We had the good fortune of connecting with Robert Leckington and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Robert, why did you pursue a creative career?
I have always had a creative streak in me, I also had a really supportive and creative family growing up to help me nurture my artistic pursuit. My dad’s parents were musically inclined, my Grandma Leckington was an amazing guitar player, could play the harmonica, the Jaw Harp. My mom had been a pianist since a young age, who had been compelled by her music teacher to pursue further training at the Peabody Institute in Baltimore, at the age of 8 years old. My grandmother was an oil painter who had several exhibits before I was born. She also contributed to my musical upbringing, and my love of art. At the age of 3, I was given a toy drumset by my grandparents because I, “was always banging on the bottoms of the pots and pans in the kitchen at such an early age.” When I was old enough to appreciate the paintings I saw and learn about some of my grandmothers influences, I became somewhat of an Impressionistic era aficionado. Acting was never anywhere near what I wanted to do with my life, it just sort of happened. I had sold all my drum equipment to move to the East Coast in 2003, but needed another creative outlet. I answered an ad in a local newspaper not too long after I got here and got to work.
Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am most excited about being an actor in a play, TV show, or film portraying a musician. To combine both my immediate loves, it makes me happiest. I practiced my butt off to get to where I am today and I will continually learn because an artist will always need to. To stay within a certain boundary is okay; but for me, I want to be always at the forefront of my artistry. So by continually learning I can be a better me, I will be better at everything that I do by applying what I learn. It has been a hard road for me to get here, and I feel like I will always have to fight, but it is a good fight because I am doing so much, even for my family, I believe. Some tips for others wanting to be a better actor would be to practice, practice, practice, and practice even more. Find a good acting teacher who is a bit of a pushy person, because we all slack. They will help you stay in line. Stay focused and have fun!
Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
First and foremost, Tex-Mex/Cajun food is very important. You can learn about your friends if they aren’t able to, or ARE able to handle that style of food. Then maybe hit the Big Apple. There are so many sights to see around New York City. Do the open air bus ride around Broadway, maybe take the Staten Island Ferry across the Hudson. Do a Broadway show. Only on Broadway can you see the most that NYC has to offer. Some time during the week would be a Yankee or even a Mets ball game, hot dogs on the concourse. Because New York is a melting pot, you can find foods from all different nationalities, you wouldn’t go hungry that’s for sure. Maybe if we were feeling lucky we could drive to Atlantic City in New Jersey or even Mohegan Sun in Connecticut. And because there is so much history, you would need a week or two devoted strictly to that. So many colonial era homes, museums, etc. So much to do. People watching is always a hit in Times Square. They have blocked off the main spot where the ball drops every New Years Eve, so you can sit and just watch all the people as they go about their business.
The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to give thanks to a friend who’s no longer with us, but he’s with us in spirit. Clarence Williams was an amazing person whom I learned a lot about the history of film by watching older films with him. His generosity toward the arts was and still is an inspiration, just like my family’s propensity to make the arts number one in their lives.
Website: http://www.
Instagram: http://instagram.
Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/
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Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.
Other: http://tiktok.com/@
Image Credits
Timothi Jane Graham, Hilary Jones
Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
