Leon Rippy was born in Charlotte, N.C. His first acting job was in The Lost Colony where he received $25 weekly. Eventually, he founded 2 theatre companies and even became a respectable ballet dancer. As an actor, he appeared in countless movies such as The Alamo, The Life of David Gale, The Patriot, Beyond the Law, The Tracker and Young Guns II to name a few. Moreover, he became part of the television series Deadwood as Tom Nuttall. Tom Nuttall is the owner and bartender of No. 10 Saloon in Deadwood which is where Wild Bill Hickock was killed.