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.
Leonard and Ethan Hawke co-founded New York's Malaparte theater company alongside James Waterston, Steve Zahn, and Frank Whaley in 1991. The company was officially dissolved in 2000.
Leonard's early film roles included The Manhattan Project (1986), My Best Friend Is a Vampire (1987), and Dead Poets Society (1989). In 1993, he had a leading role in the film Swing Kids, playing Peter Müller, appeared in the Shakespeare film adaptation Much Ado About Nothing, and appeared in Martin Scorsese's The Age of Innocence. In 1997, he received rave reviews for his role in the television film In the Gloaming, directed by Christopher Reeve.
From 2004 to 2012, Leonard had his most famous onscreen role as Dr. James Wilson in the Fox medical drama series House. From 2013 to 2014, Leonard had a recurring role as Dr. Roger Kadar on the series Falling Skies. In 2016, he played King Arthur in David Lee's adaptation of the musical Camelot at the Westport Country Playhouse. From February to April 2017, he appeared in the Broadway revival of Sunday in the Park with George as Jules/Bob. In 2023, he had a supporting role in HBO's The Gilded Age as the Reverend Luke Forte.
Robert Sean Leonard, Edward Albee's At Home at the Zoo
Robert Sean Leonard, At Home at the Zoo
Robert Sean Leonard, Long Day's Journey into Night
Robert Sean Leonard, The Invention of Love
Robert Sean Leonard, The Invention of Love
Robert Sean Leonard , Candida
Robert Sean Leonard has appeared on Broadway in 13 shows.
Robert Sean Leonard has appeared on London's West End in 1 shows.
Distinguished Performance Award (Drama League Awards) for Edward Albee's At Home at the Zoo, Performance Award (Obie Awards) for At Home at the Zoo, Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play (Tony Awards) for Long Day's Journey into Night, Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play (Outer Critics Circle Awards) for The Invention of Love , Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play (Tony Awards) for The Invention of Love and Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play (Tony Awards) for Candida.
Robert Sean Leonard has won several prestigious awards for his performances. He received the Performance Award from the Obie Awards for At Home at the Zoo. He also won the Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play award from the Outer Critics Circle Awards for The Invention of Love. Additionally, he earned the Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play for The Invention of Love.
Robert Sean Leonard's first West End show was Interview (A New Play) which opened in 2025
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