The persona, life and work of Leonie Forbes exemplify the true spirit of Jamaica — bold, beautiful, brimming with talent, enterprising, versatile and resilient. Her professional contributions have been cross-cutting and multidimensional involving ground breaking work in theatre, film and broadcasting as a performer, administrator and teacher, spanning more than six decades.

The name Leonie Forbes is synonymous with pioneering pursuits in her chosen fields. Her large and varied repertoire of accomplishments demonstrate her wide range of interests and abilities as well as her extensive exposure to life, its realities and nuances in Jamaica, the Caribbean and in many other locales around the world, including the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. Leonie was a proud Jamaican, a quintessential Caribbean artist and an unrepentant citizen of the world.

Through professional excellence she blazed illustrious thespian and broadcasting trails, scaling great heights with vigorous but graceful determination, and a remarkable sense of discipline and devotion to her crafts.

Leonie was a creator and pathfinder, but she also breathed life into the outstanding work of other artists, giving their materials greater depth, new perspectives and more textured meaning.

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