Leslie Odom JrLeslie Odom JrWhen the Tony Award-winning musical Hamilton finally premiered on Disney+, people who weren't fortunate enough to ever land tickets to the more-often-than-not sold-out production were finally able to sit down on their living room couch and see what all the hype was about.
And you know what?
The entire production lived up to all its hype - including the performances by Lin Manuel Miranda (who is starring in the HBO show His Dark Materials) in the title role of Alexander Hamilton, and the man who fatally shot him, Aaron Burr, played by the iridescent Leslie Odom Jr. Here are 10 things fans probably didn't know about the musical's villain.
10 Speech Writing Got Him Into The Arts
During an interview, the songbird actor said that it was speech writing that got him fascinated with the arts. "Speech writing and oratory got me into the arts. I started when I was 10 years old in Philadelphia where I grew up," Odom said. "I would write and deliver my speeches in a citywide competition for scholarship money and other rewards. I chose my own topics and would work for months; first on the writing and then the delivery. To this day, I am never more comfortable onstage or onscreen, than when I am called upon to give a speech. Feels like home."
9 He Doesn’t Mind Playing The Bad Guy
After making a name for himself by taking on the name Burr for the stage production, the actor said he now receives offers to specifically play the bad guys, which he says he's perfectly okay with, since the villain in productions tends to be a more complex and driven character.
8 Orders His Dessert First?
We wish we had thought of this! Apparently, Odom said his sweetest taboo happens to be that he tends to order dessert FIRST when eating out in a restaurant. He says that he prefers to have it as an appetizer. "Best thing about being an adult," he said.
7 Shows From The '80s Help Him Sleep
Like a lot of people, Odom suffers from insomnia, which means he can't get much sleep. But he discovered a surefire way to help him catch some Zzzs is the comfort of '80s TV shows and their theme songs. "If I can’t sleep, give me an episode of Cheers, Roseanne or Growing Pains," he said. "Any one of them or dozens of others puts me to sleep in seconds. And with a smile on my face." Wonder if he ever fancied Saved By The Bell - at least during the early years before Mark Paul Gosselaar was making the big bucks.
6 He Loves Him Some Horror Movies
While some of us are too afraid to even watch a horror movie trailer, Odom loves himself some scary movies, and apparently, the scarier the better. The actor says that he's a horror movie fanatic and that his favorites include The Exorcist and 28 Days Later. He's also a huge fan of The Walking Dead (you can find out who the richest cast member on the show happens to be.)
5 He’s A Movie Buff
And it's not just horror movies and television shows that Odom is a big fan of - he's also quite the movie buff. "Some movies, besides horror, that I will watch until they are finished no matter what I’m doing or at what point I find them while channel surfing," he said. "They are: Minority Report, Malcolm X, The Godfather, Boomerang, The Color Purple, Glengarry Glen Ross and Home Alone."
4 School Is The Most Important Thing
Regardless of how famous he's become, Odom says the most important thing he's done is graduate from college. While he was attending Carnegie Mellon University, he was given the opportunity to join the original Broadway company of Aida, but he turned it down in order to get his degree. It's a decision that he doesn't regret.
3 “Wait For It”
The hardest song in the musical Hamilton also happened to his most rewarding, which was "Wait for It." Even though it's Odom's most challenging, it's the song he looks forward to the most. "The sustained tension and focus that it requires can make the thing a real challenge," he said. But when we get it right, the pay off is big."
2 He’s Also A Composer
His co-star Lin Manuel isn't the only music composer in Hamilton. In fact, Odom happens to be one as well! In his new film One Night in Miami where the actor plays singer Sam Cooke, he wrote the song "Speak Now."
1 His Parents Wouldn’t Let Him Play With This Toy
According to the actor, his parents were strict with him as a child and he wasn't allowed to play with toy guns. The joke's on them because now as the famous Aaron Burr, Odom GETS to play with fake firearms while on the stage.