Martin Lawrence is an American actor, comedian, and film producer who rose to fame as a leading man in several popular films in the 1990s. He was born in 1965 in Germany, as his father was in the United States military. When Lawrence was eight, his parents divorced, and Lawrence went to live with his mother in Maryland. There he attended high school at the Thomas G. Pullen School of Creative and Performing Arts, where he excelled at boxing until receiving a black eye during a match, upon which he decided not to go into the sport professionally.
Instead, Lawrence moved to Colorado and started performing stand-up comedy. He was chosen to appear on the talent show Star Search, and although he didn’t win, Lawrence caught the attention of Columbia Pictures executives and was offered a role on the sitcom What’s Hapenning Now!! After the series was canceled, Lawrence appeared in several productions in small roles before landing his breakthrough role as Cee in the now-famous Spike Lee film Do the Right Thing.
Lawrence found himself a hot commodity in Hollywood, and featured prominently in films in the House Party series and appeared in the Eddie Murphy comedy film Boomerang. He was also chosen to host the new series Def Comedy Jam, a stand-up showcase featuring black comedians like Bernie Mac, Cedric the Entertainer, and Dave Chappelle. At the same time, Lawrence began his own sitcom, titled Martin, that aired on Fox.
In 1995, Lawrence dabbled in dramatic film, starring alongside Will Smith in the action blockbuster Bad Boys. After Martin left the airwaves in 1997, Lawrence returned to comedic film and found great success in movies such as Big Mommma’s House and Life with Eddie Murphy and other comedians. He has gone on to direct, produce, and write many of his own movies, and remains a popular box-office draw in Hollywood today.
Filmography
Do the Right Thing (1989)
House Party (1990)
House Party (1991)
Boomerang(1992)
Martin (1992-1997)
You So Crazy (1994)
Bad Boys (1995)
A Thin Line Between Love and Hate (1996)
Life (1999)
Big Momma’s House (2000)
Pictures
Videos
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