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Uncensored, April 14, 2024, TV One, “Leon Robinson”
Leon Robinson, the charismatic African-American actor and singer, takes center stage in this episode of Uncensored airing on TV One on Sunday April 14. Robinson, born in the Bronx and raised in the middle-class suburb of Mount Vernon, is best known for his iconic roles in award-winning series and films, including “The Temptations,” “Waiting to Exhale,” “Cool Runnings,” and “The Five Heartbeats”.
Robinson began his professional career in 1981 with a debut on the “CBS Afternoon Playhouse” production, “Journey to Survival”. He gained further recognition in 1989 when he appeared in Madonna’s controversial music video, “Like a Prayer,” playing a martyred Southern black saint. This exposure led to more substantial roles, including a part in Robert Townsend’s “The Five Heartbeats,” where he portrayed a member of a singing group trying to stay off drugs.
Robinson’s impressive body of work includes a wide range of memorable roles. He played a football teammate of Tom Cruise in “All the Right Moves” (1983), the Notre Dame-bound basketball-playing co-worker of Matt Dillon in “The Flamingo Kid” (1984), and a disillusioned ex-jock in “Above the Rim” (1994). He also portrayed Little Richard in the 2000 NBC movie biography, receiving an Emmy nomination for his performance.
Uncensored airs on TV One at 10:00 pm on Sunday, April 14, 2024.