Martin Lawrence

Actor, comedian. Born April 16, 1965 in Frankfurt, Germany. Lawrence’s father served in the U.S. military and left the family when Martin was eight. As a teen, the young man pursued a love of boxing, but was also a gifted comedian. A teacher encouraged Lawrence to attend an open mic night at a local comedy club, and his career as a comic was born.

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. Meanwhile, Lawrence launched his own sitcom for Fox, Martin, which ran from 1992 to 1997. The actor has also parlayed his televison success into a movie career; his films include Bad Boys, Big Momma’s House and Big Momma’s House 2.

Lawrence was married to Patricia Southall from 1995 to 1996; they have a daughter, Jasmine.

Source: http://www.biography.com/articles/Martin-Lawrence-16599950