Laurence Fishburne
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Laurence Fishburne was born in Augusta, Georgia on July 30, 1961, Laurence's mother later moved the family to Brooklyn, NY, which Laurence considers his hometown. He has enjoyed a long and distinguished career in Film, Television and Theatre having worked in over 70 projects in all performance mediums. He is not only an actor, but also a playwright, screenwriter, director and producer.
He originated one of the most recognizable movie characters in history in the role of Morpheus in the 1999 Warner Brothers hit, The Matrix. He returned in the back-to-back sequels The Matrix: Reloaded and The Matrix: Revolutions both released in 2003.
In 1999 he appeared at the Roundabout Theater on Broadway, playing the lead role of Henry II, in The Lion in Winter, a revival of the 1966 hit which focuses on the struggle between Henry II of France and his estranged wife, Eleanor of Acquitaine. In addition, Laurence starred in and executive produced Always Outnumbered, directed by Michael Apted from a screenplay by author Walter Mosley, for HBO.
Fishburne starred in Paramount Pictures' Event Horizon, the science-fiction thriller directed by Paul Anderson and co-starring Sam Neill, Kathleen Quinlan, and Joely Richardson, and Hoodlum, in which he starred and produced.
Laurence's other film appearances include the steamy Bad Company for Touchstone, co-starring with Ellen Barkin; Higher Learning, for which he received an NAACP Image Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture as Professor Phipps, with writer/director John Singleton; and Just Cause for Warner Brothers co-starring with Sean Connery.
As Ike Turner in What's Love Got To Do With It, he captivated the public and the critics alike who predicted the Oscar nomination for this remarkable work.
In Searching For Bobby Fischer, Laurence played a New York street-wise speed chess player who aids in the progress of a young chess protege. Just prior to this he played a very different role as that of an undercover cop, co-starring with Jeff Goldblum in Deep Cover.
Filmography
- The Last Full Measure (2007)
- Dirty Harry (2007)
- 4Chosen (2008)
- Tortured (2008)
- Days of Wrath (2008)
- 21 (2008)
- Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)
- The Death and Life of Bobby Z (2007)
- TMNT (2007)
- Bobby (2006)
- Five Fingers (2006)
- Mission: Impossible III (2006)
- Akeelah and the Bee (2006)
- True Crime: New York City (2005)
- Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)
- The Matrix Online (2005)
- Assault on Precinct 13 (2005)
- The Matrix Revolutions (2003)
- Mystic River (2003)
- Enter the Matrix (2003)
- The Matrix Reloaded (2003)
- Biker Boyz (2003)
- Osmosis Jones (2001)
- Once in the Life (2000)
- The Matrix (1999)
- Always Outnumbered (1998)
- Hoodlum (1997)
- Event Horizon (1997)
- Miss Evers' Boys (1997)
- Fled (1996)
- Before Your Eyes (1996)
- Othello (1995)
- The Tuskegee Airmen (1995)
- Just Cause (1995)
- Bad Company (1995)
- Higher Learning (1995)
- Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993)
- What's Love Got to Do with It (1993)
- "Tribeca" (1 episode, 1993)
- Deep Cover (1992)
- Boyz n the Hood (1991)
- Class Action (1991)
- Decoration Day (1990)
- King of New York (1990)
- Cadence (1990)
- "The Equalizer" (1 episode, 1989)
- Red Heat (1988)
- School Daze (1988)
- Cherry 2000 (1987)
- Gardens of Stone (1987)
- A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987)
- "Spenser: For Hire" (1 episode, 1987)
- "Pee-wee's Playhouse" (2 episodes, 1987)
- "Miami Vice" (1 episode, 1986)
- Band of the Hand (1986)
- "Hill Street Blues" (1 episode, 1986)
- Quicksilver (1986)
- The Color Purple (1985)
- The Cotton Club (1984)
- Rumble Fish (1983)
- I Take These Men (1983)
- For Us the Living: The Medgar Evers Story (1983)
- "Strike Force" (1 episode, 1982)
- Death Wish II (1982)
- "M*A*S*H" (1 episode, 1982)
- "Trapper John, M.D." (1 episode, 1981)
- A Rumor of War (1980)
- Willie and Phil (1980)
- "The Six O'Clock Follies" (1980)
- Apocalypse Now (1979)
- Fast Break (1979)
- Cornbread, Earl and Me (1975)
- "One Life to Live" (1968)
- If You Give a Dance, You Gotta Pay the Band (1972)
Awards
- MTV Movie Award Best Fight "The Matrix" 2000
- CableACE Award Movie "Miss Evers' Boys" 1997
- NAACP Image Award Outstanding TV Movie, Miniseries or Dramatic Special "Miss Evers' Boys" 1997
- NAACP Image Award Outstanding Actor in a TV Movie, Miniseries or Dramatic Special "Miss Evers' Boys" 1997
- Emmy The President's Award "Miss Evers' Boys" 1996 - 97
- Emmy Outstanding Made for Television Movie "Miss Evers' Boys" 1996 - 97
- NAACP Image Award Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture "Higher Learning" 1996
- NAACP Image Award Best Actor in a TV Movie, Miniseries or Dramatic Special "The Tuskegee Airmen" 1996
- Drama Desk Award Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play "Two Trains Running" 1992
- Emmy Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series "Tribeca" 1992 - 93
- Theatre World Award "Two Trains Running" 1992
- Tony Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play "Two Trains Running" 1992
