Laurence Fishburne facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Laurence Fishburne
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Fishburne in 2017
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Laurence John Fishburne III
July 30, 1961 Augusta, Georgia, U.S.
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| Years active | 1972–present |
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| Children | 3, including Langston Fishburne |
Laurence John Fishburne III (born July 30, 1961) is a famous American actor. He is known for playing strong and important characters in movies and on stage. He became popular after starring in films like Apocalypse Now (1979) and Boyz n the Hood (1991).
Later, he became even more famous for his roles in The Matrix movies (1999–2003) and the John Wick film series (2017–present). For his role as Ike Turner in What's Love Got to Do with It (1993), Fishburne was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor.
He has won five Primetime Emmy Awards and a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play. This Tony Award was for his performance in the play Two Trains Running (1992). He has also been nominated for a Golden Globe Award and five Screen Actors Guild Awards.
Some of his other well-known movies include The Color Purple (1985), Mystic River (2003), and Contagion (2011). He also played Perry White in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) superhero movies. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), he played Bill Foster / Goliath.
On TV, he starred in the crime drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2008–2011). He was also Jack Crawford in the thriller series Hannibal (2013–2015). From 2014 to 2022, he played Earl "Pops" Johnson in the sitcom Black-ish.
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Early Life and Beginnings
Fishburne was born in Augusta, Georgia. His mother, Hattie Bell, was a math and science teacher. His father, Laurence John Fishburne, Jr., worked with young people in corrections. When his parents divorced, he moved with his mother to Brooklyn, New York. He grew up there and saw his father once a month. Fishburne graduated from Lincoln Square Academy in New York.
Acting Career Highlights
Early Roles and Stage Work (1972–1989)
In his early career, he was often called Larry Fishburne. At age 11, in 1972, he got good reviews for his first TV role. This was in the show If You Give a Dance You Gotta Pay the Band. Soon after, he played Joshua Hall on the soap opera One Life to Live.
His most memorable role as a child was in Cornbread, Earl and Me. In this movie, he played a young boy who saw a police shooting. He later got a supporting role in Apocalypse Now. He played Tyrone Miller, a 17-year-old soldier. He was actually only 14 when filming started. He lied about his age to get the part. Filming took so long that he was 17 when it finished.
In the 1980s, Fishburne worked in TV and on stage. He appeared in movies like The Cotton Club and The Color Purple. He also had a recurring role as Cowboy Curtis on the children's TV show Pee-wee's Playhouse. In 1987, he was in the third A Nightmare on Elm Street film. He also starred as "Dap" in Spike Lee's School Daze (1988).
Becoming a Recognized Actor (1990–2007)
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In 1990, Fishburne played Jimmy Jump in King of New York. In 1991, he starred in Boyz n the Hood. The next year, in 1992, he won a Tony Award for his role in the play Two Trains Running. He also won an Emmy Award for his performance in the TV drama TriBeCa.
In 1993, he received his first Oscar nomination. This was for playing Ike Turner in What's Love Got to Do With It. Fishburne won an Image Award for his role in the 1995 film Higher Learning. He also played the main role in Othello. He was the second African-American actor to play this part.
Fishburne is perhaps best known for his role as Morpheus. Morpheus was the hacker-mentor of Neo (played by Keanu Reeves) in the 1999 science fiction movie The Matrix. He returned as Morpheus in the sequels The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions in 2003.
He also voiced Thrax in Osmosis Jones (2001). He worked with actress Angela Bassett on four projects. He said that working with her was "electrifying." In 2006, they performed together in the play Fences. Fishburne also voiced the narrator in the 2007 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie. That same year, he voiced the Silver Surfer in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.
In 2007, Fishburne received the Harvard Foundation's Artist of the Year award. This was for his acting and his work as a UNICEF ambassador.
Continued Success and Stage Work (2008–Present)
In April 2008, Fishburne returned to Broadway in the play Thurgood. He won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding One-Person Show for his performance. In 2011, HBO showed a filmed version of the play. The White House also hosted a screening of the film for Black History Month.
In August 2008, Fishburne joined the cast of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. He played a college professor and former pathologist. He joined the CSI team as a consultant. In May 2009, Fishburne performed at the National Memorial Day Concert in Washington, D.C.
Fishburne starred in Predators (2010) and Contagion (2011). In June 2011, he left CSI to focus on movies and theater. He played Perry White in the Superman movie Man of Steel (2013). In 2013, Fishburne joined the cast of Hannibal. He played Dr. Jack Crawford, who led the FBI's Behavioral Sciences unit.
In 2014, Fishburne played Morpheus again in Kia car commercials. In 2015, he joined the ABC sitcom Black-ish as Pops. He is also an executive producer for Black-ish and its spin-off, Grown-ish.
In 2016, Fishburne was in the sequel Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. He also appeared in the movie Passengers. In 2017, he appeared in John Wick: Chapter 2 with Keanu Reeves. This was their first time working together since The Matrix movies. Also in 2017, Fishburne starred in the film Last Flag Flying.
In 2018, Fishburne played Bill Foster in Marvel's Ant-Man and the Wasp. Fishburne also helped create and produce the animated series Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur. He voiced the Beyonder and Bill Foster in the show.
In 2023, it was announced that Fishburne would join the fourth season of The Witcher. He will also star in the thriller The Amateur, set for 2025.
Personal Life
Fishburne married actress Hajna O. Moss in 1985. They had two children: a son, Langston (born 1987), and a daughter, Montana Fishburne (born 1991). They divorced in the 1990s.
Fishburne later got engaged to actress Gina Torres in 2001. They married in 2002 in New York City. Their daughter, Delilah, was born in June 2007. In 2017, it was confirmed that Torres and Fishburne had separated. Fishburne filed for divorce in November 2017, and their divorce was final in May 2018.
Fishburne lives in Hollywood. He also has a home in New York City. He is a fan of Brazilian author Paulo Coelho. In 2009, he said he planned to make a movie based on Coelho’s book The Alchemist.
Filmography
Awards and Nominations
Images for kids
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Fishburne in 2017 (from Infobox)
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Fishburne at the National Memorial Day Concert in 2017
See also
In Spanish: Laurence Fishburne para niños
