Bio
Leslie Odom, Jr. is an American actor, singer and dancer best known for his starring (initially recurring) role as Tom's (Christian Borle) talented boyfriend, Sam Strickland, who is a member of the Bombshell chorus and Ivy Lynn's (Megan Hilty) best friend, in the musical drama series Smash, from 2012-2013.
Odom Jr. moved to Los Angeles in the summer of 2003 after graduating, with honours, from the prestigious musical theater B.F.A. program at Carnegie Mellon University's School of Drama in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and has worked non-stop since then.
His credits include a starring role in the 2012 George Lucas-produced feature about the famed Tuskegee Airmen of World War II, entitled Red Tails.
Odom has a strong array of TV work that includes guest and recurring roles on Grey's Anatomy, Supernatural, NCIS: LA, Vanished, Big Day, The Bill Engvall Show, Close to Home, Gilmore Girls, The Big House, Zeke and Luther, House of Lies and Threshold as well as series regular roles in the pilots Supreme Courtships for FBC and Poe for ABC.
His stage work includes the original La Jolla Playhouse production of Jersey Boys, Being Alive, a musical that merged the music of Stephen Sondheim with the words of William Shakespeare, the Reprise Theatre Company productions of Once on This Island and Applause, and Rent.
He also starred on Broadway in the musical Leap of Faith, for which he won the prestigious Astaire Award for recognition of his outstanding achievement in dance on Broadway.