Leslie Odom Jr. has mixed feelings about working over the holidays.
Actor and singer Leslie made his name as a Broadway star, and after wowing in the original New York run of Hamilton, Hollywood producers came knocking.
He's one of the stars of Kenneth Branagh's new take on Murder on the Orient Express, and although Leslie's not going to be on Broadway this year, he is currently touring the deluxe version of his 2016 album Simply Christmas, so won't be able to spend too much time at home this Yuletide.
"I'm one of those people (working on the holidays), which is a gift," he assured The Hollywood Reporter. "I started to understand with the Hamilton days, Broadway shows for tourists in New York, that's part of the reason why people travel there. In a way, we were part of that whole holiday tradition.
"When you're a performer, and lucky enough to be in something that people like, it's a nice living, a lot of fun, but there's an element of service to it. You are bringing people joy and happiness at the expense sometimes of time with your own family."
When he does finally get some downtime, the 36-year-old Tony and Grammy Award winner knows exactly how he's going to spend it - curled up with a good book with his wife Nicolette Robinson and baby daughter Lucille.
"Really letting life slow down to a crawl, letting the emails and social media fall away," he shared. "I love to have a book to read over the holidays, and that feeling where there is nowhere else to be but home and no one else to be with but your family. I try to stretch it as long as I can."
