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Robert Sean Leonard

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Robert Sean Leonard
Leonard in May 2007
Born
Robert Lawrence Leonard

(1969-02-28) February 28, 1969 (age 55)
Westwood, New Jersey, U.S.
OccupationActor
Years active1986–present
Spouse
Gabriella Salick
​
(m. 2008)​
Children3

Robert Lawrence Leonard (born February 28, 1969), better known as Robert Sean Leonard, is an American actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Neil Perry in the drama film Dead Poets Society (1989) and Dr. James Wilson in the medical drama series House (2004–2012).

A prolific stage actor, Leonard won a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his performance in The Invention of Love in 2001. His other theater credits include Candida, 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, and To Kill a Mockingbird.

Early life

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Robert Lawrence Leonard was born in Westwood, New Jersey, on February 28, 1969.[1] He grew up in nearby Ridgewood, where he graduated from Ridgewood High School. He studied at Fordham University and later the Columbia University School of General Studies.[2] He studied theater at HB Studio.[3] He has a brother named Sean, whose name he adopted as his new middle name when the Screen Actors Guild advised him to take a stage name because his birth name was already taken by another actor.[4]

Career

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Leonard is a three-time Tony Award nominee, and won Best Featured Actor in a Play in 2001 for his role as A. E. Housman in Tom Stoppard's The Invention of Love. He had previously played the role of Valentine in the New York premiere of Stoppard's Arcadia at Lincoln Center in 1995. He was nominated for a Tony in 2003 for his portrayal of Edmund Tyrone in a well-received revival of Eugene O'Neill's Long Day's Journey Into Night, co-starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, Brian Dennehy, and Vanessa Redgrave. He has also appeared in Broadway musical productions, and replaced Craig Bierko as the lead performer in a revival of The Music Man in 2001. He co-starred as Paul Verrall in the 2011 Broadway revival of Born Yesterday.[5]

Leonard and Ethan Hawke, who have been friends since childhood, co-founded New York's Malaparte theater company alongside James Waterston, Steve Zahn, and Frank Whaley in 1991.[6][7] The company was officially dissolved in 2000, partly because its members wanted to devote more time to their families.[8] Hawke later referred to the company's heyday as "pretty much the most thrilling period of [his] life".[9]

In 1993, Leonard had a leading role in the film Swing Kids, playing Peter Müller.[10] In 1997, he received rave reviews for his role in the television film In the Gloaming, directed by Christopher Reeve. Entertainment Weekly said that Leonard "does a first-rate job of juggling Danny's mixture of despair, neediness, and mordant jokiness."[11]

From 2004 to 2012, Leonard had his most famous onscreen role as Dr. James Wilson in the Fox medical drama series House. He had been invited to audition for the role of Charlie Eppes in the CBS crime drama series Numb3rs as well as House, and thought the Numb3rs script was "kind of cool", but decided to audition for House because he thought the character of Charlie was in "too many scenes".[12] He later admitted, "The less I work, the happier I am."[12] He believed that his House audition was not particularly good, but that his friendship with the show's executive producer Bryan Singer helped win him the role.[12] In 2007, he appeared on Entertainment Weekly's 100 list as "Dr. Underrated".[13]

From 2013 to 2014, Leonard had a recurring role as Dr. Roger Kadar on the series Falling Skies.[14] In 2016, he played King Arthur in David Lee's adaptation of the musical Camelot at the Westport Country Playhouse.[15] From February to April 2017, he appeared in the Broadway revival of Sunday in the Park with George as Jules/Bob.[16] In 2023, he had a supporting role in HBO's The Gilded Age as the Reverend Luke Forte.[citation needed]

Personal life

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Leonard remains close friends with his House co-star Hugh Laurie.[17] He has also been friends since childhood with Ethan Hawke, who would later become his co-star in Dead Poets Society and Tape.[18]

Leonard married Gabriella Salick in 2008.[19][20] They have three daughters together.[21]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1986 The Manhattan Project Max Credited as Robert Leonard
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 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

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1986 My Two Loves Larry Taylor Television film
1987 Bluffing It Rusty Duggan TV movie
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 Television film
2003 Malcolm in the Middle Agent Episode: "Softball"
A Painted House Jesse Chandler TV movie
2004–2012 House Dr. James Wilson Main cast
2010 American Experience Herman Melville 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"[22]
2022 The First Lady Harry S. Truman Episode: "Victory Dance"
2023 The Gilded Age Reverend Luke Forte[23] Recurring; season 2[24]

Stage

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Year Title Role
1986 Brighton Beach Memoirs Eugene Jerome
1987–1988 Breaking the Code Christopher Morcom
1990 Romeo and Juliet Romeo
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
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
2013 To Kill a Mockingbird Atticus Finch
Pygmalion Professor Henry Higgins
2016 Prodigal Son Alan Hoffman
Camelot King Arthur
2017 Sunday in the Park with George Jules/Bob
Richard II Richard II[25]
2018 Edward Albee's At Home at the Zoo Peter
2025 Betrayal Jerry

Awards and nominations

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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
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 Won
2023 Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series The Gilded Age Nominated

References

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  1. ^ "Playbill Vault's Today in Theatre History". Playbill. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
  2. ^ Alvin Klein (January 5, 1986). "For Stage Novice, 'Acting Is It'". The New York Times. Retrieved January 17, 2008.
  3. ^ HB Studio Alumni
  4. ^ "Robert Sean Leonard, David Javerbaum, Plus a Look at Fall TV". Playbill. June 1, 2008. Archived from the original on June 2, 2008. Retrieved January 17, 2008.
  5. ^ "Born Yesterday :: Home". bornyesterdayonbroadway.com. Retrieved December 3, 2011.
  6. ^ Wynn Rousuck, J. (March 16, 1997). "Model Role Actor: He's got a list of movie and Broadway credits. Now, Robert Sean Leonard is adding Baltimore's Center Stage to his resume". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved January 13, 2016.
  7. ^ Brown, Emma (February 8, 2013). "Life's a Baal For Jonthan Marc Sherman". Interview magazine. Retrieved January 13, 2016.
  8. ^ Landman, Beth, and Ian Spiegelman (May 15, 2000). "Babies Lower Boom on Theater Group," New York. Retrieved September 16, 2017.
  9. ^ Bacalzo, Dan (January 3, 2005). "Flying High," TheaterMania.com. Retrieved September 16, 2017.
  10. ^ Johnson, Malcolm (March 5, 1993). "For the love of jazz, they were really 'Swing Kids'". Hartford Courant. p. 38. Retrieved June 21, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ Tucker, Ken (April 18, 1997). "Classy comes home". Entertainment Weekly. No. 375. p. 53.
  12. ^ a b c Wolk, Josh (July 3, 2007). "A Summer Away from the 'House'". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on December 11, 2013. Retrieved September 18, 2008.
  13. ^ Snierson, Dan (June 29, 2007), "Robert Sean Leonard". Entertainment Weekly. (941/942):69
  14. ^ Boehm, Mike (January 13, 2013). "Robert Sean Leonard's first love". Los Angeles Times. p. 95. Retrieved June 21, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ Shameer Cohen, Sherry. "BWW Review: 'Camelot' in Westport" broadwayworld.com, October 11, 2016
  16. ^ Viaga, Robert (February 11, 2017). "Jake Gyllenhall/ 'Sunday in the Park With George' Begins Previews Feb. 11". Playbill.
  17. ^ The Rod Ryan Show: Interview with Robert Sean Leonard Archived July 23, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. None. Retrieved on December 3, 2011.
  18. ^ Warren Curry HALLOWED HALLS: An interview with Chelsea Walls star Robert Sean Leonard. douban.com. 4/18/02
  19. ^ "Robert Sean Leonard Wife: Who Is Gabriella Salick?". Vim Buzz. June 4, 2022. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
  20. ^ Staff Author (December 8, 2009). "Robert Sean Leonard 'Looking Forward' to Raising Daughter Away From Hollywood". People. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
  21. ^ https://x.com/ethanhcwke/status/1809722227006329163
  22. ^ Schwartz, Ryan (September 10, 2019). "The Good Doctor: Robert Sean Leonard to Guest-Star in Season 3, Reuniting With House Creator — Get First Look". TVLine. Retrieved September 18, 2019.
  23. ^ "The Gilded Age season 2 release date speculation, cast, plot, and news". The Digital Fix. July 26, 2023. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
  24. ^ "The Gilded Age Season 2: Everything we know about the lavish period drama's return". House & Garden. June 28, 2023. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
  25. ^ Gans, Andrew (June 6, 2017). "See Who's Joining Robert Sean Leonard in King Richard II". Playbill. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
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