David Leon

David Jeremy Leon (born 24 July 1980) is an English actor, director, writer and producer. As an actor, he is best known for appearing in photographer Rankin's directoral debut Lives of the Saints as Othello and Guy Ritchie's film RocknRolla.From 2011 to 2014, he co-starred with Brenda Blethyn in the ITV detective series Vera. Leon has directed several short films Father, Man and Boy and Orthodox. He completed his first feature-length film, also called Orthodox, in 2015.

Leon was born in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, where his mother (Ann J Brown) was a secretary and his father (Anthony N Leon) worked in a power station. He is Jewish on his father's side and describes himself as half-Jewish. He briefly played for the Blackburn Rovers F.C.. He is a graduate of the National Youth Theatre. He was educated at Dame Allan's School.

Leon dropped out of drama school to shoot the film Alexander with Oliver Stone in Morocco.

In 2002, Leon was a presenter on CITV.

In 2006, he had a main role in the film These Foolish Things, which also starred Terence Stamp, Lauren Bacall, and Anjelica Huston. The film's lead actress was Zoe Tapper, who guest-starred in an episode of Cutting It.

In 2007 David played Billy the Kid in the BBC's mini series The Wild West.In 2010 he played Jesus in Mark Haddon's play Polar Bears at the Donmar Warehouse.

From 2011 to 2014, he played DS Joe Ashworth in the ITV detective series Vera alongside Brenda Blethyn.

Orthodox, Leon's third short film as writer/director, was accepted into several international festivals including the 58th BFI London Film Festival. The feature-length version of Orthodox was completed in 2015.

• 2010: Polar Bears as Jesus