Robert Sean Leonard
Robert Lawrence Leonard (born February 28, 1969),[1] known by his stage name Robert Sean Leonard, is an American actor. He is best known for playing Dr. James Wilson in the television series House (2004–2012) and Neil Perry in the film Dead Poets Society.
Robert Sean Leonard | |
|---|---|
 Leonard in 2007 | |
| Born | Robert Lawrence Leonard February 28, 1969 Westwood, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Fordham University Columbia University |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1986–present |
| Spouse | Gabriella Salick (m. 2008) |
| Children | 2 |
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.
From 2013 to 2014, Leonard had a recurring role as Dr. Roger Kadar on the television series Falling Skies. He also starred as the leading role in Swing Kids playing Peter Müller.
Early life and education
Leonard grew up in Ridgewood, New Jersey, 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]
Career
Because he shares his birth name with another actor, Leonard modified his name for his Screen Actors Guild membership, using "Sean", the name of his brother, as a middle name.[4]
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; it co-starred Philip Seymour Hoffman, Brian Dennehy, and Vanessa Redgrave. Leonard has also appeared in Broadway musical productions, in 2001 replacing Craig Bierko as the lead performer in a revival of The Music Man. Leonard co-starred as Paul Verrall in the 2011 Broadway revival of Born Yesterday.[5]
In 1997, Leonard 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."[6]
From 2004, he played Dr. James Wilson, head of the oncology department, on the FOX TV series House, until the series ended in 2012. In 2007 Leonard appeared on Entertainment Weekly's 100 list as "Dr. Underrated".[7]
In 2016, Leonard played King Arthur in David Lee's adaptation of the musical Camelot at the Westport Country Playhouse in Westport, Connecticut.[8] From February to April 2017, he appeared in the Broadway revival of Sunday in the Park with George, as Jules/Bob.[9]
Personal life
Leonard maintains a close friendship with House co-star Hugh Laurie.[10] He and Ethan Hawke, his costar in Dead Poets Society and Tape, have been friends since childhood.[11] Hawke and Leonard founded the Malaparte theater company, along with James Waterston, Steve Zahn, and Frank Whaley.[12][13]
Filmography
Film
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Claudio | ||
| The Age of Innocence | Ted Archer | ||
| A Dog Race in Alaska | Short film | ||
| 1994 | Safe Passage | Alfred Singer | |
| 1996 | The Boys Next Door | Barry Klemper | |
| 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 | |
| A Glimpse of Hell | Lieutenant Daniel P. Meyer | ||
| Driven | Demille Bly | ||
| Chelsea Walls | Terry Olsen | ||
| 2003 | The I Inside | Peter Cable | |
Television
| Television | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1986 | My Two Loves | Larry Taylor | TV movie |
| 1987 | Bluffing It | Rusty Duggan | TV movie |
| 1994 | Normandy: The Great Crusade | Rusty Sales | TV movie Voice |
| 1996 | The Boys Next Door | Barry Klemper | TV movie |
| 1999 | Wasteland | Jesse's ex | Episode 5: "My Ex-Friend's Wedding" |
| 2000 | The Outer Limits | Robby Archer | Season 6, episode 20: "Nest" |
| 2001 | A Glimpse of Hell | Lt. Dan Meyer | TV movie |
| 2002 | Corsairs | TV movie | |
| 2003 | Malcolm in the Middle | Agent | Season 5, episode 12: "Softball" |
| A Painted House | Jesse Chandler | TV movie | |
| 2004–2012 | House | Dr. James Wilson | Main Cast |
| 2010 | American Experience | Herman Melville | Voice Season 22, episode 8: "Into the Deep: America, Whaling & the World" |
| 2013 | The Blacklist | Frederick Barnes | Season 1, episode 7: "Frederick Barnes" |
| 2013–2014 | Falling Skies | Dr. Roger Kadar | Recurring; 9 episodes |
| 2014 | The Good Wife | Del Paul | Season 6, episode 3: "Dear God" |
| 2015 | Battle Creek | Brock | Episode 13: "Sympathy for the Devil" |
| 2015–2016 | Law & Order: SVU | ADA Kenneth O'Dwyer | 3 episodes |
| 2017 | Blue Bloods | Charles Beard | Season 7, episode 15: "Lost Souls" |
| 2019 | The Hot Zone | Walter Humboldt | Miniseries |
| The Good Doctor | Shamus O’Malley | Season 3, episode 3: "Claire"[14] | |
| 2022 | The First Lady | Harry S. Truman | Season 1, episode 10: "Victory Dance" |
Theatre
| 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 |
| 2003 | The Violet Hour | John Pace Seavering |
| 2011–2012 | Born Yesterday | Paul Verrall |
| 2013 | To Kill a Mockingbird | Atticus Finch |
| 2013 | Pygmalion | Professor Henry Higgins |
| 2016 | Prodigal Son | Alan Hoffman |
| 2016 | Camelot | King Arthur |
| 2017 | Sunday in the Park with George | Jules |
| 2017 | Richard II | Richard II[15] |
| 2018 | Edward Albee's At Home at the Zoo | Peter |
Awards and nominations
- Awards
- 2001: Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play – The Invention of Love
- Nominations
- 1990: Chicago Film Critics Association for Most Promising Actor – Dead Poets Society
- 1993: Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play – Candida
- 1997: Online Film & Television Association for Best Actor in a Motion Picture or Miniseries – In the Gloaming
- 2003: Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play – Long Day's Journey into Night
- 2009: Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series – House, M.D.
- 2011: People's Choice Award for Favorite TV Doctor – House, M.D.
References
- "Playbill Vault's Today in Theatre History". Playbill. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
- Alvin Klein (January 5, 1986). "For Stage Novice, 'Acting Is It'". The New York Times. Retrieved January 17, 2008.
- HB Studio Alumni
- "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.
- "Born Yesterday :: Home". bornyesterdayonbroadway.com. Retrieved December 3, 2011.
- Tucker, Ken (April 18, 1997). "Classy comes home". Entertainment Weekly. No. 375. p. 53.
- Snierson, Dan (June 29, 2007), "Robert Sean Leonard". Entertainment Weekly. (941/942):69
- Shameer Cohen, Sherry. "BWW Review: 'Camelot' in Westport" broadwayworld.com, October 11, 2016
- Viaga, Robert (February 11, 2017). "Jake Gyllenhall/ 'Sunday in the Park With George' Begins Previews Feb. 11". Playbill.
- The Rod Ryan Show: Interview with Robert Sean Leonard Archived July 23, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. None. Retrieved on December 3, 2011.
- Warren Curry HALLOWED HALLS: An interview with Chelsea Walls star Robert Sean Leonard. douban.com. 4/18/02
- 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.
- Brown, Emma (February 8, 2013). "Life's a Baal For Jonthan Marc Sherman". Interview magazine. Retrieved January 13, 2016.
- 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.
- Gans, Andrew (June 6, 2017). "See Who's Joining Robert Sean Leonard in King Richard II". Playbill. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
External links
- Robert Sean Leonard at IMDb
- Robert Sean Leonard at the Internet Broadway Database
- Robert Sean Leonard at the Internet Off-Broadway Database