Born in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, Tariq Leslie began his forays into acting in various productions in Victoria, his early stage credits include the title role in Hamlet, Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing, and Manningham in Gaslight.In 1996, moved to London, England and auditioned for and attended The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.After graduation, and on the advice of his then agent, Tariq changed his name to Thomas Grant - the name of his great uncle, and someone who had always encouraged him to follow his dreams.Tariq continued to live and work for a time in the UK, acting in several London fringe-theatres, and in regional theatres, playing such roles as Shylock, and Jimmy Porter. He also landed smaller 'day-player' roles in shows like The Bill, and in Bugs: Bureau Two, as well as Crime Traveler.Returning to Canada, and still acting under the name Thomas Grant, Tariq was a member of the Shaw Theatre Festival, in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, for their 1999, and 2000 seasons after which he re-located to Vancouver, British Columbia, where he has acted at The Vancouver Playhouse, Pacific Theatre, and The Ensemble Theatre Company. In recent years he has returned to his birth name of Tariq Leslie.More recent stage roles include: Rochester in Jane Eyre - directed by Tom Kerr, Bohun in You Never Can Tell - directed by Bernard Cuffling, and Housman in Tom Stoppard's The Invention of Love.