Actor Laurence Fishburne is a three-time Emmy and Tony Award winner. He starred as Morpheus, the hacker mentor of Neo in the Wachowski siblings blockbuster The Matrix trilogy.
The actor started his acting career at age twelve, appearing on television shows like Good Times and on Broadway in Riff-Raff. He was also cast in the movie Apocalypse Now at age fourteen.
Personal Background
Laurence Fishburne is a celebrated actor and playwright with a career that spans over three decades. The eminently charismatic and thoughtful star has played many roles in movies such as John Singleton’s urban drama Boyz N the Hood, the flamboyant King of New York starring Christopher Walken and the revolutionary science fiction film The Matrix.
Fishburne has appeared on television in guest spots on numerous shows as well and made his Broadway debut in the 1992 production of August Wilson’s two-part play, Two Trains Running for which he won a Tony Award among other prestigious theatre awards. His small-screen work includes an appearance on the TV show Tribeca for which he won an Emmy Award (1993) and a starring role as Thurgood Marshall in the one-man play that was adapted into a film entitled Thurgood.
Throughout his career, Fishburne has carved out a niche for himself in films that balance the cinematic nuts with responsible characters such as the urban speed chess player in Searching for Bobby Fischer; the college professor in Singleton’s Higher Learning; a military prisoner in Cadence costarring Martin Sheen; a CIA operative in Bad Company and in the title role of Othello opposite a white Desdemona (he was the first black actor to play the part on film). He is known to serious movie connoisseurs as Mr Clean in Francis Coppola’s Apocalypse Now and to people who breathlessly wait for the next blockbuster release as Morpheus in The Matrix and its sequels, The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolution with beloved actor Keanu Reeves.
Acting Career
In a career spanning more than two decades, Laurence Fishburne has proven himself to be an actor of considerable depth and versatility. He has brought to life stories of significance to the African American community while gaining access to roles that were often unavailable to black actors of previous generations. His ability to carry a film on his own, without the support of a better-known white actor, makes him one of Hollywood’s most valuable assets.
In the early 1990s Fishburne established himself as a leading man with notable performances in the films King of New York (1990), Boyz N the Hood (1991) and Deep Cover (1992). He also made guest appearances on TV shows such as M*A*S*H and Trapper John, M.D. In 1991 he began to work closely with playwright August Wilson, appearing in the Broadway production of Two Trains Running.
In the late 1990s Fishburne continued to impress with his acting range and versatility. He won critical acclaim for his performance as the sage-like guru in science fiction epic The Matrix (1999), reprising the role for the sequels The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions. He has also portrayed such diverse characters as the love interest of a white woman (Ellen Barkin) in Bad Company and the Southern sheriff in Just Cause. He even won an Academy Award nomination for his portrayal of musician Ike Turner in the film What’s Love Got to Do with It.
Philanthropic Efforts
Fishburne has used his success to further the arts and society. He has won awards in theatre, film and television and his performances have captivated audiences. His portrayal of Sterling Johnson in August Wilson’s two-part drama Two Trains Running won him a Tony Award. He has won multiple Emmy awards for his work on TV shows such as Tribeca and Thurgood, as well as receiving a Best Actor Oscar nomination for his role in Tina Turner biopic What’s Love Got To Do With It. His resonant voice also brought the character of Silver Surfer to life in the 2007 sci-fi movie Predators.
In addition to his acting talents, Fishburne has a diverse portfolio of skills that include writing and directing. He made his directorial debut with the film Once in a Lifetime, a crime drama that was released in 2000. He has also starred in the popular TV series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation as Dr. Raymond Langston from 2008 to 2011.
Fishburne’s acting career started at a young age, with him making his first appearance on the big screen at just 14 years old in Francis Ford Coppola’s epic war drama Apocalypse Now. His work continued to gain momentum with roles such as Furious Styles in the 1991 movie Boyz n the Hood, Morpheus in The Matrix trilogy and Ike Turner in What’s Love Got To Do With It. He has also appeared on the Broadway stage with his one-man show Thurgood, as well as starring in the movie version of the play.
Current Projects
Laurence Fishburne continues to make headlines in television and film. He’s slated to join Morgan Freeman, Emma Roberts and Paula Patton for an upcoming episode of Black Mirror, and will play a police chief in the drama American Buffalo. He also recently joined the cast of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel as a guest star, as well as the ensemble of the forthcoming season of NBC’s The Good Place.
The prolific actor has enjoyed a diverse career spanning decades. He began in television and theatre, landing a recurring role on the daytime soap opera One Life to Live at the age of 12. His big-screen debut came with the ghetto movie Cornbread, Earl and Me in 1975 and Francis Ford Coppola cast him as a sailor in Apocalypse Now in 1979, despite him being just 14 and lying about his age to secure the role.
Among his more notable film roles were a turn as Ike Turner in Brian Gibson’s 1994 drama What’s Love Got to Do With It, earning him an Oscar nomination. He has also received two Tony Awards, three Primetime Emmys and a Golden Globe Award.
He is best known to many for his roles as Morpheus in The Matrix trilogy, as the Bowery King in the John Wick franchise and for voicing Dr. Ellis Cheever in the 2011 pandemic film Contagion, which got almost everything right about COVID-19 except the proper social distance to wait in a line for screenings.
