Cool Runnings actor Leon Robinson has an appreciation for bobsleigh, Jamaican food and music
Published:Sunday | February 20, 2022 | 12:09 AMStephanie Lyew - Sunday Gleaner Writer
With any film star, there’s the actor, and then there’s the persona. Leon Robinson, or ‘Just Leon’ as he has humbly preferred to be credited over the years, has always had an interest in cultivating the latter. Most Jamaicans had been introduced to his chiselled face in the 1993 cult classic Cool Runnings movie that chronicled the story of the island’s first bobsleigh (or bobsled) team who challenged naysayers with their entry in the 1988 Winter Olympics in Canada.
The movie provided insight into the passion of the daring sportsmen and made them earn a special place in the hearts of their fellow Jamaicans. Indeed, many of them would end up falling in love with the charming character of Derice Bannock. In an interview with The Sunday Gleaner, Leon says he was very much aware of the sport and appreciated it.
It has almost been three decades since the Walt Disney movie’s release and 34 years since the four-man team made its Olympic debut, enamouring the world with its inspiring story, but Leon’s appreciation for it has only deepened.
“Though I wouldn’t describe myself as a fan of bobsledding, I can definitely say I appreciated it for what it is. I don’t know how the movie impacted my career as I can say I was doing well before that. I am happy to have played many roles that stuck in people’s hearts and to have created memorable characters, Derice being one of those,” Leon said.
MASSIVE APPRECIATION
And he continues to wave the Jamaican flag as if it was the land of his birth, knowing that for the first time in 24 years, a four-man team had qualified to participate in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. “It is a massive appreciation because I have been in the sledge, and I know what it takes and how it beats up your body,” he offered.
The actor was one of the VIP guests for a private viewing party hosted by the Jamaica Tourist Board in New York last Friday to watch Jamaica’s national team participate in the four-man bobsleigh races. Unfortunately, the two-man bobsleigh team finished 30th out of 30, but it has been said that the team is working hard and has its sights set on more than movie references – to make its real-life mark. For this reason, and more, Leon believes that the current athletes representing the country deserve all the support and need to know that what they are doing is not being done in vain.
“I have nothing but immense respect for the athletes. What I would share with Jamaicans locally is that they need to be aware of their presence in the world. When we have someone representing the island, you need to big up yuh chest and represent; let them know you are behind them because these things don’t happen every day,” he said. “It is absolutely amazing that Jamaica qualified to be one of the world’s best and has pushed to be part of the Winter Olympics over the years, considering there is no snow on the island. One thing I know is that so many people who have never been to Jamaica only know the island through Cool Runnings, and it makes me feel proud to be part of that history.”
Leon shared that he has never thought about playing the character of Derice any differently, and he admitted, “I don’t watch my movies,” because he feels that he is too critical of himself and watching it many times “it makes me start thinking about what I could do differently”.
Fun fact. When Disney went to scout actors for the movie, people kept saying that Leon must be part of the cast, thinking he was born in Jamaica. Of Jamaican descent, Leon lived in Jamaica three to four months out of the year and for 10 years before he landed the role in Cool Runnings would answer to the nickname ‘Ackee and Salt fish’.
In the middle of the interview, the actor, who is also a singer and songwriter, broke out into patois as he joked about being the biggest foodie and lover of Jamaican foods from the ackee and salt fish to brown stewed fish and all the workings of the island’s flavours.
OTHER SIDE OF THE SPECTRUM
And his connection to Jamaica is multilayered, being the lead singer and songwriter for award-winning reggae-soul band Leon and The Peoples, which he explained is on the other side of the spectrum in comparison to his career in the film industry.
“I was always in Jamaica. Usually every Christmas, I am in Hopewell, but I didn’t get to travel last year. I am influenced by the culture, and as an artiste, I have been on four tours with Beres Hammond – he produced my first single. So the connection is deep,” he said.
Leon added: “The band is actually a saving grace because the movie business is not exactly a fun business. Also, the music is me … I am not playing a character. In Cool Runnings, I wasn’t me, I was Derice Bannock, and all I cared about was what I put out there as that character, likewise for all the characters I played. Through the music, people get to know and engage more with Leon, the storyteller.”
Leon and The Peoples is currently looking to book dates in between his acting schedule, he said, and is planning to be in Negril by July. He is also getting ready for the March 4 premiere of a new movie he is in, A Day to Die, where he plays the character of Tyrone Pettis.
“It’s an action film which stars myself, Kevin Dillon, and Bruce Willis, and it is true, my fans especially, like to see me play the bad boy,” he laughed.
“But whether acting, producing, directing, or singing, I hope to be part of stories that last beyond my time. And one of the best advice I can give to young creatives, or anyone going into the industry and [adding] to the stories, is to be uniquely you. Don’t try to follow the pack. There are far too many Indians and not enough chiefs – if you understand what I am saying,” Leon continued.