What's Next For Tony Winner Leslie Odom Jr.?

On June 12th, Leslie Odom Jr. snagged the Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical for his role as Aaron Burr in the record-breaking musical, Hamilton. But, with the Tonys now in the past, it now seems as if the show's creator, Lin Manuel-Miranda, won't be the only cast member leaving the show. Sadly, Leslie Odom Jr. will be leaving Hamilton on July 9 with the end of his contract and the departures of fellow lead Hamilton actors, Miranda and Phillipa Soo. The Tony-winning actor's role will be recast and he will be moving on to bigger and better things. But, what's next Odom Jr. after Hamilton ? I know I'm not the only fan prepared to follow him wherever he chooses to go with his career after this.

With the help of a Facebook Live video, Odom Jr. not only announced the news of his departure, but he also expressed even more gratitude for Hamilton itself and those he forgot to thank during his Tonys speech. However, it was his comments on what could possibly be coming up next for him that really stood out to me. I mean, considering the talent and recognition he already has, there's no way this breakout star doesn't have plans after Hamilton, even if they might not be what fans were originally thinking. Check out his Facebook announcement below.

His next step is not going to be appearing in the Hamilton film. "As of right now, I am not a part of that film [Hamilton]," says Odom Jr., "I'll let you know if anything changes. I would love to be a part of it. There's a small chance I won't be, and if I'm not, I'm sure they'll find somebody great." But there seems to be something else getting in the way of his schedule, which would make him pass on the role to someone else, and my guess is that music is involved. "I'm excited to have a blank page again. I'm excited to go out and find something new. Music is like that for me. Music feels like you really have the chance to build something fresh. It feels scary and exciting all over again."

So, yeah, he definitely has something in the works. Whether it's a debut rap or hip-hop album (Yes, please!), the creation of his very own new musical, or something music-related that we've never even seen coming, it's hard to really say. But what is clear is that music is something Leslie will not be letting go of creating anytime soon.

Meanwhile, on the acting side of things, it seems as if appearing on stage and in shows including Law and Order and Smash over the past couple of years isn't quite the end of that road either. Odom Jr. recently appeared as a character named Barry Pert in an episode of The Good Wife and is rumored to be playing a character named Jimmy Jam in an up-and-coming television series titled, New Edition: The Movie.

With that much talent, he could literally go anywhere next. And what I do know is that no matter what Leslie Odom Jr. does, it's bound to be amazing. His final performance in Hamilton is set for Saturday, July 9, 2016.

Images: Giphy