Michael-Leon Wooley

Biography

Michael-Leon Wooley is an American actor and singer who grew up in Bowie, Maryland and trained at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy before making his Broadway debut in 1992, as an understudy in Five Guys Named Moe. He toured nationally in Ain't Misbehavin' and The Wiz, and in 2000 he was back on Broadway as Olin Britt in The Music Man. His performance as the voice of Audrey II in the 2003 revival of Little Shop of Horrors drew praise from critics for its deep bass, and in 2004 he sang at Carnegie Hall with the New York Pops. He voiced Louis the Alligator in The Princess and the Frog (2009) and played Tiny Joe Dixon in Dreamgirls (2006). His many other voice credits include Ugly Americans, Beware the Batman and the video games Grand Theft Auto IV and Cyberpunk 2077.

55years old

Turns 56 on March 29in 137 days

Born March 29, 1971Fairfax
Star sign: AriesThe sign runs March 21 to April 19

Movie Career

Films: 4
Career span: 7 years2006 to 2013

Every film, newest first

2013Superman: UnboundIMDb rating 6.5
2009The Princess and the FrogIMDb rating 7.2
2008Ghost TownIMDb rating 6.7
2006DreamgirlsIMDb rating 6.6

Genres

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Early training
At 18, Wooley won one of 21 full scholarships awarded in a nationwide competition to the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City. After a year of study there, he left to pursue acting on his own.
First role
Wooley's first Broadway role came in 1992, when he understudied Big Moe and Eat Moe in Five Guys Named Moe, the musical by Clarke Peters.
Beyond film
In the 2003 Broadway revival of Little Shop of Horrors at the Virginia Theatre, Wooley gave voice to Audrey II, the man-eating plant. The New York Times critic Ben Brantley described his singing as a "soulful bass voice."
Beyond film
Wooley made his Carnegie Hall debut with the New York Pops, conducted by Skitch Henderson, as one of the "New Faces of 2004." Liz Smith, a New York Post gossip columnist, hosted the event.
A change of course
Wooley started piano lessons when he was 5 and at first hoped to become a classical concert pianist. Taking part in a high-school production of Oklahoma! shifted his interest to theater.