John D'Leo, born on July 8, 1995, is an American actor recognized for his roles in various films, including the 2013 movie "The Family," "Cop Out" (2010), "Brooklyn's Finest" (2010), "Wanderlust" (2012), and "Unbroken" (2014).
Early Life and Career Beginnings
John D'Leo was born and raised in New Jersey. He has two older brothers.
D'Leo started his career acting in commercials, and later started acting in television and films.
Interests Beyond Acting
When John is not in front of the camera, he is behind it. He has acquired a love for filmmaking and all aspects of "behind-the scenes" work.
John also enjoys photography and writing scripts.
Read also: Scottish wrestler John Henry
Church History: Complete Documentary AD 33 to Present
Don Leo Jonathan: A Wrestling Legend
Jonathan, nicknamed "The Mormon Giant" was a second generation star (his father was former wrestler Brother Jonathan) who made his professional wrestling debut after World War II.
Over the course of his career, he competed around the world, making stops in Europe, South Africa, Australia and Japan; he wrestled more often, however, in the United States and Canada.
Elsewhere in Canada, Jonathan found more success competing in Toronto's National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) affiliate Maple Leaf Wrestling (where he first teamed with Gene Kiniski to win the Canadian Open Tag Team title, in 1959) and in Winnipeg, where he wrestled for NWA member Alex Turk Promotions (twice winning their International Tag Team title) and for the American Wrestling Association.
Canada eventually became home to Jonathan in the early 1960s as he settled in the Vancouver suburb of Langley.
Making Vancouver his home base, he competed frequently for NWA All Star Wrestling, winning five Pacific Coast Heavyweight titles between 1970 and 1977, the NWA World Tag Team title (with Dominic DeNucci) in 1966, and a record 18 Canadian Tag Team titles between 1964 and 1978, as well as challenging for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship against such titleholders as Kiniski, Dory Funk, Jr. and Jack Brisco; he also engaged in feuds with Kiniski and Dutch Savage in All Star, as well as teaming with them.
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On May 31, 1972, in what was billed as the "match of the century," Jonathan defeated Le Géant Jean Ferré (André the Giant) by disqualification.
On September 7, 1972, in a match which was billed as the "Battle of the Giants" Jonathan had a rematch against André, this time losing by disqualification.
Jonathan teamed with André the Giant and Roddy Piper to defeat The Sheepherders and Buddy Rose in Vancouver on March 10, 1980.
His final match was a lost to Otto Wanz in Graz, Austria on July 12, 1980 before retiring from the ring that year.
Later Life and Recognition
On November 5, 2005, he appeared at an event in Surrey, British Columbia, presented by Top Ranked Wrestling (prior to its purchase by NWA: Extreme Canadian Championship Wrestling) to be honored in a special ceremony for his contributions to the sport.
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Jonathan was born in Hurricane, Utah and raised as a Mormon.
In July 2016, Jonathan was named part of a class action lawsuit filed against WWE which alleged that wrestlers incurred traumatic brain injuries during their tenure and that the company concealed the risks of injury.
Titles and Accomplishments
The following is a table summarizing some of Don Leo Jonathan's notable titles and accomplishments:
| Title/Achievement | Organization | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Canadian Open Tag Team Title | Maple Leaf Wrestling (NWA) | 1959 |
| International Tag Team Title | Alex Turk Promotions (NWA) | N/A |
| Pacific Coast Heavyweight Titles | NWA All Star Wrestling | 1970-1977 (5 times) |
| NWA World Tag Team Title | NWA All Star Wrestling | 1966 |
| Canadian Tag Team Titles | NWA All Star Wrestling | 1964-1978 (18 times) |