| NET WORTH: | $105.8 Million |
|---|---|
| Source of Wealth: | Comedian, Actor, Producer, Talk show Host, Writer |
| Born: | April 16, 1965 |
| Age: | 55 |
| Spouse: | Shamicka Gibbs (Divorced) |
| Children: | 3 |
| Birth Name: | Martin Fitzgerald Lawrence |
| Height: | 5ft. 7in. (1.71m) |
Martin Lawrence is a stand-up comedian, producer, talk show host, and writer. He rose to fame after he established a Hollywood career as a leading actor in the 1990s, and for playing the character of Maurice Warfield in the sitcom sequel, "What's Happening Now!!".
Early Life
Martin Fitzgerald Lawrence was born on April 16, 1965 in Frankfurt, Germany to African-American parents, Chlora and John Lawrence. He was named after Martin Luther King Jr., civil rights leader, and U.S. President John F. Kennedy. When he was seven, his family moved back to the United States, and settled in Landover, Maryland. Lawrence attended Eleanor Roosevelt High School and Friendly High School. His parents got divorced in 1973. Throughout his teen years, Lawrence excelled at boxing.
Career
When Lawrence did comedy shows in Washington, DC in his early days, comedian Ritch Snyder saw his act and encouraged him to give New York City comedy scene a try. He move to New York City and found his way joining The Improv's showcase. Lawrence got to perform on the television show "Star Search" where he made it to the final round, but did not win. However, television executives at Columbia Pictures Television saw his performance on Star Search and offered him his first acting role in the sitcom sequel "What's Happening Now!!", portraying the role as Maurice Warfield. After the show was cancelled, Lawrence made some several appearance in other films such as the "House Party" series, the Eddie Murphy vehicle "Boomerang", and "Talkin' Dirty After Dark". In 1992, he was selected by Russell Simmons to host the series "Def Comedy Jam" on HBO. Lawrence's breakthrough role was as Cee in the comedy-drama film "Do The Right Thing".
Lawrence appeared in his own hit series "Martin" on Fox, during his stint with Def Comedy Jam. The show drew millions of viewers, and ran from 1992 to 1997 with an enormous success.
He hosted the show "Saturday Nigh Live" on February 19, 1994. Lawrence was banned from the show for life after he made crude remarks about women's genitalia and personal hygiene.
In 1977, after "Martin" went off the air, Lawrence has found work in several comedy films such as "Nothing To Lose", "Big Momma's House", the 1999 comedy-drama film "Life", and the buddy-cop comedy film "Blue Streak".
In 2020, Lawrence reprised his role in the third installment of the "Bad Boys" franchise, the "Bad Boys for Life" as Detective Marcus Burnett. The film grossed $112 million in its first four days of release, and was considered as a financial success.
Personal Life
In 1995, Lawrence married Miss Virginia USA, Patricia Southall, and the two have a daughter, Jasmine Page. Lawrence and Southall got divorced in 1977.
Lawrence started dating Shamicka Gibbs in 1977, and got married at Lawrence's Beverly Hills home on July 10, 2010. The couple have two daughters, and eventually on April 2012, Lawrence filed a divorced from Gibbs citing irreconcilable differences.
Lawrence lashed out while on the set filming "A Thin Line Between Love and Hate" on July 1995, and had to be hospitalized at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center after collapsing. In January 1997, Tisha Campbell-Martin, Lawrence's co-star of the series Martin, filed a lawsuit against Lawrence for alleging sexual harassment and abuse in both off and on set. By April in the same year, Campbell settled the lawsuit, and returned to appear in the remaining two episodes of the series.
Net Worth
Martin Lawrence has acted in several films and received many acting roles in film and television. As of today, 2020, Lawrence has an estimated net worth of $105.8 million.
