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Kickin' It Star Leo Howard

Leo Howard – a name most are not familiar with.

But beware, because over the next few years you’re going to hear a lot about this 14-year-old extraordinary young man.

Let’s start with the basics:

Leo Howard was born on July 13, 1997 in Newport Beach California and lives near San Diego today.

From a young age Leo was fascinated by the martial arts, karate and kobudo and has studied the arts since he was just a child.

Today, Leo is a black belt master in the field of karate, Shorei Ru, and Wu Shu, and has stunned audiences since he was just 8-years-old with his karate, martial arts, and stunt skills.

Watch Leo do a Karate kobudo Demonstration


Leo’s acting career started when he was just 8-years-old with a small role as the front desk clerk in the television documentary “Camp Hollywood”.

From there, Leo got his big break on the TV series “Monk” playing the role of a young karate expert. From that one appearance, Leo Howard’s acting career took off.

Black Belt Karate Master

His mix of acting ability combined with his karate expertise is amazing, and producers and talent scouts took notice and started beating down his door.

2009 was a breakout year for Leo as he appeared in six different movie and TV projects that propelled him into a fast track Hollywood vocation.

First was the movie “Aussie and Ted's Great Adventure” about a lovable Australian dog who embarks on a mission to return his young owner's missing Teddy Bear.

Next was the movie “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra” working alongside Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Sienna Miller and Dennis Quaid – a story about an elite military unit comprised of special operatives known as G.I. Joe that takes on an evil organization led by a disreputable arms dealer. Leo performed all of his own stunts and impressed the director and audiences alike.

With two movies under his black belt, Leo completed his third movie titled “Shorts” working with Jon Cryer, William H. Macy, and James Spader.

“Shorts” told the story of a young boy's discovery of a colorful, wish-granting rock that causes pandemonium in the town of Black Falls and the jealous kids and cunning adults that try to steal it from him.

“Shorts” was the big break for Leo and showed he could hold his own in a large movie project. But his celebrity status was just starting to be noticed.

Disney got wind of Leo and cast him in his own show in 2009 called “Leo Little’s Big Show” where he appeared in thirteen episodes about him and his sister Amy who host a show about Disney stars, shows, and movies from their family room.

After appearing in two episodes of “Zeke and Luther” about two best friends who want to become the world's greatest skateboarders, Leo was hired for his first starring role in the movie “Logan”, about two brothers who have their minds set on an impossible task.

Watch Leo Howard in "Logan" Movie Trailer


“Logon” showed Hollywood that Leo had the staying power to not only carry a feature length movie but also work the long hours necessary for a television series while performing action sequences and his own stunts at the same time. Leo Howard was becoming a star.

But his big big Hollywood break came in 2011 when the Disney XD network cast Leo in the role of Jake in the network’s karate action TV series “Kickin’ It” working with Hanna Montana veteran actor Jason Earles.

The series is set at the Bobby Wasabi Martial Arts Academy - a strip mall martial arts studio and the worst dojo in the nationwide Bobby Wasabi chain.

The plot revolves around a motley crew of endearing misfit teens who welcome a hotshot skateboarder named Jack who teaches them about life, karate, and how to just plain kick it.

Watch Leo in "Kickin' It" Interview


“Kickin’ It” was one of Disney’s highest rated new shows and forever cemented Leo’s star on Hollywood.

Leo also scored a major role as the young Conan in director Marcus Nispel’s “Conan the Barbarian” where again he performed all his stunts and karate moves while in heavy movie makeup and shirtless barbarian period costumes.

“Conan” tells of the quest that begins as a personal vendetta for the warrior but soon turns into an epic battle against colossal rivals, horrifying monsters, and impossible odds.

Watch "Conan" Movie Trailer


It’s clear that at only 14-years-old Leo Howard is going to be around for a long time. His combination of acting, humor, martial arts, karate, and teen idol appeal along with the marketing might of Disney tells us his star has just began to rise over Hollywood.

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