BLACK SOCIAL HISTORY
Martin Lawrence
| Martin Lawrence | |
|---|---|
Lawrence in June 2013
| |
| Birth name | Martin Fitzgerald Lawrence |
| Born | April 16, 1965 Frankfurt am Main, Hesse,Germany |
| Medium | Stand-up Television Film |
| Nationality | American |
| Years active | 1987–present |
| Genres | Observational comedy Physical comedy Satire Black comedy Blue comedy |
| Subject(s) | Human sexuality African-American culture Racism Race relations Self-deprecation |
| Influences | Eddie Murphy Richard Pryor Robin Harris Redd Foxx[1] Cedric the Entertainer |
| Influenced | Dave Chappelle Chris Tucker Tracy Morgan |
| Spouse | Patricia Southall (m.1995–1996) Shamika Gibbs (1997–2010 m. 2010–2012) |
| Partner(s) | Lark Voorhies (1993–94) |
| Notable works and roles | Martin Payne on Martin Miles Logan in Blue Streak Boog in Open Season Bobby Davis in Wild Hogs Marcus Burnett in Bad Boysand Bad Boys 2 Malcolm Turner / Big Mommain the Big Momma's House |
Martin Fitzgerald Lawrence[2] (born April 16, 1965) is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He came to fame during the 1990's, establishing a Hollywood career as a leading actor, most notably in the films House Party, Boomerang, Bad Boys, Nothing to Lose, Blue Streak, Life, Big Momma's House, and A Thin Line Between Love & His.
Early life
Lawrence, the fourth of six children, was born in Frankfurt, Germany on April 16, 1965 to African American parents. He was named after civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. and U.S. President John F. Kennedy.[2] His father, John Lawrence, was serving in the U.S. military in Germany at the time of Martin's birth.[2] After his parents divorced when he was eight years old,[3] Lawrence rarely saw his father, who worked as a police officer.[4] His mother, Chlora Lawrence (n̩e Bailey, July 24, 1930 РAugust 28, 2008), began working several jobs to support her family.[5][6] During his teen years Lawrence excelled at boxing.[2] He lived in Maryland, and attended Thomas G. Pullen School of Creative and Performing Arts (Landover, Maryland), Fairmont Heights High School (Fairmont Heights, Maryland), Eleanor Roosevelt High School,[2] and Friendly High School in Fort Washington, Maryland, becoming a Mid-Atlantic Golden Gloves boxing contender. He seriously considered a professional career until he suffered a broken eye that prompted him to reconsider.[7]
Career
Lawrence ended up moving to New York City and found his way to the legendary The Improv. Shortly after appearing at The Improv, Lawrence won a performance spot on Star Search.[2] He did well on the show and made it to the final round, but didn't win. However, executives at Columbia Pictures Television saw Martin's performance and offered him the role of "Maurice" on the television sitcomWhat's Happening Now!!; this was his first acting job.[2] Upon cancellation of that show, Lawrence found bit parts in various films and television series. His breakthrough role was as Cee in the Spike Lee film Do the Right Thing. Other roles followed in films such as theHouse Party series, Talkin' Dirty After Dark, and the Eddie Murphy vehicle Boomerang. During this period, entertainment mogulRussell Simmons selected him to host the groundbreaking series Def Comedy Jam on HBO. Def Comedy Jam gave many comedians (including Chris Tucker, Dave Chappelle, Mike Epps, Bernie Mac and Cedric the Entertainer) mainstream exposure.
During his stint with Def Comedy Jam, Lawrence appeared in his own hit series, Martin, which aired on Fox TV.[2] The show ran from 1992 to 1997 and was an enormous success. Martin was the flagship of Fox's Thursday-night line-up, which drew millions of viewers away from NBC's "Must See TV" line-up. He hosted Saturday Night Live on February 19, 1994, where he made crude remarks about women's genitalia and personal hygiene; the monologue was completely edited out of NBC reruns and syndicated versions, and Lawrence was banned from the show for life. Martin's ratings continued to skyrocket so much that Fox became more of a contender against NBC and came closer to being considered among the top television networks.
After Martin ended its run in 1997, Lawrence found ample work in comedy films. He often starred as the second lead opposite actors including Eddie Murphy, Danny DeVito, and Tim Robbins.[2] Many of his films were blockbusters at the box office, including Nothing to Lose, Life, Blue Streak, and Big Momma's House. He also starred in critical- and box-office failures, including Black Knight andNational Security. Regardless, his salary steadily increased to over $10 million per film role. He continues to work in film, with such films as Big Momma's House 2, which opened at No. 1 at North American box office and grossed almost $28 million its first weekend,[8] and Wild Hogs (2007), in which he played a bored suburbanite seeking adventure on the open road in a biker comedy alongside John Travolta, Tim Allen and William H. Macy.
In 2006, Lawrence appeared on Inside the Actors Studio, during which Lawrence briefly brought back to life some of the characters he'd portrayed on Martin.
In 2008, Lawrence starred in Disney's College Road Trip co-starring with Raven-Symoné. It was his first G-rated film, but not his first appearance in a children's film: he supplied a voice for Open Season (2006) opposite Ashton Kutcher.
At the 2009 BET Awards he appeared in a spoof movie trailer with Jamie Foxx for a fictional movie, The Skank Robbers, that featured their respective television charactersSheneneh Jenkins and Ugly Wanda. In 2010, Fox announced that it was producing a film based on the sketch, featuring Foxx, Lawrence, and actress Halle Berry.[9]
In 2011, Lawrence reprised his role as FBI agent Malcolm Turner in Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son, the third film in the Big Momma's House series.[10]
In January 2013, it was announced that Lawrence and Kelsey Grammer are considering pairing up to star in a comedy for Lionsgate TV. The series will likely follow the same production model as Charlie Sheen's Anger Management, which is also produced by Lionsgate TV. That show was recently given a hardy back-90 pickup following its initial 10-episode order.[11] In March 2013, it was announced that television producers/writers Robert L. Boyett and Robert Horn are on board, writing and executive producing. They have worked on the popular hit sitcoms Family Matters, Perfect Strangers, Full House, and Designing Women.[12] Partners, pairs the two actors as Chicago lawyers from "vastly different backgrounds who unexpectedly meet in court on the worst day of their lives," according to a network description. David A. Arnold has been tapped to write. Arnold has written for television shows including: Raising Whitley, Meet the Browns, The Rickey Smiley Show and more.[13] Edi Patterson has been cast as a regular and will play Verushka, a busty, sexy Russian woman who co-owns the massage shop next door.[14] Danièle Watts will play the daughter of Lawrence's character.[15] The show premiered August 4, 2014.
In August 2014, Martin Lawrence confirmed, on Conan O'Brien that Bad Boys 3 is almost done being written.[16]
Personal life
Relationships and family
Lawrence was engaged to actress Lark Voorhies in 1993. He married Patricia Southall, a former Miss Virginia USA, in 1995. Lawrence and Southall have one child together, daughter Jasmin Page (born January 15, 1996). They divorced in 1997.[citation needed] In 1997, Lawrence began a relationship with Shamicka Gibbs. They married on July 10, 2010 at Lawrence's Beverly Hills home. Actors Eddie Murphy and Denzel Washington were among the 120 wedding guests;[17] R&B chanteuse Shanice serenaded the couple with the Minnie Riperton classic "Lovin' You."[18] Lawrence and Gibbs have two daughters: Iyanna Faith (born November 9, 2000) and Amara Trinity (born August 20, 2002).[19]Lawrence filed for divorce from Gibbs on April 25, 2012, citing irreconcilable differences and asking for joint legal and physical custody of the children.[20]
Lawrence owns a farm near Purcellville, Virginia.[21][22] For many years, he owned a large mansion in the exclusive Beverly Park community, but sold it in June 2012 following his divorce.[23] His oldest daughter Jasmine is currently a freshman at Duke.
Legal and health problems
In July 1995, while on the set filming A Thin Line Between Love and Hate, Lawrence lashed out in a violent rage and was then hospitalized at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.[24]
On May 8, 1996, he became increasingly erratic and was arrested after he brandished a pistol in the middle of an intersection on Ventura Boulevard in Los Angeles, screaming, "They're trying to kill me!" He was again hospitalized, with his public-relations agent citing exhaustion and dehydration as the reasons for this episode.[2]
On August 19, 1996, he was arrested at Burbank Airport for carrying a loaded gun in his suitcase.[citation needed]
In March 1997, Lawrence was arrested after punching a man in a Hollywood nightclub.[2]
In 1997, Lawrence's Martin co-star Tisha Campbell-Martin filed a lawsuit against Lawrence and the show's producers for sexual harassment and verbal and physical assaults.HBO Studios settled the lawsuit out of court so the show's final season could be completed. Campbell-Martin agreed to complete the season on the condition that she not appear in any scenes with Lawrence for the duration. No criminal charges were ever filed and the accusations were never brought to court.[citation needed]
During August 1999, Lawrence slipped into a three-day coma after collapsing from heat exhaustion while jogging in 100-degree heat while wearing several layers of heavy clothing.[2] He recovered in the hospital after nearly dying due to a body temperature of 107 °F (41.7 °C), his breathing assisted by a respirator.[citation needed]
Television
- What's Happening Now!! (cast member from 1987 to 1988) – Maurice Warfield
- A Little Bit Strange (1989) (unsold pilot) – Sydney Masterson
- Kid 'n Play – Wiz, Hurbie
- Hammer, Slammer, & Slade (1990) – Willie
- Private Times (1991) (unaired TV pilot)
- Def Comedy Jam (host from 1992 to 1993)
- Martin (1992–1997) – Martin Payne
- Love That Girl! (2010–2011) (executive producer) – Uncle Gerald
- Untitled Martin Lawrence / CBS Sitcom (2012) (unsold pilot) – Ray Barker
- The Soul Man (2014) - Crazy Rudy (1 episode)
- Partners (2014) – Marcus Jackson
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Do the Right Thing | Cee | |
| 1990 | House Party | Bilal | |
| 1991 | Talkin' Dirty After Dark | Terry Wilson | |
| 1991 | House Party 2 | Bilal | |
| 1992 | Boomerang | Tyler Hawkins | |
| 1994 | You So Crazy | Himself | Stand-up film Executive producer and writer |
| 1995 | Bad Boys | Det. Marcus Burnett | Nominated —MTV Movie Award for Best On-Screen Duo (with Will Smith) Nominated —MTV Movie Award for Best Action Sequence |
| 1996 | A Thin Line Between Love and Hate | Darnell Wright | Also director Narrator, executive producer, writer and music supervisor |
| 1997 | Nothing to Lose | Terrence "T-Paul" Paul Davidson | |
| 1999 | Life | Claude Banks | Nominated—Blockbuster Entertainment Awards for Favorite Actor – Comedy (with Eddie Murphy) Nominated—NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Motion Picture |
| 1999 | Blue Streak | Miles Logan/Detective Malone | |
| 2000 | Big Momma's House | Malcolm Turner/Big Momma | Also executive producer Nominated – Blockbuster Entertainment Awards for Favorite Actor – Comedy Nominated – Teen Choice Award for Film – Wipeout Scene of the Summer Nominated – MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance Nominated – Kids' Choice Awards for Favorite Movie Actor |
| 2001 | What's the Worst That Could Happen? | Kevin Caffrey | Also executive producer |
| 2001 | Black Knight | Jamal Walker/Skywalker | Also executive producer |
| 2002 | Martin Lawrence Live: Runteldat | Himself | Stand-up film Also executive producer and writer |
| 2003 | National Security | Earl Montgomery | Also executive producer |
| 2003 | Bad Boys II | Detective Marcus Burnett | Nominated – MTV Movie Award for Best On-Screen Duo (shared with Will Smith) |
| 2005 | Rebound | Coach Roy McCormick Preachor Don | Also executive producer |
| 2006 | Big Momma's House 2 | Malcolm Turner/Big Momma | Also executive producer |
| 2006 | Open Season | Boog | Voice only |
| 2007 | Wild Hogs | Bobby Davis | |
| 2008 | Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins | Dr. RJ Stevens/Roscoe Jenkins, Jr. | |
| 2008 | College Road Trip | Chief James Porter | |
| 2010 | Death at a Funeral | Ryan Barnes | |
| 2011 | Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son | Malcolm Turner/Big Momma |
Albums[edit]
| Years | Album | Chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US Hip-Hop | |||
| 1993 | Martin Lawrence Live Talkin' Shit | 76 | 10 | |
| 1995 | Funk It | – | 35 | |
Awards and nominations[edit]
- 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 (1999) 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 Wipe out Scene of the Summer (2000) for the movie Big Momma's House
- BET Comedy Award – won Icon Comedy Award (2005)
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