Leon Robinson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Leon Robinson
Robinson in 2019
Born	Leon Preston Robinson (1962-03-08) March 8, 1962 (age 63) New York City, U.S.
Other names	Leon/noel
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1982–present
Partner(s)	Patricia Blanchet
Children	1

Leon Preston Robinson (born March 8, 1962), who is usually just called Leon, is an American actor and singer. He started acting in movies in the early 1980s and has played many memorable characters.

He is famous for his roles in popular films. He played J.T. Matthews in the 1991 movie The Five Heartbeats and Derice Bannock in the 1993 Disney hit Cool Runnings. He also starred as Shep in the basketball movie Above the Rim (1994). Leon is also known for playing famous singers, like David Ruffin in the TV miniseries The Temptations (1998) and Little Richard in the movie Little Richard (2000).

Acting Career

Leon has had a long and successful career in movies and television. He has played a wide variety of roles, from athletes to musicians.

Early Roles and Rise to Fame

One of Leon's first roles was in the 1983 movie All the Right Moves, where he acted alongside Tom Cruise. He also appeared in Madonna's famous 1989 music video for the song "Like a Prayer". This appearance helped more people recognize him.

His big break came in 1993 when he starred as Derice Bannock, the leader of the Jamaican bobsled team, in the Disney movie Cool Runnings. The movie was a huge success and is still loved by many today. In the same year, he played a role in the action movie Cliffhanger with Sylvester Stallone.

The next year, he starred in the basketball drama Above the Rim. He also appeared in the 1995 movie Waiting to Exhale with Whitney Houston.

Playing Famous Musicians

Leon has received a lot of praise for playing real-life musicians. He played David Ruffin, a lead singer of the famous Motown group The Temptations, in the 1998 TV miniseries The Temptations.

In 2000, he starred as the rock and roll pioneer Little Richard in a TV movie about his life. For this role, Leon was nominated for an Emmy Award, which is a major award for television shows. He also played the fictional singer J.T. Matthews in the movie The Five Heartbeats.

Television Work

Besides movies, Leon has also appeared in several TV shows. He had a recurring role as Jefferson Keane on the HBO series Oz. He also appeared on the Showtime series Resurrection Blvd.. More recently, he has had guest roles on shows like Blue Bloods and City on a Hill.

Music Career

In addition to acting, Leon is a talented musician. He is the lead singer and songwriter for his reggae band, Leon and the Peoples.

The band's first album, The Road Less Traveled, was nominated for an International Reggae and World Music Award in 2007. Leon also won Best International Artist at the Joe Higgs Reggae Awards. He has toured across the United States with famous reggae artists like Beres Hammond and Marcia Griffiths.

Leon and the Peoples have performed at many big music festivals. Their second album, Love Is A Beautiful Thing, was released in 2018. The title song was a hit, reaching number 3 on a Billboard music chart.

Personal Life

Leon has a daughter with Cynthia Bailey, a model and television personality. He is also an honorary member of the Phi Beta Sigma fraternity.

Selected Filmography

Here are some of Leon's most well-known movies and TV shows.

Film

Television