Biography

Leo Donato
(aka Leonardo Donato, Leonard Donato, Len Donato)

Who is he?

Leo Donato (Born Leonardo Di Pierri in New York) is an accomplished voiceover talent and actor.

Where did he come from?

Donato was raised in Little Italy, New York. As a young boy he spent his free time running numbers for the mobsters on the street. His parents, both Italian Immigrants worked hard to give him and his two siblings a better life. His mother Gilda Carmella Padrevita Di Pierri worked at a local factory while his father, Bernardo Di Pierri (once a stowaway to America) worked many tedious, tireless hours as a grave digger.

Their work paid off as eventually Donato moved to a better neighborhood and went to a private Episcopalian High School with an amazing curriculum. His parents thought college was the most important thing for their son, giving him the chance that they did not get. It was sometime before then that he saw a movie called East of Eden with James Dean. He watched that film countless times. After attending The University of Hartford Connecticut and majoring in Psychology, Donato headed back to New York to pursue his dream. At twenty-two he had the kind of thirst for the theatre that would eventually pay off.

Seen in an Off Broadway play, he was approached by an agent and hence began his career as an American Theatre Actor and Television Actor. He studied under Stella Adler, Lee Strasberg, and Susan Baton. In between plays he was cast onto One Life to Live and shortly thereafter, All My Children giving Leo the desire to move to Los Angeles and pursue television.

He landed in Los Angeles to do his first television series in 1989 when he was cast as the lead in Joe Bash.

He guest starred on, to name a few, LA Law, NYPD Blue, Matlock, and several Television Movies of the week including Wolf, directed by Rod Holcom. He worked determinedly for years before meeting voice coach, Maurice Tobias. After studying under her for a few years, Leo began putting his attention into voiceovers with the same tenacity that started him in New York just after college.

Where is he now?

Leo is at the top of his game having done voiceover promo work for NBC, CBS, ABC, Fox, HBO, The WB, FOX and Playboy Channel to name a few. His Commercial list continues to grow with clients such as Kodak, Cadillac, Lincoln Mercury, Dodge Trucks, Nissan, McDonalds and of course Carl's Jr. He also does a guest spot in front of the camera once in a while having just wrapped Las Vegas.

He is currently living in Hollywood with his wife. And he's gotta lot-a-family close by, if ya know what I mean ;-).

Did you know?

Leo was an alternate on the USA Olympic Team for fencing, as a young man?

Leo was loved so much by director Mancham Golan that he once flew him to Russia to film a movie. After Leo arrived he was cast in two other Russian movies and quickly became a celebrity there. Leo could not take the cold and returned home shortly thereafter.

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