He’s a bad boy! His career has been plagued by scandals and borderline behavior, but Martin Lawrence has persevered time and time again. When Eddie Murphy moved on to kinder, more gentle comedy, Martin Lawrence became the reigning king of raunchy comedy. The lifestyle took its toll, but Lawrence seems to be finally emerging as a comedic presence to be taken seriously. Like many other comedians, Lawrence got his earliest break on Ed McMahon’s Star Search. He did well, but the PG act was not really what he was after, and he soon began a much raunchier stand-up act. Lawrence’s NC-17 act caught the attention of producers who were putting together a new comedy show, and Martin was soon hosting Def Comedy Jam. Small film roles followed, including a role in Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing and in Boomerang with Eddie Murphy. Martin Lawrence’s greatest claim to fame though was Martin, his long-running Fox television show. The show revolved around a music D.J. (Lawrence) and his upscale wife (Tisha Campbell). The two often engaged in explicit banter, full of sexual innuendo. Lawrence continued to do stand-up during his sitcom years and broke attendance records and worked on his film career. He had a smash with Bad Boys, co-starring friend Will Smith. Since Martin went off the air, Lawrence has continued his big screen success with hits like Nothing to Lose, Life, Blue Streak and Big Momma’s House. Partners and The Soul Man are more recent credits. Martin Lawrence is still bad – but we mean that in the best way possible. He’s an awesome live show.
