Biography for
Martin Lawrence (I) More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

16 April 1965, Frankfurt am Main, Hessen, Germany

Birth Name

Martin Fitzgerald Lawrence

Height

5' 7½" (1.71 m)

Spouse

Shamicka Gibbs	(10 June 2010 - present) 2 children
Patricia Southall	(7 January 1995 - 17 September 1996) (divorced) 1 daughter

Trade Mark

Often plays a policeman or a thief, sometimes both in the same film

Using karate moves

Trivia

Lapsed into a coma after collapsing from heat exhaustion while jogging. Recovered in hospital. [25 August 1999]

Ordered to perform community service after incident in March. [17 September 1997]

Arrested outside a Hollywood nightclub after police called by a man claiming Lawrence had punched him. [28 March 1997]

Arrested at Burbank Airport for carrying a loaded gun in his suitcase. [August 1996]

His ex-wife, Pat Smith, was once Miss Virginia.

Graduated from Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Maryland.

Was a Mid-Atlantic Golden Gloves boxing contender in his teens.

Brother of Rae Proctor, Ursula Lawrence and Robert Lawrence. Rae is his personal assistant.

Claims he got his start as a comedian by cheering up his mother, who was forced to support her six children by cashiering in various department stores.

His teachers used to give him the last few minutes of class to make his classmates laugh.

Was once engaged to "Saved by the Bell" (1989) actress Lark Voorhies.

Is from the same Metro Area as Sandra Bullock, Dave Chappelle, Mya, Alan Heitz, Regina Hall, Dwayne Winstead, Lewis Black, Lauren Graham, and Ihuoma Ofordire.

His mother was in her mid-40s when she gave birth to him.

Agents discovered him on "Star Search" (1983).

Lived in Maryland.

His ex-wife, Pat Smith, is married to retired pro football star Emmitt Smith.

Is the second youngest of six children.

His mother took his first name from slain civil rights activist Martin Luther King and his middle name from the late President John F. Kennedy.

He attended and graduated from Eleanor Roosevelt High School.

Was banned from appearing on NBC after he hosted "Saturday Night Live" (1975) on 19 February 1994. In order to appease network censors, he agreed not to do his opening monologue as planned. However, he did his routine as intended anyway, and this incurred the wrath of the network's top brass. The ban was overturned several years later. However, Lawrence is still not allowed to appear on SNL.

Son of John Lawrence and Chlora Lawrence.

Has a daughter, Jasmine Page, with his ex-wife, Pat Smith. Jasmine Lawrence was born on January 15, 1996.

Lives in Beverly Hills, California.

Personal Quotes

No one is immune to the trials and tribulations of life.

Salary

Bad Boys II (2003)	$20,000,000
National Security (2003)	$20,000,000
Black Knight (2001)	$16,500,000
What's the Worst That Could Happen? (2001)	$13,000,000
Nothing to Lose (1997)	$6,000,000