Martin Lawrence, an American actor and comedian, is thought to be worth $110 million. Big Momma’s House, the tale of an FBI agent impersonating a chubby Southern matriarch, went on to generate more than $100 million dollars despite receiving mostly unfavourable reviews, and Lawrence kicked out the twenty-first century with a bang by starring in and executive producing it. The success of this movie brought Lawrence one step closer to being a member of the much sought-after 20 million dollar club and solidified his status as one of the top comic actors for years to come. Lawrence, who was born on April 16, 1965, in Frankfurt, Germany, finally moved to a suburban Maryland neighbourhood about the time he turned six. Lawrence believes he got his start as a comedian by encouraging his mother, who was forced to support her six children by working as a cashier in various department shops when his father abruptly left the family. He went to Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Landover, Maryland, where he dabbled in sports but stuck to comedy. He once agreed to cease misbehaving in an art class in exchange for the opportunity to do his stand-up act in front of the other students.
The bug-eyed performer got an opportunity to appear on Star Search soon after graduating, which led to a part in What’s Happening Now! in 1985. By 1989, Lawrence had achieved two major breakthroughs: a supporting role in Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing and MCing HBO’s Def Comedy Jam. Lawrence continued to hone his frantic act. Lawrence proceeded to amass scene-stealing appearances throughout the early 1990s, including parts in Boomerang, House Party 2, and House Party, until securing his own Fox series, Martin, in 1992. Although some naysayers criticised Lawrence for spreading the idea of sexual promiscuity, the programme was a major success, its risqué humour making it a ratings mainstay for more than five years.
Despite some critics accusing Lawrence of creating the image of an oversexed, callous black guy, Lawrence was successful in the endeavour, earning two NAACP Image Awards.
At his Beverly Hills home on July 10, 2010, Lawrence wed his longtime partner Shamika Gibbs.
STATISTICS
Source of Wealth:
Film, Television
Age:
55
Birth Place:
Frankfurt am Main, Hesse, Germany
Height:
5′ 7½” (1.71 m)
Weight:
164 lbs (74.4 kg)
Marital Status:
Single
Full Name:
Martin Fitzgerald Lawrence
Nationality:
United States
Date of Birth:
April 16, 1965
Ethnicity:
African American
Occupation:
Actor, Film director/producer, Comedian
Education:
Friendly High School, (Fort Washington, Maryland)
Children:
3 (Jasmine Page, Iyanna Faith, Amara Trinity)
EARNINGS & FINANCIAL DATA
Earnings 2003
Salary 2003Salary from Bad Boys II$20,000,000Salary 2003Salary from National Security$20,000,000Earnings 2001
Salary 2001Salary from Black Knight$16,500,000Salary 2001Salary from What’s the Worst That Could Happen?$13,000,000Earnings 1999
Salary 1999Salary from Blue Streak$20,000,000Salary 1999Salary from Life$8,500,000Earnings 1997
Salary 1997Salary from Nothing to Lose$6,000,000Earnings 1992
Salary 1992Salary from the series, Martin, until 1997$100,000
