Robert Lawrence Leonard (born February 28, 1969), known as Robert Sean Leonard, is an American actor. He has received a Tony Award and a Obie Award over the course of a career on both stage and screen that started in the 1980s. 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 Robert Lawrence Leonard was born in Westwood, New Jersey, on February 28, 1969. He grew up in nearby Ridgewood, where he attended Ridgewood High School but later dropped out at 17 to pursue acting. He studied at Fordham University and later the Columbia University School of General Studies. He studied theater at HB Studio.HB Studio Alumni 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 Robert Leonard was already taken by another actor.
Career 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. Entertainment Weekly said that Leonard "does a first-rate job of juggling Danny's mixture of despair, neediness, and mordant jokiness."
Leonard and Ethan Hawke, who have been friends since co-starring in Dead Poets Society, 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, partly because its members wanted to devote more time to their families.Landman, Beth, and Ian Spiegelman (May 15, 2000). "Babies Lower Boom on Theater Group," New York. Retrieved September 16, 2017. Hawke later referred to the company's heyday as "pretty much the most thrilling period of [his] life".Bacalzo, Dan (January 3, 2005). "Flying High," TheaterMania.com. Retrieved September 16, 2017.
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.
From 2004 to 2012, Leonard portrayed 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". He later admitted, "The less I work, the happier I am." 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. In 2007, he appeared on Entertainment Weeklys 100 list as "Dr. Underrated".Snierson, Dan (June 29, 2007), "Robert Sean Leonard". Entertainment Weekly. (941/942):69
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.Shameer Cohen, Sherry. "BWW Review: 'Camelot' in Westport" broadwayworld.com, October 11, 2016 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.
Personal life Leonard remains close friends with his House co-star Hugh Laurie.The Rod Ryan Show: Interview with Robert Sean Leonard . None. Retrieved on December 3, 2011. Another close friend of his is Ethan Hawke, who he co-starred with in Dead Poets Society and Tape, in addition to appearing in Hawke's directoral debut Chelsea Walls.Warren Curry HALLOWED HALLS: An interview with Chelsea Walls star Robert Sean Leonard. douban.com. 4/18/02
Leonard married Gabriella Salick in 2008. The couple have three daughters: one born in 2009, one in 2012 and one in 2018.
Acting credits Film YearTitleRoleNotes1986The Manhattan ProjectMaxCredited as Robert Leonard1987My Best Friend Is a VampireJeremy Capello1989Dead Poets SocietyNeil Perry1990Mr. & Mrs. BridgeDouglas Bridge1991Married to ItChuck Bishop1993Swing KidsPeter MüllerMuch Ado About NothingCount ClaudioThe Age of InnocenceTed ArcherA Dog Race in AlaskaShort film1994Safe PassageAlfred Singer1996Killer: A Journal of MurderHenry LesserI Love You, I Love You NotAngel of Death1997In the GloamingDanny1998StandoffJamie DoolinThe Last Days of DiscoTom PlattGround ControlCruise2001TapeJon SalterDrivenDemille BlyChelsea WallsTerry Olsen2004The I InsidePeter Cable2026Act OneTBA
Television YearTitleRoleNotes1986My Two LovesLarry TaylorTelevision film1987Bluffing ItRusty DugganTelevision film1993The Tonight Show with Jay LenoHimselfSeason 2 Episode 31, aired July 19, 19931994Normandy: The Great CrusadeRusty SalesVoice, television film1996The Boys Next DoorBarry KlemperTelevision film1999WastelandJesse's exEpisode: "My Ex-Friend's Wedding"2000The Outer LimitsRobby ArcherEpisode: "Nest"2001A Glimpse of HellLt. Daniel P. MeyerTelevision film2002CorsairsRussell WainwrightUnaired pilot2003A Painted HouseJesse ChandlerTelevision film2004–2012HouseDr. James WilsonMain cast2006, 2010American ExperienceHimself, Herman MelvilleEpisode: "Eugene O'Neill"; Voice, episode: "Into the Deep: America, Whaling & the World"2013The BlacklistFrederick BarnesEpisode: "Frederick Barnes"2013–2014Falling SkiesDr. Roger KadarRecurring; 9 episodes2014The Good WifeDel PaulEpisode: "Dear God"2015Battle CreekBrockEpisode: "Sympathy for the Devil"2015–2016Law & Order: Special Victims UnitADA Kenneth O'Dwyer3 episodes2017Blue BloodsCharles BeardEpisode: "Lost Souls"2019The Hot ZoneWalter HumboldtMiniseriesThe Good DoctorShamus O'MalleyEpisode: "Claire"2022The First LadyHarry S. TrumanEpisode: "Victory Dance"2023The Gilded AgeReverend Luke ForteRecurring; season 22026The Terror: Devil in SilverDirector CleaveEpisode: "Vermillion"
Stage YearTitleRoleLocationNotesRef.1985Sally's Gone, She Left Her NameChristopher DeckerPerry Street Theatre, Off-BroadwayThe Beach HouseChrisCircle Repertory Theatre, Off-Broadway1986Brighton Beach MemoirsEugene JeromeAlvin Theatre, BroadwayReplacement1987–1988Breaking the CodeChristopher MorcomNeil Simon Theatre, Broadway1990When She DancedAlexandros EliopolosPlaywrights Horizons, Off-BroadwayRomeo and JulietRomeoPlayhouse 91, Off-Broadway1991Our TownGeorge GibbsShaftesbury Theatre, West EndThe Speed of DarknessEddieBelasco Theatre, Broadway1993CandidaEugene MarchbanksCriterion Center Stage Right, BroadwayKing LearEdgarOld Globe Theatre, San Diego1994Philadelphia, Here I Come!Gareth O'Donnell in PrivateCriterion Center Stage Right, Broadway1995ArcadiaValentine CoverlyVivian Beaumont Theater, Broadway1996Below the BeltDobbittJohn Houseman Theatre, Off-Broadway1997The Glass MenagerieTom WingfieldHead Theatre, BaltimoreDead EndGimptyWilliamstown Theatre Festival, Massachusetts1998You Never Can TellDr. ValentineLaura Pels Theater, Off-Broadway1999The Iceman ComethDon ParrittBrooks Atkinson Theatre, Broadway2000–2001The Music ManHarold HillNeil Simon Theatre, BroadwayReplacement2001The Invention of LoveA. E. Housman, Aged 18 to 26Lyceum Theatre, Broadway2003, 2004Fifth of JulyKenneth Talley Jr.Signature Theatre Company, Off-Broadway; Skirball Cultural Center,2003Long Day's Journey into NightEdmund TyronePlymouth Theatre, BroadwayThe Violet HourJohn Pace SeaveringBiltmore Theatre, Broadway2011–2012Born YesterdayPaul VerrallCort Theatre, Broadway2013To Kill a MockingbirdAtticus FinchRegent's Park Open Air Theatre, Off-West-EndPygmalionProfessor Henry HigginsOld Globe Theatre, San Diego2016Prodigal SonAlan HoffmanManhattan Theatre Club, Off-BroadwayCamelotKing ArthurWestport Country Playhouse2017Sunday in the Park with GeorgeJules / BobHudson Theatre, BroadwayRichard IIRichard IIOld Globe Theatre, San Diego2018Edward Albee's At Home at the ZooPeterSignature Theatre, Off-Broadway2025BetrayalJerryGoodman Theatre, ChicagoInterviewPierre PetersRiverside Studios2026An American DaughterWalter AbramsonPershing Square Signature Center, Off-Broadway
Awards and nominations Award Year Category Nominated work Result Chicago Film Critics Association 1990 Most Promising Actor Dead Poets Society Drama League Award 2018 Distinguished Performance Edward Albee's At Home at the Zoo Obie Awards 2018 Performance Award Outer Critics Circle Awards 2001 Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play The Invention of Love Screen Actors Guild Awards 2008 Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series House 2024 The Gilded Age Tony Awards 1993 Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play Candida 2001 The Invention of Love 2003 Long Day's Journey into Night
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