Leslie Odom Jr.

Throughout his prolific career, actor and singer Leslie Odom Jr. – born August 6, 1981, in Queens, New York City - has accumulated several awards and accolades thanks to his role of Aaron Burr in the Broadway musical Hamilton. Raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,  he made his official acting debut at the age of 17 in the musical Rent. Apart from his work in theater, he’s also had recurring roles in the TV series Vanished, Smash, and Person of Interest. In 2014, he released his eponymous debut album, a collection of jazz covers that went straight to the top of Billboard’s Jazz Albums chart after being re-released by label S-Curve two years later. Another chart-topper ensued with Simply Christmas in 2016 as the cast album Hamilton: An American Musical - featuring Leslie Odom Jr. - won a Grammy Award. That same year, he received a Tony for Best Actor in a Musical, even surpassing his fellow Hamilton cast member Lin-Manuel Miranda. In subsequent years, he appeared in Kenneth Branagh’s Murder on the Orient Express (2017) and published a book entitled Failing Up: How to Take Risks, Aim Higher, and Never Stop Learning in 2018. His third album, Mr, arrived in 2019, spawning the singles “Under Pressure” and “Cold,” which climbed to number 38 on Billboard’s Adult Pop Songs chart. Only a year later, Leslie Odom Jr. followed up with his second holiday release, The Christmas Album. At the end of 2023, he announced the release of his album When A Crooner Dies, which was scheduled to feature “Show Me,” a duet with Tatiana Marie Clark.