Leon Robinson

Leon Preston Robinson (born March 8, 1962), usually credited as simply Leon, is an American actor and singer, who began professional acting 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 David Ruffin in the 1998 NBC miniseries The Temptations, and Little Richard in the 2000 film Little Richard.

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). 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 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.

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 Billboards Hot Singles Chart, and the next single, "Beautiful" appearing on the same chart at No. 12.

Personal life Leon was previously in a relationship with model, actress, and reality television personality Cynthia Bailey, with whom he shares a daughter. He is an honorary member of Phi Beta Sigma fraternity.

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 1998 Side Streets Errol Boyce 1999 Friends & Lovers Manny 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 Friends and Lovers Tyrel 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 Pettis2023First Lady of BMF: The Tonesa Welch StoryEmerson

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