Martin Lawrence
| Martin Lawrence | |
|---|---|
| File:Martin lawrence.jpg | |
| Born | April 16, 1965 Frankfurt-am-Main, Hessen, Germany |
| Medium | stand-up comedy, television, film |
| Nationality |  American |
| Years active | 1985 - present |
| Genres | Observational comedy, Physical comedy, Improvisational comedy |
| Subject(s) | human sexuality, African-American culture, racism, race relations |
| Spouse | Patricia Southall (1995-1996) 1 child |
| Notable works and roles | Bilal in House Party & House Party 2 Martin Payne in Martin Himself in You So Crazy Det. Marcus Burnett in Bad Boys & Bad Boys II Miles Logan in Blue Streak Malcolm Turner in Big Momma's House & Big Momma's House 2 Bobby Davis in Wild Hogs |
Martin Fitzgerald Lawrence (born April 16, 1965, in Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany) is an American actor, comedian, director and producer. He came to fame during the 1990s, establishing a Hollywood career as a leading actor.
Biography
Early life
Lawrence was born in Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany, where his father, John Lawrence, served in the US military. He has three siblings, Robert, Rae and Ursula. When Lawrence was seven, his father left the military and relocated the family to Landover, Maryland, in the Washington D.C. area. After his parents divorced in 1973,[1] Lawrence rarely saw his father. His mother, Chlora, worked two jobs, including as a cashier at various department stores, to support her family.[2] During his teen years, Lawrence excelled at boxing. While living in Maryland, he attended Eleanor Roosevelt High School and also Friendly High School, and lived in Apple Grove and became a Mid-Atlantic Golden Gloves boxing contender.
Career
Lawrence moved from Kansas to California and found his way to the legendary Kings Wood comedy club. Shortly after appearing at the Wood, he won a performance spot on Star Search, a popular show in the United States. He did well on the show and made it to the final round before ultimately losing. However, executives at Columbia TriStar Television saw Martin's performance and offered him an appearance on the television sitcom What's Happening Now!!; this was his first acting job. Following What's Happening Now!!, Martin had bit parts in various films and television roles before entertainment mogul Russell Simmons personally selected him to host the groundbreaking series Def Comedy Jam on HBO. Def Comedy Jam gave many comedians (including Chris Tucker, Steve Harvey and Cedric The Entertainer) mainstream exposure.
Around the same time he was cast in the Def Comedy Jam role, Martin appeared in his own sitcom, the hit series Martin, which aired on Fox. The show ran from 1992 to 1997 and was considered a huge success. Martin performed at the Fox Theatre and later appeared at an after set party hosted by legendary guitarist Edmund Darris. Martin was interviewed for Darris' Hip-Hop Video Show, Eddie D Live. Lawrence also hosted Saturday Night Live on February 19, 1994, where he made crude remarks on women's genitalia and personal hygiene. . The monologue was later completely edited out of reruns and syndicated versions. As a result, Martin was banned from the show for life. After Martin ended its run, Lawrence worked on many film projects. He starred or co-starred in many movies alongside such talents as Eddie Murphy, Will Smith, and Tim Robbins. Many of his films were blockbusters (including Bad Boys (1995) and Big Momma's House (2000) and his salary increased dramatically to over $10 million per role. He continues to work in film, with his newest movie Big Momma's House 2 (2006) opening #1 at the North American box office in late January 2006, grossing almost $28 million its first weekend.[3]
His most recent performance was as a bored suburbanite looking for adventure on the open road in the biker comedy Wild Hogs (2007) alongside John Travolta, Tim Allen and William H. Macy.
Personal life
Lawrence was once engaged to actress Lark Voorhies. Martin married Patricia Southall, a former Miss Virginia winner in January of 1995. They divorced in September 1997. Martin has a daughter named Jasmine Page with Patricia who was born on January 15, 1996. Martin also has two other daughters born in 2001 and 2003.[4]
In August 1999, he went into a three-day coma after collapsing from heat exhaustion while jogging in 100-degree heat with several layers of heavy clothing. He recovered in the hospital from near death and running a body temperature of a seemingly impossible 107 °F (41.7 °C), his breathing assisted by a respirator.
In August, 1996, he was arrested at Burbank Airport for carrying a loaded gun in his suitcase. On March 28 1997, he was again arrested outside a Hollywood nightclub, after a man claimed Lawrence punched him. In 1997, Martin's Martin co-star Tisha Campbell sued him for sexual harassment but did not leave the show.
Filmography
- Do the Right Thing (1989)
- House Party (1990)
- Talkin' Dirty After Dark (1991)
- House Party 2 (1991)
- Boomerang (1992)
- You So Crazy (1994)
- Bad Boys (1995)
- A Thin Line Between Love and Hate (1996) (also director and writer)
- Nothing to Lose (1997)
- Life (1999)
- Blue Streak (1999)
- Big Momma's House (2000)
- What's the Worst That Could Happen? (2001)
- Black Knight (2001)
- Martin Lawrence Live: Runteldat (2002)
- National Security (2003)
- Bad Boys II (2003)
- Rebound (2005)
- Big Momma's House 2 (2006)
- Open Season (2006) (voice)
- Wild Hogs (2007)
Upcoming:
Television Work
- What's Happening Now!! (cast member from 1987-1988)
- A Little Bit Strange (1989) (unsold pilot)
- Hammer, Slammer, & Slade (1990) (unsold pilot)
- Private Times (1991)
- Martin (1992-1997)
- Def Comedy Jam (host from 1992-1993)
Albums
- Martin Lawrence Live Talkin' Sh/t! (1993)
- Funk It (1995)
Awards and nominations
- Blockbuster Entertainment Award
- nominated with Eddie Murphy for Favorite Comedy Team (2000) for the movie Life
- nominated for Favorite Actor (2001) for the movie Big Momma's House
- NAACP Image Award
- won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (1995) for the series Martin
- won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (1996) for the series Martin
- nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (1997) for the series Martin
- Kids' Choice Award
- nominated for Favorite Television Actor (1995) for the series Martin
- nominated for Favorite Television Actor (1996) for the series Martin
- nominated for Favorite Movie Actor (2001) for the movie Big Momma's House
- MTV Movie Award
- nominated with Will Smith for Best On-Screen Duo (1996) for the movie Bad Boys
- nominated for the movie Big Momma's House
- nominated with Will Smith for Best On-Screen Team (2003) for the movie Bad Boys II
- ShoWest - Male Star of Tomorrow (1995)
- Teen Choice Award - nominated for Wipeout Scene of the Summer (2000) for the movie Big Momma's House
- BET Comedy Award - Icon Comedy Award (2005)
Footnotes
- ^ "Martin Lawrence Biography - Yahoo! Movies". Yahoo! Movies. Retrieved 2007-03-26.
- ^ "Martin Lawrence - Profile, Latest News and Related Articles". E! Online. Retrieved 2007-03-26.
- ^ "Yahoo! Movies - Weekend Box Office and Buzz". Yahoo! Movies. Retrieved 2007-03-26.
- ^ Marie Morreale. "Rebound: Old School Meets Middle School". Scholastic. Retrieved 2007-03-26.