LISTEN: Leslie Odom, Jr. Almost Didn't Appear in HAMILTON Film Because of Low Pay
Odom, Jr. requested to be paid the same as Aaron Tveit was paid for his role as Danny in Grease: Live.
By: Kaitlin Milligan Aug. 06, 2020
Leslie Odom, Jr. was a guest on the Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard podcast, where he shared that he almost didn't appear in the filmed version of Hamilton because of what he was offered for pay.
Odom, Jr. shared with host Dax Shepard that he was in negotiations until the night before filming because, "no one had called my agent to ask if I'd wanted to do [the filmed play]. It was assumed that we wanted to do the movie and that we would do it for a certain number."
Leslie tells Shepard that he asked his agent to find out how much Aaron Tveit was paid for his role as Danny in Grease: Live on FOX (which aired in 2016, the same year the musical was filmed) and demanded the same fee.
"This is my area of expertise. This is my life's work, this is all I have. This is my life's work on the stage. I can't give it away," said Odom, Jr.
He continued, "This is Hamilton! So when I found out how much [Aaron] made, I didn't ask for a penny more, but I said, 'You must pay me exactly what that white boy got to do Grease: Live.'"
Listen to the full interview below!
An award-winning vocalist, sharp songwriter, acclaimed author, and consummate showman, Leslie Odom, Jr. entertains, engages, and enthralls audiences around the globe with timeless class, charisma, and charm. He ascended to international renown by originating the role of Aaron Burr in the Broadway phenomenon Hamilton in 2016 for which he received a Tony® and GRAMMY® Award, generated hundreds of millions of streams, and earned multiple gold and platinum certifications. Later in 2016, his self-titled jazz debut bowed at #1 on the Soundscan Current and Traditional Jazz Charts. A year later, he returned to the top of multiple charts with the deluxe edition of Simply Christmas, which landed at #1 on the Soundscan and Billboard Jazz Charts. His extensive acting career encompasses everything from Smash, Law & Order: SVU, Gotham, Grey's Anatomy, House of Lies, and CSI: Miami to Red Tails and Murder On The Orient Express.
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