Laurence Fishburne

Biography

Laurence Fishburne has achieved an impressive body of work not only as an actor but also as a producer and director.

Acting since the age of 10, he starred on the daily television drama "One Life to Live" before making his feature film debut at age 12 in "Cornbread, Earl and Me," directed by Joseph Manduke. At 14, he was cast in a show being staged by the Negro Ensemble Company and also accepted to the High School of Performing Arts. At age 15, he was cast in Francis Ford Coppola's classic "Apocalypse Now."

In 1992, he won the Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, Theatre World and Tony Awards® for his portrayal of Sterling Johnson in August Wilson's "Two Trains Running," directed by Lloyd Richards. The following year, his performance as Martin in "The Box" episode of the television series "Tribeca," directed by Michael Dinner, earned him an Emmy® Award. Fishburne was an Academy Award® nominee as Best Actor in 1994 for his portrayal of Ike Turner in Brian Gibson's "What's Love Got to Do With It," opposite Academy Award nominee Angela Bassett. He was also an Emmy Award nominee and an NAACP Image Award winner for his starring role in the 1997 telefilm "Miss Evers' Boys," which he executive produced.

His many motion pictures include Academy Award nominee John Singleton's "Boyz n the Hood"; Francis Ford Coppola's "Gardens of Stone"; Steven Spielberg's "The Color Purple"; Spike Lee's "School Daze"; Abel Ferrara's "King of New York"; Robert Markowitz's telefilm "The Tuskegee Airmen," for which he received an NAACP Image Award as well as Golden Globe®, Emmy and CableACE Award nominations; Michael Apted's telefilm "Always Outnumbered," adapted by Walter Moseley from his own book and executive produced by Fishburne; Bill Duke's "Hoodlum," which he also executive produced; Steven Zaillian's "Searching for Bobby Fischer"; Mr. Singleton's "Higher Learning," for which Fishburne won an NAACP Image Award; Oliver Parker's "Othello," opposite Kenneth Branagh and Irène Jacob; the Wachowksis' three blockbuster "The Matrix" movies; Clint Eastwood's "Mystic River"; and Emilio Estevez's "Bobby," for which he shared a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination with his fellow actors from the ensemble.

Fishburne also starred in Zack Snyder's "Man of Steel" and "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice," and A&E's miniseries remake of "Roots," alongside Forest Whitaker and Anna Paquin. The "Roots" remake premiered with universal acclaim, and Fishburne received a 2016 Emmy nomination for Outstanding Narrator as Alex Haley. In 2017, Fishburne also portrayed Nelson Mandela in the landmark miniseries "Madiba" about the politician's life. Additionally, he appeared alongside Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt in the film "Passengers." In addition to his expansive motion picture work, Fishburne's theater credits are just as extensive. In 1999, he starred as King Henry II, opposite Stockard Channing, in the Roundabout Theater Company's Broadway revival of James Goldman's "The Lion in Winter," staged by Michael Mayer. In 2006, he starred in Alfred Uhry's drama "Without Walls," directed by Christopher Ashley, at the Center Theatre Group's Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles, and was awarded Best Actor at the NAACP Theater Awards. That same year, Fishburne reteamed with his frequent acting partner Angela Bassett at The Pasadena Playhouse in August Wilson's "Fences," directed by Samuel Epps; the production broke the Playhouse' sales record with a sold-out run.

Fishburne received an Emmy nomination for his portrayal of Thurgood Marshall in 2011, broadcast as an adaptation of his one-man show, "Thurgood." He originated the role in the Broadway debut of the play, written by George Stevens, Jr. and directed Leonard Foglia, again earning a Tony Award nomination and winning Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards. He also reprised the portrayal at Los Angeles' Geffen Playhouse and at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

In 2000, Fishburne founded Cinema Gypsy Productions with his longtime manager and producing partner, Helen Sugland. They have produced numerous nominated and award-winning projects, including "Thurgood" (HBO), "Five Fingers" (Lionsgate), "Akeelah and the Bee" (Lionsgate), "Once in the Life" (Lionsgate), "Always Out Numbered" (HBO), "Hoodlum" (United Artists) and "Miss Evers' Boys" (HBO).

He can be seen alongside Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis Ross in ABC's Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated comedy series "black-ish," for which he serves as executive producer through Cinema Gypsy. His performance garnered him a Peoples' Choice Award nomination for Favorite Actor in a New TV Show and an NAACP Image Award win for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. Previously, he starred on the hit series "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" for three seasons, and appeared alongside Hugh Dancy and Mads Mikkelsen in the NBC thriller series "Hannibal."

Fishburne has also served as an ambassador for UNICEF since 1996. In 2007, he was honored by Harvard University as Artist of the Year for his Outstanding Contributions to American and International Performing Arts, as well as his humanitarian contributions.


List All Celebrities

Laurence Fishburne Message Board

Welcome to the Laurence Fishburne Message Board. Get in touch with Laurence Fishburne to voice your support, appreciation, or opinion.

Can you imagine how much snail mail and email a celebrity must get? Most simply don't have time to go through all of it and even less time to respond. So, for this reason, we've created this shout-out message board. It's a far simpler way to communicate with your favorite stars and celebrities.

Try to keep your messages short and sweet. No one wants to read your entire life story. We don't know if you'll get a response, but if enough people post a message, these celebrities won't be able to ignore them all.

No comments exist yet.

Be the first to post a comment on this page.

Post Your Comments

No HTML, links, emails, phone numbers, addresses, profanities, or all caps please. (Message Rules)

Looking for Auditions and Casting Calls? Want to Become an Extra or Find Supporting Actor and Actress Roles with Laurence Fishburne?

Become an Actor, Actress or Extra by joining the world's leading acting community. Find acting tips, casting calls, audition notices, career networking tools and links to SAG-AFTRA talent agents.

Post your profile, photos, resume and video clips online and you could be discovered by top casting directors and talent scouts around the world. You might even get a chance to work with Laurence Fishburne and other famous stars.

Sign Up!

Movies in the Spotlight


Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Movie Poster

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Action Adventure PG‑13

2008 (2h 3m) - Streaming on Netflix

Indiana Jones is drawn into a Russian plot to unearth the Crystal Skulls of Akator, Amazonian artifacts with supernatural powers.

Steven Spielberg and Harrison Ford return for their fourth Indiana Jones cinematic adventure together. Source Netflix

Cast


Die Another Day Movie Poster

Die Another Day

Action Adventure PG‑13

2002 (2h 12m) - Streaming on Netflix

Pierce Brosnan's final outing as 007 finds James Bond hunting for a mole in the British Intelligence who has betrayed him to Colonel Tan-Sun Moon, a North Korean terrorist and billionaire, who is illegally trading weapons for African conflict diamonds. Pierce Brosnan makes his fourth and final outing as MI6 agent James Bond. Halle Berry co-stars as NSA agent Jinx Johnson, the Bond girl. Source Netflix

Cast


The Irishman Movie Poster

The Irishman

Drama Crime Thriller TV‑MA

2019 (3h 29m) - Streaming on Netflix

Hit man Frank Sheeran looks back at the secrets he kept as a loyal member of the Bufalino crime family in this acclaimed film from Martin Scorsese.

Nominated for 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Directing and Supporting Actor (Al Pacino and Joe Pesci). Source Netflix

Cast


Shows in the Spotlight


Goliath Movie Poster

Goliath

Drama Crime TV‑MA

2016 Series - Streaming on Amazon

Once a powerful lawyer, Billy McBride is now burned out and washed up, spending more time in a bar than a courtroom. When he reluctantly agrees to pursue a wrongful death lawsuit against the biggest client of the massive law firm he helped create, Billy and his ragtag team uncover a vast and deadly conspiracy, pitting them all in a life or death trial against the ultimate Goliath. Source Amazon

Cast


Sneaky Pete Movie Poster

Sneaky Pete

Drama Crime Con-Artist TV‑MA

2015 Series - Streaming on Amazon

A con man (Giovanni Ribisi) on the run from a vicious gangster (Bryan Cranston) takes cover from his past by assuming the identity of his prison cellmate, Pete, "reuniting" with Pete's estranged family, a colorful, dysfunctional group that threatens to drag him into a world just as dangerous as the one he's trying to escape - and, just maybe, give him a taste of the loving family he's never had. Source Amazon

Cast


Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan Movie Poster

Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan

Action Drama Suspense TV‑MA

2018 Series - Streaming on Amazon

When CIA analyst Jack Ryan stumbles upon a suspicious series of bank transfers his search for answers pulls him from the safety of his desk job and catapults him into a deadly game of cat and mouse throughout Europe and the Middle East, with a rising terrorist figurehead preparing for a massive attack against the US and her allies. CIA analyst Jack Ryan uncovers a series of suspicious transactions that take him out from behind his desk and into the field to hunt down a powerful new threat to the world. Source Amazon

Cast


Celebrity Spotlight