Joshua Granville Leonard (born June 17, 1975) is an American actor,
writer, and director, known for his role in The Blair Witch Project
(1999). He has since starred in films such as Madhouse (2004), The
Shaggy Dog (2006), Higher Ground (2011), The Motel Life (2012), Snake
and Mongoose (2013), If I Stay (2014), The Town That Dreaded Sundown
(2014), 6 Years (2015), and Unsane (2018).Leonard was born in Houston,
Texas, the son of Joann, an author, and Robert Leonard, a theater
professor at Pennsylvania State University. He was raised in State
College, Pennsylvania. Leonard obtained his GED and at age 16
travelled to Chiapas, Mexico, where he taught at an elementary school
and volunteered at an anthropological institute. Leonard then spent
time in Seattle and London, where he developed an interest in
photography, before settling in New York City at age 19.In 1997,
Leonard auditioned for and landed one of the three principal roles in
the found footage horror film The Blair Witch Project. Although he
reportedly only earned an initial salary of $500, the experience
proved rewarding in other ways as the film combined acting and
photography. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Leonard
has since appeared in numerous films and television shows as an actor,
including HBO's television film Live from Baghdad, the drama film
Things Behind the Sun directed by Allison Anders, the comedy film The
Shaggy Dog with Tim Allen, the drama film Men of Honor with Robert De
Niro and Cuba Gooding, Jr., and the psychological thriller film Bitter
Feast with Larry Fessenden.In 2009, he starred in the Independent
Spirit Award-winning film Humpday, for which he won Best Actor at the
Gijón International Film Festival. Leonard has also appeared on the
acclaimed HBO series Hung and the Showtime series United States of
Tara. Leonard directed the short film The Youth in Us, which was shown
at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival. Art documentary Beautiful Losers
followed, winning the Grand Jury Prize at CineVegas in 2008. He has
also directed music videos for many popular acts, such as Morcheeba,
Harper Simon, and Fitz and the Tantrums, as well as teaching directing
and acting at The New York Film Academy, UC Irvine, and Academia
Internacional De Cinema in São Paulo, Brazil. In 2011, Leonard
starred in Vera Farmiga's directorial debut drama film Higher Ground,
playing a religious man at odds with his wife (Farmiga). He also
co-wrote, directed and starred in The Lie, a devilish morality tale
adapted from the story by acclaimed author T. C. Boyle. The project
co-starred Mark Webber, Jess Weixler, and Jane Adams, and was well
received by audiences and critics.
writer, and director, known for his role in The Blair Witch Project
(1999). He has since starred in films such as Madhouse (2004), The
Shaggy Dog (2006), Higher Ground (2011), The Motel Life (2012), Snake
and Mongoose (2013), If I Stay (2014), The Town That Dreaded Sundown
(2014), 6 Years (2015), and Unsane (2018).Leonard was born in Houston,
Texas, the son of Joann, an author, and Robert Leonard, a theater
professor at Pennsylvania State University. He was raised in State
College, Pennsylvania. Leonard obtained his GED and at age 16
travelled to Chiapas, Mexico, where he taught at an elementary school
and volunteered at an anthropological institute. Leonard then spent
time in Seattle and London, where he developed an interest in
photography, before settling in New York City at age 19.In 1997,
Leonard auditioned for and landed one of the three principal roles in
the found footage horror film The Blair Witch Project. Although he
reportedly only earned an initial salary of $500, the experience
proved rewarding in other ways as the film combined acting and
photography. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Leonard
has since appeared in numerous films and television shows as an actor,
including HBO's television film Live from Baghdad, the drama film
Things Behind the Sun directed by Allison Anders, the comedy film The
Shaggy Dog with Tim Allen, the drama film Men of Honor with Robert De
Niro and Cuba Gooding, Jr., and the psychological thriller film Bitter
Feast with Larry Fessenden.In 2009, he starred in the Independent
Spirit Award-winning film Humpday, for which he won Best Actor at the
Gijón International Film Festival. Leonard has also appeared on the
acclaimed HBO series Hung and the Showtime series United States of
Tara. Leonard directed the short film The Youth in Us, which was shown
at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival. Art documentary Beautiful Losers
followed, winning the Grand Jury Prize at CineVegas in 2008. He has
also directed music videos for many popular acts, such as Morcheeba,
Harper Simon, and Fitz and the Tantrums, as well as teaching directing
and acting at The New York Film Academy, UC Irvine, and Academia
Internacional De Cinema in São Paulo, Brazil. In 2011, Leonard
starred in Vera Farmiga's directorial debut drama film Higher Ground,
playing a religious man at odds with his wife (Farmiga). He also
co-wrote, directed and starred in The Lie, a devilish morality tale
adapted from the story by acclaimed author T. C. Boyle. The project
co-starred Mark Webber, Jess Weixler, and Jane Adams, and was well
received by audiences and critics.
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