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IMDbPro

Common

  • Actor
  • Producer
  • Composer
IMDbProStarmeter
See rank
Common at an event for Death at a Funeral (2010)
Alice yearns for freedom as an enslaved person on a rural Georgia plantation under its brutal and disturbed owner Paul. After a violent clash with Paul, she flees through the neighboring woods and stumbles onto the unfamiliar sight of a highway, soon discovering the year is actually 1973. Rescued on the roadside by a disillusioned political activist named Frank, Alice quickly comprehends the lies that have kept her in bondage and the promise of Black liberation.
Play trailer2:31
Alice (2022)
66 Videos
99+ Photos
First known as a rapper who became one of the more prominent voices in hip-hop's new millennium renaissance, Common later transitioned into acting. He was born in Chicago, and is the son of educator Dr. Mahalia Ann Hines and Lonnie Lynn, an ABA basketball player turned youth counselor.

On October 6, 1992, Common released his first LP, "Can I Borrow A Dollar?" under the Common Sense moniker. Tracks like "Charm's Alarm" and "Breaker 1-9" established him as a lyricist with wit, street-smarts, and love for extended similes, while tracks like "Heidi Hoe" would touch on the misogyny that would surface sparingly on future work.

In 1994 he released "Resurrection", notable for the smooth 'Large Professor' produced title cut as well as "I Used To Love H.E.R.", an ode to hip-hop. This album further increased his underground reputation while giving the hip-hop nation a new solid conscientious voice in a year that was excellent for underground artists (Nas, Jeru The Damaja, Digable Planet, et al.)

After a name change brought on by a lawsuit, Common reemerged in 1997 with "One Day It'll All Make Sense". With guests ranging from Erykah Badu to Canibus to De La Soul and production help from mainstays No I.D. and Dug Infinite, the album had a distinctly underground flair. His big mainstream breakthrough album was yet to come.

After an appearance on The Roots smash 1999 album, "Things Fall Apart," Common moved to MCA Records. He soon was in the studio collaborating with the Okayplayer collective and with help from the forward-thinking production troupe Questlove (aka Questlove), James 'Jay Dee' Yancey, James Poyser, et al), he released his fourth album, "Like Water For Chocolate" in the spring of 2000. With its varied sonic plateau (Afrobeat, funk, and old-school soul) it was much different from previous outings. On the strength of tracks like the 'DJ Premier' produced banger "The 6th Sense", the album was a success, becoming a worthy addition to "The Next Movement".

In 2003 he released "Electric Circus". The album, a hip-hop/funk/soul/rock/psychedelia hybrid, polarized hip-hop fans like no other album has in recent memory. Common has also chosen to redefine himself, swearing off the alcohol, marijuana, and fornication that he had once indulged in.

Also in 2003 he appeared in a TV sitcom episode. With only a couple minor roles between 2003 and 2004, in January of 2007 he made his big screen debut.
BornMarch 13, 1972
  • More at IMDbPro
    • Contact info
    • Agent info
    • Resume
BornMarch 13, 1972
IMDbProStarmeter
See rank
  • View contact info at IMDbPro
  • Won 1 Oscar

Photos402

Common and E.J. Bonilla in The Kitchen (2019)
Common and E.J. Bonilla in The Kitchen (2019)
Common, The Kid Mero, and Desus Nice in Drop a Pin (2019)
Regina Hall, Russell Hornsby, Common, and Amandla Stenberg in The Hate U Give (2018)
Common in The Chi (2018)
Common in The Tale (2018)
Bradley Whitford and Common in A Happening of Monumental Proportions (2017)
Common and Storm Reid in A Happening of Monumental Proportions (2017)
Common in A Happening of Monumental Proportions (2017)
Denzel Washington, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Common in American Gangster (2007)
Common in Megan Leavey (2017)
Common in Megan Leavey (2017)

Known for

Keanu Reeves in John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017)
John Wick: Chapter 2
7.4
  • Cassian
  • 2017
Morgan Freeman, Angelina Jolie, and James McAvoy in Wanted (2008)
Wanted
6.7
  • The Gunsmith
  • 2008
Will Smith, Jared Leto, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Adam Beach, Viola Davis, Jay Hernandez, Joel Kinnaman, Jai Courtney, Margot Robbie, Cara Delevingne, and Karen Fukuhara in Suicide Squad (2016)
Suicide Squad
5.9
  • Monster T
  • 2016
Ben Affleck, Andy Garcia, Ray Liotta, Jeremy Piven, Ryan Reynolds, Alicia Keys, and Chris Pine in Smokin' Aces (2006)
Smokin' Aces
6.6
  • Sir Ivy
  • 2006

Credits

Edit
IMDbPro

Actor

  • Breathe
    • Post-production
  • Hate to See You Go
    • Pre-production
  • Wool
    • Post-production
  • Fool's Paradise
    • Completed
  • Erin Fitzgerald, Fred Tatasciore, Gregg Spiridellis, and Jeff Gill in StoryBots: Answer Time (2022)
    StoryBots: Answer Time
  • Shelly
  • Keke Palmer in Alice (2022)
    Alice
  • Common Feat. PJ: Majesty (Where We Gonna Take It)
  • Common (feat. Black Thought): When We Move (2021)
    Common (feat. Black Thought): When We Move
  • Never Have I Ever (2020)
    Never Have I Ever
  • Common Feat. Black Thought: Say Peace
    • (voice)
  • Jessica Chastain in Ava (2020)
    Ava
  • Home Movie: The Princess Bride (2020)
    Home Movie: The Princess Bride
  • Fraggle Rock: Rock On! (2020)
    Fraggle Rock: Rock On!
  • Common: Hercules ft. Swizz Beatz
  • Clive Owen, Rosamund Pike, Common, Joel Kinnaman, and Ana de Armas in The Informer (2019)
    The Informer
  • Sherman's Showcase (2019)
    Sherman's Showcase
  • Elisabeth Moss, Melissa McCarthy, and Tiffany Haddish in The Kitchen (2019)
    The Kitchen
  • Max Charles and Joshua Rush in The Lion Guard (2015)
    The Lion Guard
    • (voice)

Producer

  • Untitled Sly Stone Documentary
    • Pre-production
  • Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine, Yolonda Ross, Jacob Latimore, Michael Epps, Alex R. Hibbert, Shamon Brown Jr., and Birgundi Baker in The Chi (2018)
    The Chi
  • Glitter Ain't Gold (2022)
    Glitter Ain't Gold
  • Keke Palmer in Alice (2022)
    Alice
  • 40 Years a Prisoner (2020)
    40 Years a Prisoner
  • Common in Imagine Justice (2019)
    Imagine Justice
  • They Fight (2018)
    They Fight
  • The Line (2018)
    The Line
  • The Last Two Lovers at the End of the World (2017)
    The Last Two Lovers at the End of the World
  • Burning Sands (2017)
    Burning Sands
  • Untitled Lena Waithe Project
  • Idara Victor and Marsai Martin in An American Girl Story: Melody 1963 - Love Has to Win (2016)
    An American Girl Story: Melody 1963 - Love Has to Win
  • Norman Lear, Rosario Dawson, Zach Galifianakis, Amy Poehler, Peter Sarsgaard, Jesse Williams, Common, and America Ferrera in America Divided (2016)
    America Divided
  • Two Trains Runnin' (2016)
    Two Trains Runnin'
  • Framework (2015)
    Framework
  • Magic Men

Composer

  • Mo (2022)
    Mo
  • Keke Palmer in Alice (2022)
    Alice
  • Common Feat. PJ: Majesty (Where We Gonna Take It)
  • Common Feat. Black Thought: Say Peace
  • Common in Imagine Justice (2019)
    Imagine Justice
  • Andra Day Feat. Common: Stand Up for Something
  • Common Feat. Bilal: Letter to the Free
  • Black America Again
  • Ice Cube & Common: Real People
  • Common & John Legend: Glory
  • Common Feat. Big Sean: Diamonds
  • Common Feat. Vince Staples: Kingdom
  • Elijah Blake Feat. Common: X.O.X.
  • Colbie Caillat Feat. Common: Favorite Song
  • Common: Raw (How You Like It)
  • In-development projects at IMDbPro

Videos66

It's a Blessing
Clip 1:45
It's a Blessing
Who Nearly Starred in 'Justice League?'
Clip 3:48
Who Nearly Starred in 'Justice League?'
"Twice a Week" from Date Night
Clip 0:48
"Twice a Week" from Date Night
"Meeting Holbrooke" from Date Night
Clip 3:06
"Meeting Holbrooke" from Date Night
"Dinner Story" from Date Night
Clip 1:43
"Dinner Story" from Date Night
Terminator Salvation - "We must abort the attack"
Clip 1:13
Terminator Salvation - "We must abort the attack"
Barbershop: The Next Cut
Clip 0:36
Barbershop: The Next Cut
X/Y
Clip 1:19
X/Y
Just Wright
Clip 1:13
Just Wright
Just Wright
Clip 0:21
Just Wright
Just Wright
Clip 0:50
Just Wright
Just Wright
Clip 0:52
Just Wright

Personal details

Edit
  • Official sites
    • Apple Music
    • Facebook
    • March 13, 1972
    • Chicago, Illinois, USA
  • Other works
    Release of the single for Twista's "Slow Jamz" featuring Ye and Jamie Foxx, and of the music video for the same single with appearances by Consequence, Aisha Tyler, John Legend, Mike Epps, and Common.
  • Publicity listings
    • 4 Interviews
    • 2 Articles
    • 1 Pictorial

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    Was known as Common Sense prior to 1995, when a ska band with that name sued him, forcing him to shorten his name.
  • Quotes
    [Talking about Britney Spears comeback concert performance]: I think it didn't seem like she wanted to be there. There wasn't any spark, it didn't feel like life was there.

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