Leo Grillo is a renowned American film actor, producer, and animal welfare activist, best known for founding the non-profit organization Dedication and Everlasting Love to Animals Rescue (D.E.L.T.A. Rescue) in Acton, California. The organization has grown to become the largest care-for-life animal sanctuary of its kind in the world.
Born in Lawrence, Massachusetts, to Italian-American parents, Grillo began his acting career as a child, appearing in the 1972 television series "Banacek." He later majored in theater at Emerson College in Boston and formed his own theater company.
Grillo's theater work includes three years with the repertory Rosalie Troupe and two years with the legendary summer stock theater at The Hampton Playhouse. He also appeared in several television movies and series, including the Emmy Award-winning "The Defection of Simas Kudirka" and "Banacek."
In 1977, Grillo moved to Los Angeles to pursue a film career, co-starring in the 1977 film "Between the Lines" opposite John Heard and Jeff Goldblum. He studied under the tutelage of Charles E. Conrad, an acting coach credited with launching the film careers of Dee Wallace Stone and Diana Ross.
Grillo has appeared in numerous films, including "Dierdre's Party" (1998),"Zyzzyx Rd" (2006),and "Magic" (2009). He has also co-written, produced, and starred in several projects, including "All the King's Horses."
As an executive producer, Grillo has six projects in development. He is recognized as a world-renowned humanitarian and animal welfare expert, and his staff of seventy care for over 1,500 previously abandoned animals daily at the D.E.L.T.A. Rescue sanctuary.
Grillo founded Horse Rescue of America in 1988 and created "Animals on the Edge," a global project that allows animals from other nations to benefit from his initiatives. He co-conceived a book by the same name with wildlife photographer and author Chris Weston, which was published in 2009.
Grillo is a passionate and dedicated animal rescuer and advocate, and has been the subject of several documentaries, including "Pets on Your Plate." In 2009, he called for and received a federal probe into the Station Fire, the largest blaze in the history of Los Angeles County.
Grillo also initiated H.R. 3501 (The Happy Act),a tax-exemption bill that allows consumers to deduct pet-related expenses from their tax returns. The bill was introduced to Congress by Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI) and co-sponsored by Congressmen Jared Polis (D-CO) and Steve Cohen (D-TN).
Grillo is the father of two daughters, Erica Lee and Meguire Elizabeth.
