Robert Sean Leonard
Oxford Companion to American Theatre:
Top
Robert Sean Leonard
Leonard, Robert Sean (b. 1969), actor. The handsome leading man, who has quickly become one of Broadway's most accomplished actors, is equally adept at the classics as with new works. He was born in Westwood, New Jersey, and was in summer stock at the age of twelve, essaying Shakespearean roles by the time he was fifteen. Leonard studied at Fordham University and made his New York debut in 1985, first getting noticed on Broadway as the British youth Christopher in Breaking the Code (1987). Among his notable performances were a passionate Eugene Marchbanks in Candida (1993), the Irish alter ego “Private Gar” in Philadelphia, Here I Come! (1994), the math scholar Valentine Coverly in Arcadia (1995), the romantically inclined dentist Valentine in You Never Can Tell (1998), the young poet‐scholar A. E. Housman in The Invention of Love (2002), the Vietnam vet Ken Talley in Fifth of July (2003), and the would‐be poet Edmund in Long Day's Journey Into Night (2003).
AMG AllMovie Guide:
Top
Robert Sean Leonard
Biography
In 1986, clean-cut American actor Robert Sean Leonard made his Broadway debut in Brighton Beach Memoirs and his film debut in The Manhattan Project. His first starring film role was as a high-school vampire in the '80s teen comedy My Best Friend Is a Vampire (1988). But Leonard's chiseled features and dark brown eyes made him perfect for the role of Neil Perry, the sensitive prep-school student whose acting aspirations are crushed by his wealthy father in the much-loved drama Dead Poets Society (1989). His next few films were period pieces: the Merchant-Ivory production Mr. & Mrs. Bridge (1990), Kenneth Branagh's Much Ado About Nothing (1993), and Martin Scorsese's The Age of Innocence (also 1993). Leonard also earned a Young Artist award for his performance in the WWII-era musical Swing Kids in 1993 and earned his first Tony nomination that same year for a revival of Candida. Though he often chose the stage over the screen, his theatrical training directed him toward roles in the talky feature films Married to It (1993), Safe Passage (1994), and The Last Days of Disco (1998). He also fared well in television adaptations of stage productions (The Boys Next Door [1996], In the Gloaming [1997]) and based-on-a-true-story docudramas (Killer: A Journal of Murder [1995], A Glimpse of Hell [2001]).In 2001, Leonard reunited with Dead Poets Society co-star Ethan Hawke to appear in the independent drama Chelsea Walls, Hawke's directorial debut. He also co-starred with Hawke and Uma Thurman in Richard Linklater's intensely talky drama Tape. After spending most of his career on the stage, Leonard finally earned a Tony award for his portrayal of A.E. Houseman in Tom Stoppard's The Invention of Love. Also on Broadway, he could be seen in A Long Day's Journey Into Night and The Violet Hour. Though Leonard's 2004 projects would include the feature film The I Inside, based on the play Point of Death, it would soon become apparent that television was his true calling when, later that same year, he donned a white coat as Dr. James Wilson on the phenominally successful series House. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi
Filmography:
Top
Robert Sean Leonard
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Standoff Buy this Movie |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Wikipedia on Answers.com:
Top
Robert Sean Leonard
| Robert Sean Leonard | |
|---|---|
 Robert Sean Leonard, 2007 |
|
| Born | Robert Lawrence Leonard February 28, 1969 Westwood, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1986-present |
Robert Sean Leonard (born Robert Lawrence Leonard, 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 television series House, M.D.. He played Neil Perry in the 1989 movie Dead Poets Society.
|
Contents
|
Early life and career
Leonard was born 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 (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, M.D.. In 2007, Leonard appeared on Entertainment's Weekly's 100 list as "Dr. Underrated."[7]
Leonard maintains a good friendship with House, M.D. 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]
Filmography
Film and television
| 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 | |
| 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 | ||
| 2000 | The Outer Limits | Robby Archer | Season 6, Episode 20 |
| 2001 | Tape | Jon Salter | |
| A Glimpse of Hell | Lt. Dan Meyer | ||
| Driven | Demille Bly | ||
| Chelsea Walls | Terry Olsen | ||
| 2003 | The I Inside | Peter Cable | |
| A Painted House | Jesse Chandler | ||
| Malcolm in the Middle | Agent | Season 5, Episode 12 | |
| 2004–2012 | House, M.D. | Dr. James Wilson |
Theatre
| 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 | Replacement for Craig Bierko |
| 2001 | The Invention of Love | A. E. Housman | |
| 2003 | Long Day's Journey into Night | Edmund Tyrone | |
| The Violet Hour | John Pace Seavering | ||
| 2011–2012 | Born Yesterday | Paul Verrall |
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.
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
External links
 |
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
|
||||||||
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
Post a question - any question - to the WikiAnswers community:
Copyrights:
Oxford Companion to American Theatre
The Oxford Companion to American Theatre. Copyright © 2004 by Oxford University Press, Inc. All rights reserved.
Read more
Mentioned in
The Boys Next Door
(1996 Drama Film)
The I Inside
(2004 Thriller Film)
Histories: House (TV Episode)
(2005 Drama TV Episode)
Kurtwood Smith
(Actor, Comedy/Drama)
The Nest: The Outer Limits (TV Episode)
(2000 Science Fiction TV Episode)
» More