Martin Fitzgerald Lawrence is an American stand-up comedian, actor, producer, talk show host, writer, and former Golden Gloves boxer. He is best known for his prolific roles in House Party, Boomerang, Bad Boys, Death at a Funeral, Wild Hogs, Bad Boys II, and Blue Streak. Before working as an actor, he excelled in boxing during his teenage years. In his early days, Lawrence did comedy shows in the Washington, D.C., area and supported himself through odd jobs. Then, entertainment mogul Russell Simmons selected him to host the groundbreaking series Def Comedy Jam on HBO which started off his Mainstream career. During his stint with Def Comedy Jam, Lawrence appeared in his own hit series, Martin, which aired on Fox. Lawrence reprised his role as Detective Marcus Burnett in the 3rd installment of the Bad Boys franchise, Bad Boys for Life, returning alongside with Will Smith. The film was immediately a financial success, coming first at the box office and made 112 million dollars in just four days. Martin Lawrence has racked up numerous awards and nominations like the NAACP Image Award, and the BET Comedy Award, among others.

Lawrence starred in his first dramatic role in 2022`s Mindcage alongside Melissa Roxburgh and John Malkovich. On April 20, 2023, Lawrence earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. His next venture was Bad Boys: Ride or Die (2024) will Will Smith.