---
name: "David Leon"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/david-leon-97050"
fi1m_id: "david-leon-97050"
imdb_id: "nm1952567"
tmdb_id: 97050
wikidata_id: "Q5236494"
roles: ["Second unit director"]
born: "24 July 1980"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 3
average_over: 1
updated: "2026-10-07T13:30:09.560537+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# David Leon

## Identity

David Leon

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/david-leon-97050
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** david-leon-97050
- **IMDb ID:** nm1952567
- **TMDB ID:** 97050
- **Wikidata ID:** Q5236494
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Leon, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5236494, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1952567/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/97050

Second unit director. Born 24 July 1980 in Newcastle-on-Tyne, Tyneside, England, UK.

## Details

- **Work:** Second unit director
- **Born:** 24 July 1980, Newcastle-on-Tyne, Tyneside, England, UK
- **Active:** 2002–2018
- **Titles on Fi1m:** 3: 2 acting, 1 crew
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 2000s 72 (1), 2010s 77 (2)
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Leon, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5236494, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1952567/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/97050

## 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).

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, express.co.uk, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (3)

### Performed in (2)

- *Vera* (2011), Fi1m 72, as DS Joe Ashworth — [page](https://film.one/tv/vera.md)
- *Cutting It* (2002), Fi1m 72, as Troy Gillespie — [page](https://film.one/tv/cutting-it.md)

### Crew (1) — the average rests on these

- *Killing Eve* (2018), Fi1m 82, Second Unit Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/killing-eve.md)

## Complete filmography (22)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Platoon 24/7* (2026), series, as Narrator (voice)
- *Captivated* (2024), series, Co-Writer, Creator
- *Killing Eve* (2018), series, Second Unit Director — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/tv/killing-eve.md)
- *In the Dark* (2017), series, as DI Adam Perrin
- *Bliss!* (2016), as Charlie Henderson
- *Orthodox* (2015), Writer, Director, Producer
- *The Refugees* (2015), series, as Alex
- *Walking with the Enemy* (2014), as Lajos
- *Boys on Film 8: Cruel Britannia* (2012), as Dan (segment "I Don't Care") · Director, Writer, Producer
- *Orthodox* (2012), Director, Writer
- *Vera* (2011), series, as DS Joe Ashworth, DI Joe Ashworth — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/tv/vera.md)
- *I Don't Care* (2010), as Dan
- *Man and Boy* (2010), Director, Writer, Producer
- *Father* (2009), Director, Co-Producer
- *RocknRolla* (2008), as Malcolm
- *Clapham Junction* (2007), as Alfie Cartwright
- *Lives of the Saints* (2007), as Othello
- *These Foolish Things* (2006), as Robin Gardner
- *Boy Eats Girl* (2005), as Nathan
- *Alexander* (2004), as Hermolaous (uncredited)
- *Cutting It* (2002), series, as Troy Gillespie — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/tv/cutting-it.md)
- *Stable*, Director, Writer

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/david-leon-97050