He gained a huge recognition for his performance as Roger Murtaugh in the Lethal Weapon film series. He has starred in several TV comedy series, including The State, Viva Variety, .more #41 of 44 Celebrities We Want To See On Drop the Mic #56 of 76 All The Celebrities Who Call Chicago Home #98 of 125 Actors Who Have Directed Films He died on August 9, 2003 in Mario Van Peebles is a highly regarded director, actor, producer and writer. He can also be seen playing opposite Gabrielle Union and Jessica Alba in their new series LA'S FINEST. Did we forget one of your favorite famous people named Laurence? Widely regarded as the one of greatest stage and screen actors both in his native USA and internationally, James Earl Jones was born on January 17, 1931 in Arkabutla, Mississippi. 02 Mar 2023 18:29:40 He has been married to Aviss Pinkney-Bell since June 9, 2001. Highly influential, and always controversial, African-American actor/comedian who was equally well known for his colorful language during his live comedy shows, as for his fast paced life, multiple marriages and battles with drug addiction. He was previously married to Ruby Dee. He graduated with a business degree and A tall, handsome, and versatile American actor, Morris Chestnut was born in Cerritos, California, to Shirley (Wynn) and Morris Chestnut, Sr. He grew up in poverty as the son of farmers, with his father also driving a cab in Nassau. He shares, "I in no way believe that I am the highest or most high Coby Bell was born on May 11, 1975 in Orange County, California, USA. Raised by his single mother, Jean, a house cleaner, on Chicago's South Side, Duncan grew up resisting drugs and alcohol, instead concentrating on school. Tell us what you think about this feature. His love for acting came naturally, through summers spent with his great-grandmother, New York stage actress Minnie Gentry. He was born in Harlem, New York, the son of Gladys, a nurse and army officer, and Yaphet Kotto, a businessman-turned-construction worker. ", is an American former football player. He has since left his modeling career and has worked on Gladiator (2000) Giancarlo Giuseppe Alessandro Esposito was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, to an Italian carpenter/stagehand father from Naples, Italy, and an African-American opera singer mother from Alabama. They have four children. After graduating from high English actor, writer and director Chiwetel Ejiofor is renowned for his portrayal of Solomon Northup in 12 Years a Slave (2013), for which he received Academy Award and Golden Globe Award nominations, along with the BAFTA Award for Best Actor. He attended Keith David is a classically trained actor, winning 3 Emmys out of 6 nominations as well as being nominated for a Tony award. His love for acting came naturally, through summers spent with his great-grandmother, New York stage actress Minnie Gentry. She is an actress and producer, known for A Haunted House (2013), How High (2001) and Same Difference (2019). Did we forget one of your favorite famous people named Larry? His first break into acting came when a One of television's premier African-American series stars, elegant actress, singer and recording artist Diahann Carroll was born Carol Diann (or Diahann) Johnson on July 17, 1935, in the Bronx, New York. Vonetta Lawrence McGee (January 14, 1945 - July 9, 2010) was an American actress. Obba's breadth of work is known worldwide by audiences of all ages, and his face is one of the most recognizable in the entertainment industry. He was later nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Actor for his performance in the LGBT drama Brother to Brother (2004), and in the same year, appeared in psychological thriller The Manchurian Candidate and the sports film Million Dollar Baby. He is also known for playing Okwe in Dirty Pretty Things Edward Regan Murphy was born April 3, 1961 in Brooklyn, New York, to Lillian Lynch (born: Lillian Laney), a telephone operator, and Charles Edward Murphy, a transit police officer who was also an amateur comedian and actor. A good student, Ving entered the New York High School of Performing Arts, where he discovered his love of acting. He is an R&B singer, songwriter, actor, author, television producer and model. !, Nothing to Lose, Life and Blue Streak. His career spans over 4 decades and he is a unique breed in today's industry as Harry Lennix is an accomplished film, television, and stage actor. His penchant for successfully finding the dignity and honor in each character Roger Guenveur Smith is an internationally acclaimed actor, writer, and director who has created a prolific body of work on stage and screen.He adapted his Obie Award-winning solo performance of A Huey P. Newton Story into a Peabody Award-winning telefilm, directed by his longtime colleague Spike Born in Georgia, Byrd earned a bachelor of science degree in education from Morris Brown College and later received a master of fine arts degree in dance from California Institute of the Arts. He is best known for his television roles as the bass singer Melvin Franklin in The Temptations, Robin Wood in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Malcolm Franks in Single Ladies, Dr. Joseph Prestridge in Parenthood, the angel Amenadiel in 2022 is shaping up to be another breakout year for Leon! The tragic, titular role of Shakespeare's Othello has been depicted by some of the most renowned black actors in history both in film and on stage. She was named by her godmother, who claimed she saw a vision of Alfre's name written out in gold letters. He was previously married to Pamela Koslow and Patricia Panella. He initially earned attention in groundbreaking stage and film work with pronounced themes of social and racial relevance. A former high school With roots leading back to Louisiana southern aristocracy, lovely leading lady Lynn Whitfield was born in 1953, the eldest of four children and a third-generation BFA graduate from Howard University. Morgan was born on June 1, 1937 in Memphis, Tennessee, to Mayme Edna (Revere), a teacher, and Morgan Porterfield Freeman, a barber. He has three daughters. (Sam Jones Barbecue's new Raleigh outpost and Heim Barbecue's new Mockingbird Lane location in Dallas are notable examples.) Chosen as one of Variety's "Top Ten Actors to Watch" and part of the new breed of leading men in Hollywood, Laz Alonso is starring in Amazon Prime's series THE BOYS. The famous Lawrences and Laurences below have many different professions, including notable actors named Laurence, famous musicians named Lawrence, and even athletes named Lawrence. She Malik Yoba was born on September 17, 1967 in Bronx, New York, USA. His parents divorced when he was very young. He is the fourth African-American male to Harold George Belafonte was born on March 1, 1927 in New York City. To be included in this list, the person must have a Wikipedia article and/or references showing the person is African American and a notable actor. There he played football, ran track, and boxed. Strikingly featured and muscular American actor Ving Rhames was born Irving Rameses Rhames in Harlem, New York, to Reather, a homemaker, and Ernest Rhames, an auto mechanic. Her parents divorced while she was still a toddler. ", Fox's "Dollhouse," HBO's "Little Britain," as well as the critically acclaimed series "24" as Walid Al-Rezani.Harry Joseph Lennix III was born LeVar Burton was born on February 16, 1957 in Landstuhl, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. No stranger to the big screen, Epps has appeared in lead roles in feature films, including Paramount's Jaleel White is an American actor, producer and writer who is known for playing Steve Urkel from Family Matters and voicing Sonic the Hedgehog in three cartoon series released during the 1990s. His parents, working in Europe at the time of his birth, settled in Manhattan by the time he was 6, and Terrence Howard was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Anita Jeanine Williams (ne Hawkins) and Tyrone Howard. In April 2007, Newsweek called him "the most powerful actor in Hollywood". Leon can be seen in the Show:me Drama "City on A Hill". Her mother was a university administrator and her father was a high school principal stationed in West Berlin with the U.S. Army. 29. Idris attended school in Canning Town, where he first became involved in acting, before he dropped Harry Lennix is an accomplished film, television, and stage actor. He is best known for playing a fictionalized version of himself on the HBO series Curb Your Enthusiasm. He is best known for his recurring role as Bernard "Beans" Aranguren in the hit Disney Channel Original Series Even Stevens from. Martin Fitzgerald Lawrence is an African-American comedian, producer, writer, director and actor. 28. He was an actor and director, known for History of the World: Part I (1981), Running Scared (1986) and Renaissance Man (1994). We even witnessed a crop of new restaurants open their doors for the first time. His father, Jesse Reed Watkins, was a truck driver. Hurtado Barbecue in Arlington, TX. I include great character actors, box-office stars, comedic performers and some up and coming rising stars! He is an actor and producer, known for Gothika (2003), Alien (1992) and A Time to Kill (1996). 7. Lawrence came to fame during the 1990s, establishing a Hollywood career .more #520 of 643 The Best Actors In Film History #64 of 107 The Best Short Actors #332 of 349 The Best TV Actors And Actresses Of All Time 2 He is an actor and comedian. He later began his acting career Dennis Haysbert was born on June 2, 1954 in San Mateo, California, USA. Hounsou has graced the catwalks of Paris and London as a popular male model. He has been married to Sophia Adella Luke since April 4, 1999. They have one child. When she was eight, her family moved to Pleasanton, California, where she grew up and attended high school. This is a list of African-American actors by birth order. In April 2007, Newsweek called him "the most powerful actor in Hollywood". Laurence Cummings (born 1968, Birmingham), MA (Oxon), ARCM, FRCO, HonRAM is a British harpsichordist, organist, and conductor. He was previously married to Lynn Griffith and Elena Simms. Highly influential, and always controversial, African-American actor/comedian who was equally well known for his colorful language during his live comedy shows, as for his fast paced life, multiple marriages and battles with drug addiction. Known for his charming looks and deep personality, Michael Ealy blessed the movie screen with his role in Barbershop (2002). He was educated at the New York Dramatic Workshop. He also courted disdain and public controversy for most of his career as a staunch Cold Samuel L. Jackson is an American producer and highly prolific actor, having appeared in over 100 films, including Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995), Unbreakable (2000), Shaft (2000), Formula 51 (2001), Black Snake Moan (2006), Snakes on a Plane (2006), and the Star Wars prequel trilogy (1999-2005), Ossie Davis was born on December 18, 1917 in Cogdell, Georgia, USA. His Anthony Mackie is an American actor. Who knew there were so many famous people named Laurence in the world? Michael B. Jordan, the middle of three children, was born in Santa Ana, California and raised in Newark, New Jersey. He started acting at the age of 21. He first came to public notice as a singer and songwriter with the controversial and influential band N.W.A. He pursued. Soap Opera Actor. It was in the Top 50 from the 1890s through the 1950s and the Top 100 for decades longer, always among the most popular boys' names starting with L , but Lawrence is now used less for babies than . His compositions with that group included many An only child, Idrissa Akuna Elba was born and raised in London, England. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. As well as New York University Tisch School of the Arts. He is an actor and director, known for It Chapter Two (2019), Shadowhunters (2016) and Horrible Bosses (2011). Sidney had little formal Denzel Hayes Washington, Jr. was born on December 28, 1954 in Mount Vernon, New York. Brandy Norwood is an African-American singer-songwriter and actress from McComb, Mississippi. [2] She debuted in the Spaghetti Western The Great Silence and went on to appear in blaxploitation films such as Hammer, Melinda, Blacula, Shaft in Africa, Detroit 9000, and 1974's Thomasine & Bushrod alongside her then-boyfriend Max Julien. Boyz n the Hood, Apocalypse Now, and What's Love Got To Do With It are among his notable projects. He is an actor and writer, known for Cool Runnings (1993), New York Undercover (1994) and Cop Land (1997). She went to prayer-school there. Samuel L. Jackson is an American producer and highly prolific actor, having appeared in over 100 films, including Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995), Unbreakable (2000), Shaft (2000), Formula 51 (2001), Black Snake Moan (2006), Snakes on a Plane (2006), and the Star Wars prequel trilogy (1999-2005), . The list is organized chronologically, grouping actors by their birth year. With a bold voice and posture, Colin makes his characters a favorite among audiences for every role he plays. Morgan was born on June 1, 1937 in Memphis, Tennessee, to Mayme Edna (Revere), a teacher, and Morgan Porterfield Freeman, a barber. Then she started guest-starring on series like The Parent 'Hood (1995), With roots leading back to Louisiana southern aristocracy, lovely leading lady Lynn Whitfield was born in 1953, the eldest of four children and a third-generation BFA graduate from Howard University. Clifton has two children, Maya and Clifton Jr A true multi-hyphenate, Blair Underwood is enjoying success in film, television and theatre, as an actor, director and producer. Lawrence Makoare, 54 Movie Actor. Although he studied Political Science while at Amherst, Wright left the school with a love for acting. She lived in Zambia until political unrest caused her family to move back to the UK, where she lived in Actress | Hounsou has graced the catwalks of Paris and London as a popular male model. Fluent in several languages, including English, Djimon Hounsou was born in Cotonou, Benin, in west Africa, to Albertine and Pierre Hounsou, a cook. Jennifer Lawrence is certainly one of the most famous Lawrences on this list. Sidney Poitier A good student, Ving entered the New York High School of Performing Arts, where he discovered his love of acting. Lawrence John Miller (born October 15, 1953) is an American comedian, actor, podcaster and columnist. He is an actor and producer, known for Fallen (1998), Sunset Beach (1997) and Breaking In (2018). 20 Richest Black Actors and Actresses and Their Net Worths. After graduating from high school, Denzel enrolled at With an authoritative voice and calm demeanor, this ever popular American actor has grown into one of the most respected figures in modern US cinema. She was raised in Queens, New York. After 10th grade, Cosby joined the Navy and completed high Sidney Poitier was a native of Cat Island, Bahamas, although born, two months prematurely, in Miami during a visit by his parents, Evelyn (Outten) and Reginald James Poitier. Although best known since 1993 as the smart and shrewd Lieutenant Anita Van Buren on the long-running TV crime drama Law & Tell us what you think about this feature. Lawrence's father served in the U.S. military and left the family when Martin was 8 years old. In 1984, Larenz and his family moved to California. He died on February 4, 2005 in Miami Beach, Florida, USA. Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs (born September 4, 1953) is an American actor and singer. It was while living in California that Larenz's parents got him and his brothers Gregory Hines was born on February 14, 1946 in New York City, New York, USA. She is an actress and executive, known for The Manchurian Candidate (2004), For Colored Girls (2010) and Almost Christmas (2016). He was previously married to Ruby Dee. His father, Winston, is from Sierra Leone and worked at Ford Dagenham; his mother, Eve, is from Ghana and had a clerical duty. She studied acting at Howard University and began her Hollywood career in guest roles on several television shows before making her breakthrough in Baby Boy (2001). The first child of John Johnson, a subway conductor, and Mabel Faulk Johnson, a nurse; music Willard Carroll "Will" Smith II (born September 25, 1968) is an American actor, comedian, producer, rapper, and songwriter. She worked in Charles S. Dutton was born on January 30, 1951 in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. He has been married to Vandana Khanna since July 10, 1999. Boyega rose to prominence in his native United Kingdom for his role of Moses in the 2011 sci-fi comedy film Attack the Block (2011), before attaining international recognition for his work Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens. He also writes and directs, and is a singer/songwriter. His father, Winston, is from Sierra Leone and worked at Ford Dagenham; his mother, Eve, is from Ghana and had a clerical duty. I Still Know What You Did Last Summer. He died on August 9, 2003 in Forest Steven Whitaker has packaged a king-size talent into his hulking 6' 2", 220 lb. Lawrence Joseph Ellison (born August 17, 1944) is an American businessman, entrepreneur, and philanthropist who is a co-founder and the executive chairman and chief technology officer (CTO) of Oracle .more #24 of 57 The Most Influential CEOs Of All Time #10 of 13 Celebrity Parents Who Donated To Their Children's Colleges #18 of 18 After graduating from high school, Denzel enrolled at Actress | Duncan dropped out of college and worked security jobs for clients, including actors Will Smith and . Angela Evelyn Bassett was born on August 16, 1958 in New York City, to Betty Jane (Gilbert), a social worker, and Daniel Benjamin Bassett, a Bill Cosby is one of the world's most well-known entertainers and comedians. He has since left his modeling career and has worked on Gladiator (2000) Dwayne Douglas Johnson, also known as The Rock, was born on May 2, 1972 in Hayward, California. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. He grew up in poverty as the son of farmers, with his father also driving a cab in Nassau. Simmons earned a basketball scholarship at Franklin Pierce College in New Hampshire. In this one, directed by George Spencer is a native of Montgomery, Alabama, which she claims is the proverbial buckle of the Bible belt. v. t. e. This is a list of African-American actors by birth order . This February, he will star in the HBO Jason George was born on February 9, 1972 in Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA. Then, her parents packed up to move back to the US and settled in Fresno, California. His brothers are actors Larron Tate and Lahmard J. Tate. He is known for playing Morpheus in The Matrix trilogy, Jason "Furious", Laurence Harvey (born Laruschka Mischa Skikne; 1 October 1928 25 November 1973) was a Lithuanian-born British Jewish actor. His mother, Shirley (Sullivan), was a backup singer for The Sweethearts. Underwood recently returned to Broadway starring opposite David Alan Grier in the Pulitzer Prize winning drama "A Solider's Play" for director Kenny Leon and the Michael Jai White is an American actor and martial artist who has appeared in numerous films and television series. By bringing complicated and charismatic characters to life--often with surprising tenderness--Williams established himself as a gifted and versatile performer with a unique English actor, writer and director Chiwetel Ejiofor is renowned for his portrayal of Solomon Northup in 12 Years a Slave (2013), for which he received Academy Award and Golden Globe Award nominations, along with the BAFTA Award for Best Actor. Michael Clarke Duncan was born on December 10, 1957 in Chicago, Illinois. She was discovered by a fashion editor at Ebony magazine and Djimon Hounsou was born in Cotonou, Benin, in west Africa, to Albertine and Pierre Hounsou, a cook. Phifer's acting career began when he auditioned at an open casting call for director Spike Lee's Clockers (1995) and was selected for the leading role. He died on February 4, 2005 in Miami Beach, Florida, USA. At an early age, he started to take dramatic lessons to calm himself down. Although he studied Political Science while at Amherst, Wright left the school with a love for acting. How many celebrities with the last name Lawrence can you think of? Cicely Tyson is an entertainment icon, a living legend with a career spanning more than six decades. He is known for playing Morpheus in The Matrix trilogy, Jason "Furious" .more #56 of 272 The Best (Male) Actors Working Today #80 of 643 The Best Actors In Film History #53 of 183 The All-Time Greatest Action Stars 3