-
Name: Leon
-
Date of Birth:
March 08, 1962
-
Place of Birth:
New York, New York
Mini-bio:
Robinson, usually credited as simply 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 num
...( read more)erous 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 a Christ-like character 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 co-starred as John
Lithgow's British 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 as David Ruffin in The TemptationsLeon 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.
