Leon’s growth mirrors the actor’s, as they’ve evolved together over nearly a decade.
Leon grapples with unresolved trauma from his past, especially his complicated bond with Franklin.
Despite his newfound peace, Leon’s old self still lurks, ready to resurface under the right circumstances.
Leon Simmons is back, but the man viewers meet in The Drop: A Snowfall Saga is a long way from the hot-headed young hustler first introduced in Snowfall.
Source: Paras Griffin / Getty
Isaiah John returns to the beloved role with a quiet confidence and maturity that mirrors his own growth after nearly a decade of bringing Leon to life. With The Drop officially making its FX and Hulu debut, BOSSIP’s Liz Smith caught up with John about growing alongside his character, the trauma Leon is still carrying, his complicated connection to Wanda, and what it means to choose peace when you know firsthand what the streets can take from you.
We started by asking John whether he had to change anything internally to portray this older, calmer version of Leon. For the actor, the evolution came naturally because in many ways, he and Leon grew up together.
“You know, what I like to say is I booked the show when I was 20 years old, and the plus in that was I was able to grow and mature with this character, because Leon was, you know, a young man turning into a man as well,” John told Liz. “So I would say that, you know, life is imitating art, and art imitating life kind of thing.”
Source: Frank Micelotta / Getty
But maturity doesn’t mean Leon has left everything from Snowfall behind. John said he approached The Drop by thinking about just how much his character would still be processing when viewers reconnect with him in 1991.
“I try to just honor where Leon could be mentally with everything that he processed and everything that he experienced,” he said. “I mean, we’re starting the spinoff in ’91, and just prior, storyline-wise, Leon had just saw Franklin not even a year prior. And so I’m like, okay, this is a lot of trauma to unpack.”
Rather than having Leon explain all of that pain, John wanted viewers to be able to see its weight.
“It’s a lot of things that internally he’s processing. So how can I really focus on conveying that on screen without words? Because it’s really heavy, you know?”
Source: Frank Micelotta / Getty
That growth is also evident in the way Leon moves through his old neighborhood. He’s an OG now, and while the hood still respects him, he’s using that influence differently by pouring back into the community. We asked John what leadership means to Leon at this stage in his life.
“I mean, it’s everything,” John said. “You know, to a degree, for a while he was up under Franklin leadership. And so now that, you know, he decided to get married and take on this new, like, way of life, it’s everything.”
After spending years following Franklin’s lead, Leon now recognizes that a younger generation needs guidance of its own, something John said viewers will see explored in the new series.
Source: Ray Mickshaw / FX
“He sees that leadership is needed because, like, there’s a lot of, especially the youth that we’re gonna tap into a little bit in the spinoff, it’s, like, it’s a lot of misguidance,” John explained. “And so I think he’s really trying to find a way to, in a sense, lead, you know, and set an example and just do right in some kind of way.”
Now, don’t get it twisted. Mature Leon might be moving these days differently, but there were definitely a few moments in the screeners that reminded us the old Leon hasn’t gone anywhere. We asked John just how much of that version of his character is still lurking underneath all that newfound peace.
“I think it’s all there,” John said. “You know, he just manages it differently because the life experience is still there. Like, you know, under the right circumstances, you know.”
Basically, growth is growth, but don’t tempt Leon Simmons because he’ll still throw hands.
Of course, Leon’s growth isn’t the only thing that’s changed. His relationship with Wanda looks very different in The Drop, but one thing certainly hasn’t changed: when Wanda needs him, Leon shows up.
After watching him repeatedly come to her rescue, we had to ask the obvious question: Why doesn’t Leon ever let Wanda fall and figure things out on her own?
Source: Ray Mickshaw / FX
“Well, you know, we actually tapping into it as we watch the spinoff. So that’s the question, yeah,” John said before quickly catching himself to avoid giving too much away.
“I don’t want to say— like, there’s literally, like, I don’t want to say too much,” he continued. “There is something in this season that the fans will understand this dynamic and why it is the way it is. Like, we really, really tie it all together.”
We don’t want to give out any spoilers, but whatever continues to pull Leon back to Wanda, there’s clearly more to the story.
While Leon is building a new life, The Drop makes it clear that his past is never too far away. In one particularly quiet moment, Leon looks through old photographs, including one of his childhood best friend, Franklin Saint.
Source: Ray Micksaw / FX
After everything that happened between the two men and where viewers ultimately saw Franklin’s story end in Snowfall, we asked John whether Leon has truly made peace with it all.
“No. I don’t think that he’s made peace with it, because I think he’s still confused by it all,” John said, before clarifying. “I mean, not confused, like he understands. Like he understands the process, but it’s just like that was, that was his brother, you know what I mean?”
For Leon, understanding how things fell apart doesn’t necessarily make accepting the loss of that relationship any easier.
“I don’t think that he’s, like, yeah, I don’t think he’s come to terms with that fully.”
Source: Ray Mickshaw / FX
And considering everything Franklin and Leon survived together, perhaps that’s one piece of his past that even a more mature and evolved Leon isn’t quite ready to put down.
Before wrapping up, John made sure to show love to the fans who have supported him, Leon and the Snowfall universe throughout the years. He encouraged longtime viewers and newcomers alike to tap into this next chapter and expressed his gratitude for everyone who has continued to ride with these characters long after Snowfall came to an end.
And judging by everything Leon is still unpacking, there is plenty more story left to tell.
The Drop: A Snowfall Saga airs weekly on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT on FX and streams on Hulu.
