An actor, activist, educator, and award-winning storyteller whose career has spanned four decades, three continents, and one very famous pirate ship.
Some careers are planned. Others begin with an epiphany on a film set at midnight.
For LeJon Stewart, that moment came while he was working as a background actor on Boogie Nights. A schoolteacher on summer break, he realized it was time to chase the dream. Since then, he has built a career that includes Disney blockbusters, network television, national commercials, international magazine covers, and a growing shelf of festival awards.
Roots in Southern California
Born in Inglewood and raised in Compton and Carson, LeJon found the stage early. At just 11, he played Travis in A Raisin in the Sun with the All Peoples Community Theatre. In high school he danced on Soul Train. In college, he danced on American Bandstand.
At California State University, Dominguez Hills, he earned his B.A. in English, with a minor in Theatre Arts, in three years instead of four. In that final year, he was elected ASB Comptroller and became the first member of Kappa Alpha Psi to pledge through Dominguez Hills. The following year, he was elected Polemarch (President) of the Upsilon Chapter.
From Law School to Hollywood Management
After a year at Loyola Law School, LeJon worked at a private practice law firm in Century City, then joined an entertainment business management firm. His client list included Gene Hackman, Boz Scaggs, Kelly LeBrock, and Apollonia, a front-row education in the business behind the business.
A Teacher Before He Was a Star
LeJon married his college sweetheart, Tandalaya Nelson, and settled in the Inland Empire, where they raised three sons and a daughter. He earned both a Single Subject Credential (English) and a Multiple Subject Credential (K-6) and joined the Colton School District. There he designed and taught the At-Risk Program for the district’s middle schools, and later taught Special Education, English, and Drama at Colton High School.
Family remains at the center of his story. He is a proud grandfather, and his children’s achievements include a Berkeley graduate and a UCLA graduate (Class of 2020). He has also endured the loss of his son, Adonis, a grief that shapes the depth he brings to his work.
Joining the Crew of the Black Pearl
LeJon joined SAG in 1998 and AFTRA in 2000, using background work to support his pursuit of acting. In 2005, Disney Studios and Jerry Bruckheimer Films auditioned 800 actors for Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest. LeJon was cast as a Black Pearl pirate, Captain Jack Sparrow’s Rifleman.
Director Gore Verbinski liked the actor’s name so much that he gave it to the character. The result: LeJon became an official Disney character, a Black Pearl pirate named Lejon, found on the island of Tortuga by Captain Sparrow. Disney and Lego even immortalized him with a Lejon Lego figure.
Film, Television, and Commercial Credits
LeJon’s screen work is wide-ranging:
- Film: Thomas Haden Church’s Cardboard Boxer, with ten features now streaming on Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Tubi
- Television: Dan Harmon’s Community (portraying the alter ego of Donald Glover’s character Troy, aka Childish Gambino), Parenthood, FX Legit, and the TV movie Art Prison with Randall Park
- Commercials: National spots for Mercedes-Benz (directed by Michael Bay), McDonald’s, and Reebok; a Mountain Dew spot directed by Hype Williams with Busta Rhymes; a Super Bowl commercial for The Voice; and an international print and commercial campaign for Korean Air
He has also sharpened his craft through the SAG Conservatory at the American Film Institute, studying comedy, drama, improvisation, and more, and appearing in several student films.
On Stage and on the Air
For the past nine years, LeJon has been a member of the Sky Pilot Theatre Company and stars in the scripted podcast NPRmageddon.
An Award-Winning Run
In recent years, the honors have kept coming:
- Channy Award, Best Supporting Actor (Dec. 2023): Presented by Channel 101, created by Dan Harmon and Rob Schrab. He previously won Best Supporting Actor and Best Villain for his role as the Leprechaun of Cream.
- Dick Gregory Award (Aug. 2024): Honoring activism and comedy, presented by the National Congress of Black Women.
- Best Actor in a Short Film (2025): Culver City Film Festival, for his lead role as “Todd” in The Job, directed by Craig Railsback.
- Best Actor: Medusa Film Festival, for The Job, which also won Best Short Sci-Fi.
- Best Improv Actor (2026): Golden State Film Festival.
- NIFF Golden Actor Award (2026): Presented at the 11th Nez International Film Festival in India, honoring his career and cinematic excellence.
His short films Lucy the Lion (directed by Academy Award-nominated Kalman Apple), Echoes of the Forest (Nestor Vinelli), and Down & Out in Vampire Hills (Craig Railsback) have all earned recognition on the festival circuit. In the feature Down for the Count, produced by Tyler Turner, he played the Soothsayer DeJa, which streamed in October 2024.
A Global Spotlight
In spring 2024, LeJon partnered with international publicist Micky Soler, and his profile grew quickly. He was interviewed live on Arica TV in Chile and landed the cover of the July 2024 issue of Original Magazine (UK), followed by features in its August and September issues. He has since appeared in publications across the U.K., Italy, Greece, Spain, and the Netherlands, including Artists Magazine, Love Hollywood USA, FamoCelebrity, The Celebrity Online, Entertainment News Greece, and Hollywood Entertainment News. In November 2024, he was a guest on the U.K. podcast Directed by Dean.
In March 2026, he was named Film & Hollywood Cultural Ambassador for the Hellenic Los Angeles Media Network.
What’s Next
LeJon continues to work on independent projects, including Loose Ends and Water (directors J. Luksetich and Randy Kent), and he is part of the Skeleton Crew family. He is also set to join the cast of La Terra del Golfo, an international crime thriller series created, written, and directed by Enrico Pollari.
From the classrooms of Colton to the deck of the Black Pearl, from Soul Train to international magazine covers, LeJon Stewart’s journey proves that it is never too late to answer the call. And he is just getting started.
