Photo: Larry Busacca/Getty
Since leaving the cast ofHamiltonin July 2016,Leslie Odom Jr.has done pretty much everything except… slow down.
Part of his success, he tells PEOPLE, is always being ready forthatmoment, the call that can change your life. For him, it came fromLin-Manuel Miranda, the creator ofHamilton.
“I knew that it was the freshest, most literate, most exciting piece of original material I’d ever been given,” Odom Jr., 38, says. “I was ready for what he was potentially asking me to be a part of.”
The first time he heard the score, he recalls: “It is what falling in love feels like. Twenty-five seconds into it, I was in the tank for it and I never in a million years thought I would be in the show.”
When he got the chance to audition for the role of Aaron Burr, he says, “I wanted to do something memorable. I wanted it to be difficult for them to call somebody else. It’s my job to go in here and make Lin never want to see another Aaron Burr.”
The rest is Broadway history. Odom Jr.’s portrayal of Burr, for over 500 performances, won him a Tony in 2016 and a Grammy (for Best Musical Theater Album) and launched his wide-ranging career.
Now, in addition to his sexy new album,Mr., comprised of original songs, Odom also has anupcoming tour.
“If I’m known at all as a singer, it’s primarily as an interpreter of other people’s music, on Broadway or Nationwide jingles,” says Odom who appeared in the 2016 Nationwide commercial. “So it was a little scary to step out on faith. But my wildest dreams came true a while ago and so now I’m trying to think of the next scary thing to do. What else do you do, right?”
For starters, he recently joined the board of thePrincess Grace Foundation USA. The group, which grants scholarships to emerging artists, helped him pay his college tuition back when he was a struggling student at Carnegie Mellon University.
Leslie Odom Jr with Prince Albert and Princess Charlene of Monaco at the Princess Grace Foundation USA Gala on Oct 16 in NYC.Jerry Lacay/Princess Grace Foundation
He also told a story about when his wife, Nicolette Robinson, singer and Broadway star ofWaitress,applied (and received) a Princess Grace Foundation grant when she was a student at the University of California, Los Angeles .
They heard the news when they were on a trip to Palm Springs, California. “A 212 number came up,” Odom told the guests. “And I said only good things come from 212. ‘Answer all 212 numbers! Are you crazy? That could be Broadway calling!’ And we called back and it was Princess Grace Foundation with good news.”
Between screen, stage and song, Odom has a big year ahead.
One of his biggest fans is Princess Grace’s nephew Chris Le Vine. “His voice is spectacular and he makes everyone in the room feel good,” says Le Vine, who’s also on the board of PGF-USA. “He just keeps getting better and we’ve been cheering him from the sidelines for a long time. One day, he’ll sell out Madison Square Garden.”
source: people.com
