Leon Robinson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Leon Robinson
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Leon in 2019
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Leon Preston Robinson
March 8, 1962 New York City, U.S.
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| Other names | Leon/noel |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1982–present |
| Partner(s) | Patricia Blanchet |
| Children | 1 |
Leon Preston Robinson (born March 8, 1962), known simply as Leon, is an American actor and singer. He started his acting career in the early 1980s. You might know him best from his roles as J.T. Matthews in the 1991 film The Five Heartbeats, Derice Bannock in the 1993 movie Cool Runnings, Shep in the 1994 basketball drama Above the Rim, and as the famous singer Little Richard in the 2000 film about his life.
Leon's Acting Journey
Leon has had many interesting roles throughout his career. In 1989, he appeared in the ABC miniseries The Women of Brewster Place. He was also cast as Saint Martin de Porres in Madonna's music video for her song "Like a Prayer".
Some of Leon's early film roles included playing a football teammate of Tom Cruise in All the Right Moves (1983). He also played a basketball player in The Flamingo Kid (1984). He worked with Michael Mann in the film Band of the Hand. He also appeared in the gang film Colors, which starred Sean Penn and Robert Duvall.
After being in Madonna's music video, Leon got a main role in the 1993 Disney movie Cool Runnings. In the same year, he acted alongside John Lithgow in Cliffhanger. He then played a former athlete in Above the Rim (1994). Leon also appeared in Waiting to Exhale (1995), directed by Forest Whitaker and starring Whitney Houston. He had a main role in Side Streets with Rosario Dawson. He even produced and starred in the 1997 romantic drama The Price of Kissing. He also starred in Once Upon a Time When We Were Colored, which won Best Picture at the NAACP Image Awards.
Leon has been praised for playing famous singers. He played David Ruffin in the 1998 NBC miniseries The Temptations. He also played Little Richard in the 2000 NBC movie about the singer. For his role as Little Richard, Leon even received an Emmy nomination! He also played JT in the movie The Five Heartbeats, directed by Robert Townsend.
During this time, he joined the cast of two TV shows. He played Jefferson Keane on HBO's first series, Oz. He also played Lawrence Hill on Showtime's Resurrection Blvd.. He was "Stoney" in the military drama Buffalo Soldiers and had a small role in Michael Mann's movie Ali, which starred Will Smith.
Leon even hosted his own late-night talk show called The L-Bow Room on BET. In 2008, he starred in the thriller Cover and the comedy The Brooklyn Heist. In 2009, AOL Black Voices named Leon one of the top actors of all time. Between 2013 and 2014, he appeared in four movies, including the romantic comedy I Really Hate My Ex and the drama Soul Ties.
On Stage: Theater Roles
Leon has also performed in many plays across the country. He has been the main star in three national tours. These tours had sold-out shows in famous places like Hollywood's Kodak Theatre and NYC's Beacon Theatre. Some of the plays he toured with include Friends and Lovers (2005), 3 Ways to Get A Husband (2009 and 2010), and Why Do Good Girls Like Bad Boys (2012).
Leon's Music Career
Besides acting, Leon is also a talented musician. He is the lead singer and songwriter for his band, Leon and the Peoples. In 2007, his band's first CD, The Road Less Traveled, was nominated for an International Reggae and World Music Award. He even won Best International Artist at the Joe Higgs Reggae Awards.
Leon and his band have toured with famous reggae artists like Beres Hammond and Marcia Griffiths. They have performed at big events like NYC's Central Park AIDS Walk concerts in 2010 and 2013. They also played at the Aspen Jazz Festival, Catalpa NYC Music Festival, and Jamaica's Rebel Salute.
The band's song "Love Is A Beautiful Thing" was featured on the BET/Centric TV show Culture List in 2013. Their second album, also called Love Is A Beautiful Thing, came out in 2018. The main song from the album reached No. 3 on Billboard's Hot Singles Chart, and another song, "Beautiful," reached No. 12 on the same chart.
Images for kids
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Leon in 2019
