Leah Renée-K, was born Leah Renée Saunders on September 1, 1980 along the Gulf of Mexico in Gulfport, Mississippi to Diana, a Jewish, German, French, Scottish 19-year-old sketch-artist and painter, seamstress, glass-smith, and waitress who was happily married to a Bahamian, Ethiopian, Jewish, Australian guitar player who ran multiple karate dojos as a 10th degree Black-Belt who sparred Bruce Lee and often walked on broken glass. Leah learned Shorindo-Kempo ("Law of the Fist") from her father and martial arts is a part of her life.Her parents played music spanning all generations and nations during her entire childhood and her and her six siblings were always dancing or watching their parents dance or listening to their father playing the guitar. Her family went roller-skating often no matter how old the youngest child was and Leah often roller skates or ice skates.Leah Renée-K is a natural athlete, playing even on an all-boys traveling baseball team for a few years until 7th grade where she became more interested in softball. She played sports and became well known for her athleticism in her community in Columbus, Ohio. She continued sports throughout her high school career and played on the Varsity teams of cheer leading, volleyball, soccer, basketball and ran three events in track and ran on the Cross Country team. She performed at Disney's Epcot after placing in a National Cheerleading competition in which she was a flyer and assisted with choreography.Theater and choir was enjoyable for Leah Renée-K from 3rd grade through her senior year in high school and she received several awards from the State of Ohio as a vocalist receiving Superior rankings in Soprano.Leah Renée-K starred in several middle and high school theater productions whereas her favorite character she portrayed was Glinda the Good Witch in The Wizard of Oz.Leah Renée-K's family teased her about her fascination with Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine after they attended a concert when Leah was just six years old. Leah began imitating and then perfecting all the salsa, merengue and bachata dance moves and began asking her teachers about speaking Spanish. This led her to spending more time in the library and teaching herself Spanish at the age of 7. She practiced speaking Spanish to neighbors she met while she delivered her paper route she had from the age of 7 until 12.Formal Spanish lessons in middle school and high school were taken seriously by Leah Renée-K as well as her continued studies of dance at conservatories and professional dance studios. She continued refining the art of all Latin dances, modern, hip-hop, line and folk-dancing and her great devotion to dancing ballet led her to also learn French from 8th grade until her last year at her Alma Mater, The University of Cincinnati.Leah Renée-K began her acting career when a friend from high school, Jason Perkins, called her to ask her why she declined the invitation to the high school reunion. The two had lost contact for 20 years and he was also calling to tell her that he always imagined her as a famous actress. The two were both Varsity athletes and in Drama Club and Choir, performing together several times. Jason Perkins was also very well known for his brilliant and intense screenplays he wrote in high school. Inspired and touched deeply, she promised him she would pursue a career in acting and after auditioning, she received an email confirming her selection for a movie role, Officer Hemminger in Bad Boys for Life produced by Jerry Bruckheimer; Will Smith and Doug Belgrad, and with Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, Joe Pantoliano, Alexander Ludwig, Paola Nunez, Kate del Castillo, and DJ Khaled.After walking on set with Will Smith and making him laugh, she knew she was walking in her purpose. She always dreamed of meeting him and told her children just the year before she would meet him one day. After starring in this film with him, shoulder to shoulder, she has the attention of her kids and directors worldwide.Shortly after filming, she didn't want a break as she began another role in a feature film, The Gloria's, A Life on The Road as an activist in a 1977 biographical film directed by Julie Taymor, an American director and writer of theater, opera and film known for The Lion King, Spider-Man, and Frida.Leah Renée-K is June, an activist in this film featuring Julianne Moore, Alicia Vikander, Bette Midler Janelle Mona&eacute, Timothy Hutton and Lorraine Toussaint and showcases the Composer, Elliot Goldenthal's music from which he won an Academy Award for Frida (2002).Passionate about music since her mom sang to her even while she was in utero, Leah Renée-K has been passionately singing the songs, "The Wind Beneath My Wings" and "Under the Boardwalk" by Bette Midler since the movie Beaches (1988). Working with Bette Midler in this film was another miraculous present for Leah Renée-K who was bright and early on set to work with her and Julianne Moore.Julianne Moore inspired Leah Renée-K as an actress because at 18, Leah Renée-K was working at an independent movie theater in college and left class early to see "Magnolia" (1999) and "The End of the Affair" (1999) in which Julianne Moore was the female lead in both films.She knew she wanted to act after seeing those two movies so she took a break from college to move to Switzerland and Paris where she studied French, photography, cinematography and modeled. After returning to the United States, she decided to focus on motherhood and writing and then resumed her university studies in which she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and a Certificate in Public Relations.While content as a Public Relations Manager for an architectural firm, she is forever thankful for her Jewish and Christian faith that led her to listening to the prayer of a friend that began her acting career.Leah Renée-K is the author of several children's books and songs she co-authored with a professor of Children's Media at her Alma Mater and an internationally published interior designer and as well as an internationally known architect. The proceeds pool into a scholarship fund she heads to help low income students complete their degrees.Leah Renée-K is a champion for literacy, visiting libraries, homeless shelters, hospitals, battered women's shelters as well as poorly funded parks and recreation centers and schools to volunteer as a mystery reader and puppeteer with the goal of inspiring children to dig into books and join summer reading programs as a means of survival because according to Leah, "Grouping letters to form words is like grouping together family and friends or even strangers and partying. You just feel a sense of wonderment and your soul is no longer longing because a read word is sending you to the front of the line for refreshment. It is refreshing to be in the know and literacy guarantees this admission to the "In the Know Party". She is heavily involved in creating partnerships between private donors and businesses to raise money for the sites she visits and families she meets.Her philanthropy also extends into the art world as she is a published Fine Art Photographer and her work has been featured at galleries and art shows in Switzerland, Paris, Miami, Palm Beach, Chicago, Ohio, and Dallas, Texas. She volunteers her event photography services for Fundraising Galas for The Red Cross, The Muscular Dystrophy Association, and The American Cancer Society.Audrey Hepburn's humanitarian efforts resonate in Leah Renée-K everyday as she plans on becoming a goodwill ambassador one day because like Audrey Hepburn, she enjoys serving and encouraging others. Leah Renée-K has seen all of her films and has written a children's book in her honor titled, "How Hepburn Said Hello". It is a light-hearted book that helps children understand goodwill and manners.The publication will benefit UNICEF, the organization championed by Audrey Hepburn.In the meanwhile, Leah Renée-K is a becoming a karate champion as she continues training for stunts for future films. Submitted October 14, 2019 Show less «