Biography
David Leon (born 24 July 1980) is an English actor, director, writer and producer from Newcastle upon Tyne. He trained with the National Youth Theatre and worked as a presenter on CITV before dropping out of drama school to appear in Oliver Stone's Alexander (2004).
He established himself with British television audiences in the Bafta-nominated series Cutting It (2004–2005), playing Troy Gillespie across 12 episodes. Leon is best known for his role as DS/DI Joe Ashworth alongside Brenda Blethyn in the ITV detective series Vera (2011–2014, with a return in 2024). Other notable acting credits include RocknRolla (2008) as Malcolm, Boy Eats Girl (2005) as Nathan, Clapham Junction (2007) as Alfie Cartwright, and The Lives of the Saints (2006) as Othello.
Leon has also directed and written short films, including the Tribeca-winning Man and Boy (2010), and his feature debut Orthodox (2015).
