"What am I hearing? What?" says Leslie Odom Jr., thinking back on the first time he heard what was then called Hamilton Mixtape. He didn't know if it would be a hit or not, but he had to do it, he tells Tracy Smith of CBS Sunday Morning. The rest...is history.
Odom Jr. earned a Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical for his work as Aaron Burr in Hamilton. He and his co-stars earned Grammys for Best Musical Theater Album as well. He's now an Oscar nominee for his work as Sam Cooke in One Night in Miami..., and for "Speak Now," the original song he wrote and performs for the film's soundtrack.
Watch the video above as Odom discusses the trajectory of his career from his Broadway debut in Rent at age 17, through what comes after the dream role that made him a star."I want to do all the things that no one would dare let me do before Hamilton," says Odom. We can't wait to see what's next.
