Leon Robinson

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Leon Robinson
Leon Robinson (33829442168) (cropped).jpg
Robinson in 2019
Born
Leon Preston Robinson

(1962-03-08) March 8, 1962 (age 62) [1]
New York City, U.S.
Other namesLeon
OccupationActor
Years active1982–present
Partner(s) Cynthia Bailey (ex-fiancé)
Ebony McIver
Patricia Blanchet (current)
Children1

Leon Preston Robinson (born March 8, 1962), usually credited as simply Leon, is an American actor and singer who began his professional career as a film actor in the early 1980s. He is best known for his roles as J.T. Matthews in the 1991 Robert Townsend film The Five Heartbeats , Derice Bannock in the 1993 film Cool Runnings , Shep in the 1994 basketball drama film Above the Rim , and Little Richard in the 2000 film Little Richard .

Contents

Career

Leon appeared in a 1989 episode of the NBC series Midnight Caller , in which he played an athlete who falls victim to crack cocaine. He also co-starred in the 1989 ABC miniseries The Women of Brewster Place , as the boyfriend of a suburbanite (played by Robin Givens). He was cast as Saint Martin de Porres in Madonna's controversial 1989 music video "Like a Prayer".

Leon's early film roles included a football teammate of Tom Cruise in All the Right Moves (1983) as Shadow Nading, and the Notre Dame-bound basketball-playing co-worker of Matt Dillon, in The Flamingo Kid (1984). [2] He co-starred in the Michael Mann-produced Tri-Star Pictures film Band of the Hand , as well as the "Killer Bee" in the Dennis Hopper-directed gang film Colors, starring Sean Penn and Robert Duvall. After his exposure in the 1989 video for the song "Like a Prayer" by Madonna, he played a leading role in the 1993 Disney film Cool Runnings . That same year, he co-starred as John Lithgow's henchman in Renny Harlin's Cliffhanger and followed with a turn as a disillusioned ex-jock in New Line Cinema's Above the Rim (1994). Leon also appeared as Lela Rochon's married lover in 1995's Waiting to Exhale directed by Forest Whitaker and starring Whitney Houston. He had a starring role in the Merchant/Ivory produced movie Side Streets with Rosario Dawson. He produced as well as starred in the 1997 romantic drama The Price of Kissing with TV star Pauley Perrette. He also starred in the movie Once Upon a Time When We Were Colored , directed by Tim Reid and winner of Best Picture at the NAACP Image Awards.

Leon has received critical acclaim[ by whom? ] for his portrayal of three singers: David Ruffin in the 1998 NBC miniseries The Temptations , Little Richard in the self-titled 2000 NBC movie biography, and JT in the 20th Century Fox movie The Five Heartbeats , directed by Robert Townsend. Leon received an Emmy nomination for his portrayal of Little Richard. During this period, he joined the ensemble cast of two TV series, playing the popular Jefferson Keane on HBO's first series, Oz , and as Lawrence Hill on Showtime's Resurrection Blvd. . He co-starred as "Stoney", best friend of Joaquin Phoenix, in Miramax's military drama Buffalo Soldiers and had an uncredited role as "Joseph 13 X" in Michael Mann's award-winning biopic, Ali , starring Will Smith.

Leon briefly hosted his own late-night talk show, The L-Bow Room, on BET.

In 2008, he starred in the 20th Century Fox thriller Cover , directed by Bill Duke, and starred alongside Danny Masterson and Dominique Swain in the indie comedy The Brooklyn Heist , directed by Julian Mark Kheel.

In 2009, AOL Black Voices voted Leon one of the Sexiest Actors of All Time.[ citation needed ]

Between 2013 and 2014, he appeared in four movies, the romantic comedy I Really Hate My Ex, written and directed by Troy Beyer; the southern drama Soul Ties, based on the book by Tee Austin; the indie rock/drama 37; and the romantic drama And Then There Was You with Garcelle Beauvais.

Theater

In theater, Leon has headlined three national tours, with sold-out performances at Hollywood's Kodak Theatre, NYC's Beacon Theatre, Detroit's Fox Theater, Washington, DC's Warner Theater. These tours were of Friends and Lovers (2005), based on Eric Jerome Dickey's New York Times bestselling book; of 3 Ways to Get A Husband (2009 and 2010), as a soldier returning from Iraq, co-starring Billy Dee Williams; and the revival of Why Do Good Girls Like Bad Boys (2012).

Music

Leon is the lead vocalist and songwriter of the band Leon and the Peoples. In 2007, he received an International Reggae and World Music Award nomination for the band's debut CD, The Road Less Traveled. He won Best International Artist at the Joe Higgs Reggae Awards. He completed a 36 city US tour with reggae greats Beres Hammond and Marcia Griffiths, titled the "For The Love Of It Tour". He was a frequent guest on Beres Hammond's 2008 and 2010 North American tours. He headlined NYC's Central Park 2010 and 2013 AIDS Walk concerts. Other performances include the 2011 Aspen Jazz Festival, 2012 Catalpa NYC Music Festival, New Orleans Music Festival, Chicago's Festival Of Life, Reggae on River, Jamaica's Rebel Salute, and BET's popular 106 & Park .

Leon and the Peoples' single "Love Is A Beautiful Thing'" was featured on the BET/Centric TV show Culture List, which premiered on July 21, 2013. The band's second album, Love Is A Beautiful Thing, was released on the Spectra Music label on July 20, 2018, with the title track debuting at No. 3 on Billboard's Hot Singles Chart, and the next single, "Beautiful" appearing on the same chart at No. 12.

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1983 All the Right Moves Austin "Shadow" Williams
1984 Sole Survivor Gang Leader
The Flamingo Kid Fortune Smith
1985 Streetwalkin' Jason
1986 Band of the Hand Moss
1987The Father Clements StoryIceTV movie
1988 The Lawless Land Road Kill
Colors Killer Bee
1989Flying BlindLarry BrownTV movie
A Mother's Courage: The Mary Thomas StoryMichael ThomasTV movie
1991 The Five Heartbeats J.T. Matthews
1993 Cliffhanger Kynette
Cool Runnings Derice Bannock
Bad AttitudeEddie JohnsonTV movie
1994 Above the Rim Shep
1995Once Upon a Time... When We Were ColoredUncle Melvin
Waiting to Exhale Russell
1996Spirit LostJohn
Pure DangerFelixVideo
1997Runaway CarOfficer Isaiah 'Beau' BeaufortTV movie
B*A*P*S Leon
The Price of KissingLarry [3]
1998Side StreetsErrol Boyce
1999 Friends & Lovers Tyrell
Mean StreakAltman RogersTV movie
Bats Jimmy Sands
Mr. Rock 'n' Roll: The Alan Freed Story Jackie Wilson
2000 Little Richard Little Richard TV movie
2001 Buffalo Soldiers Stoney
Ali Joe Simmons
2002Four Faces of GodJahShort
2005 Get Rich or Die Tryin' Slim
2006The TestedCurtisShort
Ways of the FleshDr. Lee
2007 Cover Ryan Chambers
2008 The Brooklyn Heist Ronald
20093 Ways to Get a HusbandDevonVideo
2011 The Heart Specialist Dr. Lee
2012From This Day ForwardDeonTV movie
2013Je'Caryous Johnson's Marriage MaterialMichael
Someone to LoveJoshua Gilbert
2014 37: A Final Promise Dr. Koehm
2015Ex-FreeSean
Against the JabDJ Mike
Where Children PlayDavid Mccain
Soul TiesDale Sr
2016The Rhythm and the BluesEddie Taylor Sr.Short
Love Had Everything to Do with It-
2017The Cheaters ClubJames
2018Make America Black AgainCandidate JohnsonShort
Her Only ChoiceMelvin
Before You Say I Do Live!Edward
2020The GloriasFrank
The Sin ChoiceDoug Stephens
Time for Us to Come Home for ChristmasJasper PendersonTV movie
2022 A Day to Die Tyrone Pettis
2023 First Lady of BMF: The Tonesa Welch Story Emerson

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1982 Making the Grade -Episode: "Pilot"
CBS Schoolbreak Special Bobby Joe TuckerEpisode: "Journey to Survival"
1987 Houston Knights ScarecrowEpisode: "Scarecrow"
1989 The Women of Brewster Place AbshuEpisode: "Part 1 & 2"
Midnight Caller Nathan 'Skate' FillmoreEpisode: "The Fall"
Hunter IcemanEpisode: "Investment in Death"
1990 L.A. Law Ronald 'Pinto' SewellEpisode: "Blood, Sweat and Fears"
1995 Central Park West Gabe SandsRecurring cast: Season 1
1997 Oz Jefferson KeaneRecurring cast: Season 1
1997-98 C-16: FBI Robert RobinsonRecurring cast
1998 The Temptations David Ruffin Episode: "Part 1 & 2"
2001 Resurrection Blvd. Lawrence HillRecurring cast: Season 2
2003 Oz Jefferson KeaneEpisode: "Dead Man Talking"
Crossing Jordan Detective Vicellous OwensEpisode: "Sunset Division"
Hack Ulysses SimsEpisode: "To Have and Have Not"
2004The L-Bow RoomHimself/HostMain Host
Super Secret Movie RulesHimselfEpisode: "Sports Underdogs"
2009-11 Diary of a Single Mom Lawrence HillRecurring cast
2011 Are We There Yet? Dr. Harvey ClevelandEpisode: "The Compatibility Test Episode"
Reed Between the Lines DonEpisode: "Let's Talk About Affairs"
2016 Recovery Road AlanRecurring cast
2017 Unsung Hollywood HimselfEpisode: "Tupac Shakur"
2018 Rel NickelsEpisode: "Re-Enter the Dragons"
40 and SingleDan MayorMain cast
2018-19 Blue Bloods Cameron GoodingGuest cast: Season 9-10
2021A Luv Tale: The SeriesGeorge MontgomeryRecurring cast
Games People Play Walter KingRecurring cast: Season 2
2021-22 City on a Hill Reverend Isaiah HughesRecurring cast: Season 2, Guest: Season 3
2023 Swarm HarrisEpisode: "Girl, Bye"

Music video

YearSongArtistRole
1989 Like a Prayer Madonna Innocent Man/Saint

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References

  1. "Leon (8 March 1962, New York City, New York, USA) movies list and roles - #1 Movies Website".
  2. Rotter, Joshua (June 26, 2019). "Leon joins diverse cast of 'A Luv Tale'". San Francisco Examiner. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
  3. Klady, Leonard (April 20, 1997). "The Price of Kissing". Variety . Retrieved December 18, 2017.