---
name: "Joseph Leon"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/joseph-leon"
fi1m_id: "joseph-leon"
imdb_id: "nm0502494"
tmdb_id: 240772
wikidata_id: "Q110773830"
roles: []
born: "8 June 1918"
died: "25 March 2001"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 2
average_fi1m_score: 80
average_over: 2
updated: "2026-09-26T17:25:02.533039+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."
---

# Joseph Leon

## Identity

Joseph Leon

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/joseph-leon
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** joseph-leon
- **IMDb ID:** nm0502494
- **TMDB ID:** 240772
- **Wikidata ID:** Q110773830
- **Same entity:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q110773830, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0502494/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/240772

Actor. Born 8 June 1918 in New York City, New York, USA. Died 25 March 2001.

## Details

- **Born:** 8 June 1918, New York City, New York, USA
- **Died:** 25 March 2001
- **Titles on Fi1m:** 2: 1 acting, 1 other
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1950s 88 (1), 1970s 72 (1)
- **Elsewhere:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q110773830, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0502494/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/240772

## Streaming the US now

- **The Roku Channel:** [*Shaft*](https://film.one/film/shaft.md) (72)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Joseph Leon (8 June 1918 – 25 March 2001) was an American actor whose career spanned film, television and stage. Born in New York City, he appeared in numerous Broadway and off-Broadway productions, including replacements and original roles in plays such as *California Suite*, *Fools* and *Social Security*. He served as understudy to Zero Mostel in *The Merchant* and took over the lead role following Mostel's death during the 1977 tryouts.

In film and television Leon had supporting parts in *Sweet Smell of Success* (1957), *Shaft* (1971) as Byron Leibowitz, *Sophie's Choice* (1982), *Daniel* (1983), *Brewster's Millions* (1985) and *Arthur 2: On the Rocks* (1988). He also appeared in episodes of series including *Kojak* and made television films such as *Skokie* (1981). Leon taught drama at Hofstra University from 1966 to 1972.

*Sources: imdb.com, playbill.com, ibdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (2)

### Performed in (1)

- *Shaft* (1971), Fi1m 72, as Byron Leibowitz — [page](https://film.one/film/shaft.md)

### Also credited (1) — thanks, archive footage, uncredited

- *Sweet Smell of Success* (1957), Fi1m 88, as Joe Robard (uncredited) — [page](https://film.one/film/sweet-smell-of-success.md)

## Complete filmography (19)

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

- *Arthur 2: On the Rocks* (1988), as Hank
- *Hothouse* (1988), series, as Mr. Waring
- *My First Haircut* (1988), as Barber
- *Almost Partners* (1987), as Hallery
- *The Two Mrs. Grenvilles* (1987), series, as Cab Driver #2
- *Brewster's Millions* (1985), as Stamp Store Proprietor
- *Cold Feet* (1984), as Harold Fenton
- *Daniel* (1983), as Selig Mindish
- *Sophie's Choice* (1982), as Dr. Blackstock
- *Skokie* (1981), as Hershkowitz
- *He Knows You're Alone* (1980), as Ralph the Tailor
- *Just Tell Me What You Want* (1980), as Julie Raskin
- *My Old Man* (1979), as Shimmy
- *Kojak* (1973), series, as Willis Newton — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/tv/kojak.md)
- *Shaft* (1971), as Byron Leibowitz — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/film/shaft.md)
- *The People Next Door* (1970), as Price Whitehead
- *The Cool Ones* (1967), as Carbone
- *Act One* (1963), as Max Seigel
- *Sweet Smell of Success* (1957), as Joe Robard (uncredited) — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/film/sweet-smell-of-success.md)

---
© 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/joseph-leon