EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Leon Thomas III

‘Victorious’ star Leon Thomas is blowing audiences away with his fresh sounds while on tour with Big Time Rush, but somehow, we were lucky enough to score an interview with one of our favorite actor/singers!  

Leon was on his tour bus (he’s still not used to saying that) in West Palm Beach, Florida when we got to chat with him, and it sounded like he was having a blast.  So what did he have to tell us?  Check it!

Fanlala: You had quite the acting debut playing Young Simba for ‘The Lion King’ on Broadway, what was it like preparing for and starring in that role?

Leon Thomas: Oh man, I was a baby child when all that was happening.  It was so much fun.  It wasn’t a job to me, just the coolest thing in the world.  I really put my heart into it and I had fun every night, it was just such an amazing experience to me.

F: Our fans love you in ‘Victorious.’  Can you tell us any of your favorite memories that you have from your time with the cast of the show?

LT: We all took a trip to England, and it was like a family vacation.  All the fellas got together, all the ladies got together and we just went out.  It was the time of our lives.  Those people are my family.  We all moved out to LA around the same time, and they were really the only people I knew, and we still see each other.  They all still continue to be cool.

F: What was it like for you when you got invited to tour with Big Time Rush?

LT: It was amazing.  I was telling one of my friends that it was the vacation that I kind of thought was coming, but there was really no official word.  Then I got the call from my manager, and I did my happy dance.  The guys (Big Time Rush) are great, they’re all really nice to me, and Cody Simpson is an amazing dude.

F: Are there any moments on the road so far that have really stood out for you?

LT: The stage that I perform on was different from what me and my DJ were used to in rehearsal.  I would say that the defining moment was walking out.  I didn’t sing a note.  They didn’t even say my name, and the whole arena just screamed their heads off.  There was so much love.  People love ‘Victorious,’ and I’m just glad to share in that love.

F: You’ve already worked with some big names in the movie industry like Robin Williams and Terrance Howard.  Is there a dream project that you have in mind?

LT: First I just want to go out and say that Robin Williams is one of the chillest cats on Earth.  We did this scene in central park, and there were all these fans watching.  Normally, you’d think a celebrity would run by with their security, but Robin was really nice to all of his fans.  He was meeting them, doing signings.  He’s just a really nice guy all around.

Personally, I would really love to do a project with Will Smith.  He’s one of my favorite actors.  I just really believe acting will be in my future, and I would really love to do a period piece at one point.

F: On the road, and in-studio, we know that your music career is just starting.  Tell us about your current and upcoming projects!

LT: Right now I’ve got a really great single in the mix.  I’m going to start working on my album once I get back home, and I’m excited for a lot of new features.  More news should be coming out in the near future, so I’ll be sure to let you guys know, but for now I can’t say much.  Right now it’s just working six days a week, ten hours a day, and I’m having a great time doing it all.

It was such an honor to talk with Leon.  Make sure you check out the his latest track.  It’s the awesome tunes we’d expect from someone as talented as this guy.

Photo: Nickelodeon