---
name: "Willi Ninja"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/willi-ninja"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "12 April 1961"
died: "2 September 2006"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 1
updated: "2026-09-17T04:57:58.485853+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."
---

# Willi Ninja

Actor. Born 12 April 1961 in New Rochelle, New York, USA. Died 2 September 2006.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 12 April 1961, New Rochelle, New York, USA
- **Died:** 2 September 2006
- **Elsewhere:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q718111, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0632466/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/107843

## Streaming the US now

- **HBO Max:** [*Paris Is Burning*](https://film.one/film/paris-is-burning.md) (86)

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

## Biography

Willi Ninja (born William Roscoe Leake) was an American dancer and choreographer who appeared as himself in the documentary films *Paris Is Burning* (1990) and *Tongues Untied* (1990).

Born on 12 April 1961 in New Hyde Park, New York, he grew up in Queens and became a prominent figure in New York’s Harlem ballroom scene, specialising in voguing. He founded the House of Ninja and performed in music videos and on television.

Ninja died on 2 September 2006 in New York City.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, nytimes.com, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (1)

- *Paris Is Burning* (1991), Fi1m 86, as Self — [page](https://film.one/film/paris-is-burning.md)

## Also known for

- *Tongues Untied* (1990), Self

---
© 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/willi-ninja