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David Leon

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David Leon
Born
David Jeremy Leon

(1980-07-24) 24 July 1980 (age 44)[citation needed]
Newcastle upon Tyne, England
Occupation(s)Actor, director, writer, producer
Years active2004–present

David Jeremy Leon (born 24 July 1980) is an English actor, director, writer and producer. As an actor, he is known for appearing in Rankin and Chris Cottam's 2002 feature film, Lives of the Saints (as the character Othello),[1] and director Guy Ritchie's 2008 feature, RocknRolla, as Malcolm.[2] From 2011 to 2014, Leon co-starred with Brenda Blethyn in the ITV detective series Vera.[3] He returned to the series in 2024.

Leon's directorial debut, the 2010 short, Man and Boy, co-directed with Marcus McSweeney, won the award for best narrative short at the Tribeca Film Festival. His next short film, the 2012 Orthodox, an entry in the 58th BFI's London Film Festival, led to his first feature-length film of the same name, which was released in 2015.

Early life and education

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Leon was born on 24 July 1980 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, where his mother, Ann J. Brown, was a secretary and his father, Anthony N. Leon,[4] worked in a power station.[5] He is Jewish on his father's side and describes himself as half-Jewish.[6] He briefly played for Blackburn Rovers F.C.[5] He is a graduate of the National Youth Theatre. He was educated at Dame Allan's School.[7]

Career

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Acting and presenting

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In 2002, Leon worked as a presenter on CITV.[citation needed] He dropped out of drama school in 2004 to shoot the film Alexander with Oliver Stone in Morocco.[citation needed] From 2004–2005 he acted in 12 episodes of the TV series, Cutting It, playing the character Troy Gillespie.[citation needed] In 2006, Leon's acting roles included the film These Foolish Things, which also starred Lauren Bacall, Anjelica Huston, Terence Stamp, and Zoë Tapper,[citation needed] and in 2007 he played Billy the Kid in the BBC's mini series The Wild West.[8] In 2010 he played the theatrical role of Jesus in Mark Haddon's play Polar Bears at the Donmar Warehouse.[9]

From 2011 to 2014, he played DS Joe Ashworth in the ITV detective series Vera alongside Brenda Blethyn.[10] On 30 March 2023, it was confirmed that Leon would reprise his role as Joe Ashworth after a decade away from the series.[11] He returned to the role of Ashworth, now a DI, in the first episode of series 13, called Fast Love.

Writing and directing

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Leon wrote and co-directed the short film, Father, with Marcus McSweeney, premiering in 2009.[citation needed] The next year, the same team premiered the short, Man and Boy, which was entered in film festivals, including the Tribeca.[12]

Orthodox, Leon's third short film as writer/director, was accepted into several international festivals including the 58th BFI London Film Festival. The feature-length version of Orthodox was completed in 2015.[13]

Awards and recognition

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Leon's and McSweeney's 2010 Man and Boy won the award for the best narrative short at that year's Tribeca Film Festival.[12]

Filmography

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As actor in film and television

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As actor in theatre

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As director

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  • 2009: Father (short) (co-director with Marcus McSweeney)
  • 2010: Man and Boy (short) (co-director with Marcus McSweeney)
  • 2012: Orthodox (short)
  • 2016: Orthodox (feature)
  • 2017: Vera

As producer

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  • 2009: Father (short)
  • 2010: Man and Boy (short)
  • 2012: Orthodox (short)
  • 2016: Orthodox (feature)

References

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  1. ^ Macnab, Geoffrey (4 August 2006). "Review: The Lives Of The Saints". ScreenDaily.com. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
  2. ^ Ferrero, Berta (22 July 2014). "The future is hiding out in Rascafría". EL PAÍS English. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  3. ^ "Vera's David Leon on whether he'd return as Joe Ashworth again". Radio Times. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  4. ^ "David Leon: 4 Quick Things About The British Actor!". DailyHawker. 12 November 2021. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  5. ^ a b Saner, Emine (27 April 2011). "David Leon: A Whole New Ball Game". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 December 2013.
  6. ^ Applebaum, Stephen (2 November 2015). "Fighting Back to Put Antisemitism on the Ropes". TheJC.com. Retrieved 29 April 2016.
  7. ^ Wonfor, Sam (23 February 2016). "Vera Actor David Leon Teams Up with Boardwalk Empire's Stephen Graham for Debut Feature". ChronicleLive.co.uk. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
  8. ^ "Today's Highlights". The Daily Telegraph. London. 2 March 2007. p. 35. Retrieved 21 June 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "The burden of bipolarity". The Independent. London. 7 April 2010. p. 14. Retrieved 21 June 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ Wonfor, Sam (3 April 2013). "TV Star David Leon Back Home to Flesh Out Impressive Short film". The Journal (Newcastle). Archived from the original on 19 April 2017. Retrieved 27 December 2013.
  11. ^ "Brenda Blethyn welcomes back David Leon for a 13th series of the hit ITV crime drama Vera". ITV Press Centre. 30 March 2023.
  12. ^ a b Quinn, Ben (29 April 2011). "Tribeca Film Festival: British Film About Paedophile Suspect Among Winners". The Guardian (UK). Retrieved 27 December 2013.
  13. ^ Kemp, Stuart (19 March 2013). "'Orthodox' Filmmaker David Leon Plans Feature Version Starring Stephen Graham". HollywoodReporter.com. Retrieved 27 December 2013.
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