Leo Francis Grillo Jr. (born 1948) is an American film actor, producer, and animal welfare activist. He is best known for founding Dedication and Everlasting Love to Animals Rescue, an

animal welfare Animal welfare is the quality of life and overall well-being of animals. Formal standards of animal welfare vary between contexts, but are debated mostly by animal welfare groups, legislators, and academics. Animal welfare science uses measures ...

organization based in

Acton, California Acton () is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Los Angeles County, California, United States. According to the 2020 census, Acton had a population of 7,431. Acton is a small residential community located between th ...

. The

not-for-profit A not-for-profit or non-for-profit organization (NFPO) is a Legal Entity, legal entity that does not distribute surplus funds to its members and is formed to fulfill specific objectives. While not-for-profit organizations and Nonprofit organ ...

organization was incorporated in 1981. The refuge has grown to become the largest care-for-life animal

sanctuary A sanctuary, in its original meaning, is a sacred space, sacred place, such as a shrine, protected by ecclesiastical immunity. By the use of such places as a haven, by extension the term has come to be used for any place of safety. This seconda ...

of its type in the world."Gimme Shelter,” ''The Magazine of Santa Clarita'', January 2003, by Elodie Ackerman. Retrieved on September 25, 2009

Early life

Grillo was born in

Lawrence, Massachusetts Lawrence is a city located in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, on the Merrimack River. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 89,143. Surrounding communities include Methuen, Massachusetts, Methuen ...

, to Carmela de Lucia and Leo Francis Grillo, Sr., both Italian-Americans.
/ref> Grillo appeared in the 1972 television series ''

Banacek ''Banacek'' is an American detective television series starring George Peppard that aired on NBC from 1972 to 1974. The series was part of the rotating '' NBC Wednesday Mystery Movie'' anthology. It alternated in its time slot with several othe ...

''. Grillo majored in theatre at

Emerson College Emerson College is a private college in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It also maintains campuses in Los Angeles and Well, Limburg, Netherlands (Kasteel Well). Founded in 1880 by Charles Wesley Emerson as a "school of Public Speaking, o ...

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

, MA.

Career

In 1977, Grillo moved from

to Los Angeles, California, to pursue a film career. He appeared in the 1977 John Heard film '' Between the Lines''. Grillo studied under the tutelage of

Charles E. Conrad Charles Erich Conrad (May 23, 1925October 29, 2009) was an American acting coach. Born in New York City, the only child of German immigrants, Charles Conrad spent his early years growing up in New York City. At the age of 17, he joined the Navy ...

, an acting coach credited with launching the film careers of

Dee Wallace Deanna Wallace (née Bowers), also known as Dee Wallace Stone (born December 14, 1948), is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Mary Taylor in the 1982 Blockbuster (entertainment), blockbuster science-fiction film ''E.T. the E ...

and

Diana Ross Diana Ross (born Diane Ernestine Earle Ross March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. Known as the "Queen of Motown Records", she was the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown#Major divisions, Motown's most suc ...

, both

Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...

nominees. Grillo was the

lead actor A leading actor, leading actress, or leading man or lady or simply lead (), plays a main role in a film, television show or play. The word ''lead'' may also refer to the largest role in the piece, and ''leading actor'' may refer to a person w ...

in ''Dierdre's Party'', a feature film he produced in 1998. Grillo played lead actor, opposite

Katherine Heigl Katherine Heigl ( ; born November 24, 1978) is an American actress and model. She portrayed Izzie Stevens, Dr. Izzie Stevens on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC television medical drama ''Grey's Anatomy'' from 2005 to 2010, a role that b ...

, in the 2006

independent film An independent film, independent movie, indie film, or indie movie is a feature film or short film that is film production, produced outside the Major film studios, major film studio system in addition to being produced and distributed by independ ...

Zyzzyx Road ''Zyzzyx Road'' ( ), also called ''Zyzzyx Rd.'', is a 2006 American thriller film written, produced and directed by John Penney and starring Katherine Heigl, Leo Grillo, and Tom Sizemore. The film gained notoriety from its gross ticket sales ...

''. In 2009, Grillo co-wrote, produced and starred in ''

Magic Magic or magick most commonly refers to: * Magic (supernatural), beliefs and actions employed to influence supernatural beings and forces ** ''Magick'' (with ''-ck'') can specifically refer to ceremonial magic * Magic (illusion), also known as sta ...

'', opposite

Sammi Hanratty Samantha Lynn Hanratty (born September 20, 1995) is an American actress. Her first lead was in 2009, portraying Chrissa Maxwell in ''An American Girl: Chrissa Stands Strong''. In 2011, she played the role Whitney Brown in the film ''The Greenin ...

Lori Heuring Lori Ann Heuring (born 1973/1974) is a Panamanian-born American former film and television actress, known for her roles in the TV movie '' The Locket'' (2002) and the direct-to-video '' 8mm 2'' (2005). Early life She was born in Panama City, P ...

Christopher Lloyd Christopher Allen Lloyd (born October 22, 1938) is an American actor. He has appeared in many theater productions, films, and television shows since the 1960s. He is known for portraying Emmett Brown in the Back to the Future (franchise), ''B ...

and

Robert Davi Robert John Davi (born June 26, 1951) is an American actor, singer, and filmmaker. Over the course of his acting career, Davi has performed in more than 130 films. Among his most known roles are opera-singing Jake Fratelli in '' The Goonies'' (19 ...

, who directed the movie.

Humanitarianism

Grillo and his staff of seventy care for more than 1,500 previously abandoned and abused animals on a daily basis at the D.E.L.T.A. Rescue

Glendale, California Glendale is a city located primarily in the Verdugo Mountains region, with a small portion in the San Fernando Valley, of Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is located about north of downtown Los Angeles. As of 2024, Glendale ha ...

. According to tax

documents A document is a written, drawn, presented, or memorialized representation of thought, often the manifestation of non-fictional, as well as fictional, content. The word originates from the Latin ', which denotes a "teaching" or "lesson": ...

, Grillo takes no salary to run the 150-acre No-Kill refuge. Grillo founded Horse Rescue of America in 1988. In 2008, Grillo created "Animals on the Edge," a

global Global may refer to: General *Globe, a spherical model of celestial bodies *Earth, the third planet from the Sun Entertainment * ''Global'' (Paul van Dyk album), 2003 * ''Global'' (Bunji Garlin album), 2007 * ''Global'' (Humanoid album), 198 ...

project A project is a type of assignment, typically involving research or design, that is carefully planned to achieve a specific objective. An alternative view sees a project managerially as a sequence of events: a "set of interrelated tasks to be ...

that allows animals from other nations to benefit from Grillo's

initiatives A popular initiative (also citizens' initiative) is a form of direct democracy by which a petition meeting certain hurdles can force a legal procedure on a proposition. In direct initiative, the proposition is put directly to a plebiscite o ...

. Grillo co-conceived with

wildlife Wildlife refers to domestication, undomesticated animals and uncultivated plant species which can exist in their natural habitat, but has come to include all organisms that grow or live wilderness, wild in an area without being species, introdu ...

photographer and author Chris Weston a book by the same name. The book identifies those animals currently living on the frontline of

extinction Extinction is the termination of an organism by the death of its Endling, last member. A taxon may become Functional extinction, functionally extinct before the death of its last member if it loses the capacity to Reproduction, reproduce and ...

Family

Grillo is the father of Meguire Elizabeth Grillo and Erica Lee Grillo.

Filmography

Actor

*''

'' (2010) (film) – Brad Fairmont *'' Zyzzyx Rd'' (2006) (film) – Grant *''Deirdre's Party'' (1998) (film) – Leonard *''

The Defection of Simas Kudirka ''The Defection of Simas Kudirka'' is a 1978 American made-for-television drama film based on actual events, featuring Alan Arkin as Simas Kudirka, a Lithuanian merchant seaman who attempts to defect from the Soviet Union to the United States b ...

(TV)'' (1978) – Thomas *'' Between the Lines'' (1977) (TV) – Car Owner *''

'' (1972) (TV) – Mat *''Detour to Nowhere'' (1972) (TV) – Mat

Self

*'' Your Mommy Kills Animals'' (2007) (documentary) *''Cats: Caressing the Tiger'' (1991) (

National Geographic ''National Geographic'' (formerly ''The National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as ''Nat Geo'') is an American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. The magazine was founded in 1888 as a scholarly journal, nine ...

)

Producer

*''Magic'' (2010) (film) – executive producer *'' Zyzzyx Rd'' (2006) (film) – executive producer *''The Rescuer'' (2005) – executive producer *''Deirdre's Party'' (1998) – executive producer

Writer

*''Magic'' (2009) (film)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Grillo, Leo Male actors from Massachusetts American male film actors Film producers from Massachusetts American animal welfare workers Emerson College alumni Living people 1948 births