despair, neediness, and mordant jokiness."[12]
From 2004 to 2012, Leonard had his most famous onscreen role asDr. James Wilson in theFox medical drama seriesHouse. He had been invited to audition for the role ofCharlie Eppes in theCBS crime drama seriesNumb3rs as well asHouse, and thought theNumb3rs script was "kind of cool", but decided to audition forHouse because he thought the character of Charlie was in "too many scenes".[13] He later admitted, "The less I work, the happier I am."[13] He believed that hisHouse audition was not particularly good, but that his friendship with the show's executive producerBryan Singer helped win him the role.[13] In 2007, he appeared onEntertainment Weekly's 100 list as "Dr. Underrated".[14]
From 2013 to 2014, Leonard had a recurring role as Dr.Roger Kadar on the seriesFalling Skies.[15] In 2016, he playedKing Arthur in David Lee's adaptation of the musicalCamelot at theWestport Country Playhouse.[16] From February to April 2017, he appeared in the Broadway revival ofSunday in the Park with George as Jules/Bob.[17] In 2023, he had a supporting role in HBO'sThe Gilded Age as the Reverend Luke Forte.[citation needed]
Leonard remains close friends with hisHouse co-starHugh Laurie.[18] He has also been friends since childhood withEthan Hawke, who would later become his co-star inDead Poets Society andTape.[19]
Leonard married Gabriella Salick in 2008.[20] The couple have three daughters,[21] one born in 2009[20] and one in 2012.[22]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | The Manhattan Project | Max | Credited as Robert Leonard |
| 1987 | 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 | Count Claudio | ||
| The Age of Innocence | Ted Archer | ||
| A Dog Race in Alaska | Short film | ||
| 1994 | Safe Passage | Alfred Singer | |
| 1996 | Killer: A Journal of Murder | Henry Lesser | |
| I Love You, I Love You Not | Angel of Death | ||
| 1997 | In the Gloaming | Danny | |
| 1998 | Standoff | Jamie Doolin | |
| The Last Days of Disco | Tom Platt | ||
| Ground Control | Cruise | ||
| 2001 | Tape | Jon Salter | |
| Driven | Demille Bly | ||
| Chelsea Walls | Terry Olsen | ||
| 2003 | The I Inside | Peter Cable |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | My Two Loves | Larry Taylor | Television film |
| 1987 | Bluffing It | Rusty Duggan | Television film |
| 1993 | The Tonight Show with Jay Leno | Himself | Season 2 Episode 31, aired July 19, 1993 |
| 1994 | Normandy: The Great Crusade | Rusty Sales | Voice, television film |
| 1996 | The Boys Next Door | Barry Klemper | Television film |
| 1999 | Wasteland | Jesse's ex | Episode: "My Ex-Friend's Wedding" |
| 2000 | The Outer Limits | Robby Archer | Episode: "Nest" |
| 2001 | A Glimpse of Hell | Lt.Daniel P. Meyer | Television film |
| 2002 | Corsairs | Unaired pilot[23] | |
| 2003 | A Painted House | Jesse Chandler | Television film |
| 2004–2012 | House | Dr. James Wilson | Main cast |
| 2006, 2010 | American Experience | Himself,Herman Melville | Episode: "Eugene O'Neill"; Voice, episode: "Into the Deep: America, Whaling & the World" |
| 2013 | The Blacklist | Frederick Barnes | Episode: "Frederick Barnes" |
| 2013–2014 | Falling Skies | Dr. Roger Kadar | Recurring; 9 episodes |
| 2014 | The Good Wife | Del Paul | Episode: "Dear God" |
| 2015 | Battle Creek | Brock | Episode: "Sympathy for the Devil" |
| 2015–2016 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | ADA Kenneth O'Dwyer | 3 episodes |
| 2017 | Blue Bloods | Charles Beard | Episode: "Lost Souls" |
| 2019 | The Hot Zone | Walter Humboldt | Miniseries |
| The Good Doctor | Shamus O'Malley | Episode: "Claire"[24] | |
| 2022 | The First Lady | Harry S. Truman | Episode: "Victory Dance" |
| 2023 | The Gilded Age | Reverend Luke Forte[25] | Recurring; season 2[26] |
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Chicago Film Critics Association | Most Promising Actor | Dead Poets Society | Won |
| 1993 | Tony Award | Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play | Candida | Nominated |
| 1997 | Online Film & Television Association | Best Actor in a Motion Picture or Miniseries | In the Gloaming | Nominated |
| 2001 | Tony Award | Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play | The Invention of Love | Won |
| Outer Critics Circle Award | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play | Won | ||
| 2003 | Tony Award | Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play | Long Day's Journey into Night | Nominated |
| 2009 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | House | Nominated |
| 2011 | People's Choice Award | Favorite TV Doctor | House | Nominated |
| 2018 | Drama League Award | Distinguished Performance | Edward Albee's At Home at the Zoo | Nominated |
| 2023 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | The Gilded Age | Nominated |
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