FOR INSPIRATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY, DO NOT OWN ANY COPYRIGHT 2023. Born in Germany in 1965, comedian Martin Lawrence did stand-up for a number of years before getting his big break as the host of HBO's Def Comedy Jam. He then moved into film acting, appearing in hits such as Bad Boys and Big Momma's House. Lawrence also had his own sitcom, Martin, which ran on Fox in the 1990s. Shortly after moving to California, Lawrence got a guest spot on the television show What's Happening Now!! This appearance led to his big break in television as the host of HBO's groundbreaking Def Comedy Jam. Lawrence moved into the spotlight with the launch of the Fox sitcom Martin in 1992. Along with starring as disc jockey Martin Payne, Lawrence often appeared as other characters like Mama Payne and the outrageous neighbor Sheneneh Jenkins. Martin was a big hit for Fox, although the final season, which ended in spring 1997, was clouded by accusations of sexual harassment from co-star Tisha Campbell. Lawrence also parlayed his early successes into a movie career. After appearances in features like House Party (1990) and Boomerang (1992), he hit it big with a co-starring role alongside Will Smith in the buddy cop flick Bad Boys (1995). Five years later, the actor seized the opportunity to shine in Big Momma's House, with audiences responding favorably to his brand of crude but endearing comedy. Lawrence went on to reprise his roles in Bad Boys II (2003), Big Momma's House 2 (2006) and Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son (2011). In early 2020, he readied to rejoin Smith in Bad Boys for Life.