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Leon Robinson (born March 8, 1962), professionally known as Leon, is an American actor and singer who rose to fame in the 1980s and 1990s. He is best known for his iconic roles as J.T. Matthews in The Five Heartbeats (1991), Derice Bannock in Cool Runnings (1993), and Shep in Above the Rim (1994), as well as his critically acclaimed portrayals of singers David Ruffin in The Temptations (1998) and Little Richard in the 2000 biopic, for which he earned an Emmy nomination. His early career included a notable appearance in Madonna's controversial 1989 music video "Like a Prayer" and roles in films like Colors (1988) and Waiting to Exhale (1995). He also starred in TV series such as Oz and Resurrection Blvd., and appeared in Ali (2001). Beyond the screen, Leon has headlined multiple successful national theater tours and is also the lead vocalist and songwriter for his own music projects.