Leon Robinson

Infobox actor


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caption = Leon at Madison Square Garden after a USA Basketball vs. Puerto Rico game, August 2003
birthname = Leon Preston Robinson IV
birthdate = birth date and age|1962|3|8
birthplace = flagicon|USA New York, New York
deathdate =
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Leon Preston Robinson IV (born March 8, 1962), usually credited as simply Leon, is an American actor and singer, who began his professional career as an actor in 1981.

Biography

Personal life

Leon was born in Manhattan, New York and raised in the middle class suburb of Mount Vernon. The only son of a transit authority executive and a teacher, Leon migrated to Los Angeles to play basketball for Loyola Marymount University before moving into acting. He is a alumnus of Mount Saint Michael Academy, Class of '78 and was all-city in basketball during his senior year.

Career

Leon made his professional debut on the "CBS Afternoon Playhouse" production "Journey to Survival" in 1981. Before striking it on the big screen, Leon amassed numerous small screen credits, notably 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 became a part of popular music history when 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) and as Fortune Smith, the Notre Dame-bound basketball playing co-worker of Matt Dillon, in "The Flamingo Kid" (1984). It was only after his exposure in the Madonna video that Leon's roles became more substantial. He was a member of a singing group trying to give up his womanizing ways while his brother becomes distant in Robert Townsend's "The Five Heartbeats" (1991). In 1993, he played a leading role in the film "Cool Runnings". That same year, he co-starred as John Lithgow's henchman out to get Sylvester Stallone in Renny Harlin's "Cliffhanger" and followed with a turn as a disillusioned ex-jock in "Above the Rim" (1994). Leon also appeared as Lela Rochon's married lover in "Waiting to Exhale" (1996) and co-produced as well as co-starred in the romantic drama "The Price of Kissing" (1997).

Leon has received critical acclaim for his portrayal of two legendary singers in made-for-TV movies: David Ruffin in the 1998 NBC miniseries "The Temptations", and Little Richard in the self-titled 2000 NBC movie based on the life of the rock-and-roll pioneer. He received an Emmy Award nomination for his performance as Little Richard. Leon has also had recurring roles on television series such as "Oz" and "Resurrection Blvd." and briefly hosted his own late-night talk show, "The L-Bow Room", on BET.

Leon, who is also a professional singer, is the lead vocalist of his own band, Leon and the Peoples. He recently performed at The Canal Room in New York City with The Peoples and also recorded a radio PSA for Deejay Ra's 'Hip-Hop Literacy' campaign, encouraging people to read books about Tupac Shakur.

Leon has been twice nominated for an Image Award, and has won a Young Artist Award.

Filmography

*"Cover (2007)... Ryan Chambers
*"Get Rich or Die Tryin'" (2005)...Slim
*"Buffalo Soldiers" (2003)...Stoney
*"Little Richard" (2000)...Little Richard
*"Bats" (1999)...Jimmy Sands
*"Friends and Lovers" (1999)...Manny
*"Side Streets" (1999)...Errol Boyce
*"The Temptations" (1998)...David Ruffin
*"B.A.P.S." (1997)...Himself
*"Spirit Lost" (1997)...John
*"Once Upon a Time... When We Were Colored" (1996)...Uncle Melvin
*"Pure Danger" (1996)...Felix
*"Waiting to Exhale" (1995)...Russell
*"Above the Rim" (1994)...Shep
*"Bad Attitude" (1993)
*"Cliffhanger" (1993)...Kynette
*"Cool Runnings" (1993)...Derice Bannock
*"The Five Heartbeats" (1991)...J. T. Matthews
*"The Women of Brewster Place" (1989)...Abshu
*"Colors" (1988)...Killer Bee
*"The Lawless Land" (1988)...Road Kill
*"The Father Clements Story" (1987)...Ice
*"Band of the Hand" (1986)...Moss
*"The Flamingo Kid" (1984)...Fortune Smith
*"All the Right Moves" (1983)...Shadow

External links

*imdb name|name=Leon|id=0502442
* [http://www.justleon.com Leon's official website]
* [http://thepeoples.biz/ Leon & The Peoples]
* [http://www.myspace.com/leonthepeoples Leon & The Peoples MySpace Page]