Leon Robinson

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Leon Robinson
Robinson in 2019
Born
Leon Preston Robinson

(1962-03-08) March 8, 1962 (age 63)[1]
New York City, U.S.
Other namesLeon/noel
OccupationActor
Years active1982–present
PartnerPatricia Blanchet
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, Singer and Musician David Ruffin in the 1998 ABC Mini-Series and "The Temptations" Little Richard in the 2000 film Little Richard.

Career

Leon appeared in a 1989 episode of the

Madonna's controversial 1989 music video "Like a Prayer
".

Leon's early film roles included a football teammate of

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[

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

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

Year Title Role Notes
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
1987 The Father Clements Story Ice TV movie
1988 The Lawless Land Road Kill
Colors Killer Bee
1989 Flying Blind Larry Brown TV movie
A Mother's Courage: The Mary Thomas Story Michael Thomas TV movie
1991 The Five Heartbeats J.T. Matthews
1993 Cliffhanger Kynette
Cool Runnings Derice Bannock credited as Leon
Bad Attitude Eddie Johnson TV movie
1994 Above the Rim Shep
1995 Once Upon a Time... When We Were Colored Uncle Melvin
Waiting to Exhale Russell
1996 Spirit Lost John
Pure Danger Felix Video
1997 Runaway Car Officer Isaiah 'Beau' Beaufort TV movie
B*A*P*S
 		Leon
The Price of Kissing Larry [3]
1998 Side Streets Errol Boyce
1999 Friends & Lovers Tyrell
Mean Streak Altman Rogers TV 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
2002 Four Faces of God Jah Short
2005 Get Rich or Die Tryin' Slim
2006 The Tested Curtis Short
Ways of the Flesh Dr. Lee
2007 Cover Ryan Chambers
2008 The Brooklyn Heist Ronald
2009 3 Ways to Get a Husband Devon Video
2011 The Heart Specialist Dr. Lee
2012 From This Day Forward Deon TV movie
2013 Je'Caryous Johnson's Marriage Material Michael
Someone to Love Joshua Gilbert
2014 37: A Final Promise Dr. Koehm
2015 Ex-Free Sean
Against the Jab DJ Mike
Where Children Play David Mccain
Soul Ties Dale Sr
2016 The Rhythm and the Blues Eddie Taylor Sr. Short
Love Had Everything to Do with It -
2017 The Cheaters Club James
2018 Make America Black Again Candidate Johnson Short
Her Only Choice Melvin
Before You Say I Do Live! Edward
2020 The Glorias Frank
The Sin Choice Doug Stephens
Time for Us to Come Home for Christmas Jasper Penderson TV movie
2022 A Day to Die Tyrone Pettis
2023 First Lady of BMF: The Tonesa Welch Story Emerson

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1982 Making the Grade - Episode: "Pilot"
CBS Schoolbreak Special Bobby Joe Tucker Episode: "Journey to Survival"
1987 Houston Knights Scarecrow Episode: "Scarecrow"
1989
The Women of Brewster Place
 		Abshu Episode: "Part 1 & 2"
Midnight Caller Nathan 'Skate' Fillmore Episode: "The Fall"
Hunter Iceman Episode: "Investment in Death"
1990 L.A. Law Ronald 'Pinto' Sewell Episode: "Blood, Sweat and Fears"
1995 Central Park West Gabe Sands Recurring cast: Season 1
1997 Oz Jefferson Keane Recurring cast: Season 1
1997–98 C-16: FBI Robert Robinson Recurring cast
1998 The Temptations David Ruffin Episode: "Part 1 & 2"
2001 Resurrection Blvd. Lawrence Hill Recurring cast: Season 2
2003 Oz Jefferson Keane Episode: "Dead Man Talking"
Crossing Jordan Detective Vicellous Owens Episode: "Sunset Division"
Hack Ulysses Sims Episode: "To Have and Have Not"
2004 The L-Bow Room Himself/Host Main Host
Super Secret Movie Rules Himself Episode: "Sports Underdogs"
2009–11 Diary of a Single Mom Lawrence Hill Recurring cast
2011 Are We There Yet? Dr. Harvey Cleveland Episode: "The Compatibility Test Episode"
Reed Between the Lines Don Episode: "Let's Talk About Affairs"
2016 Recovery Road Alan Recurring cast
2017 Unsung Hollywood Himself Episode: "Tupac Shakur"
2018 Rel Nickels Episode: "Re-Enter the Dragons"
40 and Single Dan Mayor Main cast
2018–19
Blue Bloods
 		Cameron Gooding Guest cast: Season 9-10
2021 A Luv Tale: The Series George Montgomery Recurring cast
Games People Play Walter King Recurring cast: Season 2
2021–22 City on a Hill Reverend Isaiah Hughes Recurring cast: Season 2, Guest: Season 3
2023 Swarm Harris Episode: "Girl, Bye"
2023–24 The Chi Alonzo Recurring role; season 6

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.
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