The best Martin Lawrence movies and TV shows started out thanks to his television roles, but he actually got his first big break thanks to Spike Lee. While he was mostly involved in boxing when he was in school, he started working as a comedian when he got out of school and actually began to make a living working standup shows. This led to Martin moving to New York City and joining The Improv, which got him a role on Star Search. That was his true big break, as it got him noticed in Hollywood.
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This earned him the attention of Spike Lee, who gave Lawrence his first movie role in the award-winning Do The Right Thing. After this, he got roles in movies like House Party and Boomerang, and he finally was able to get his own starring role when he signed on to star in the comedy sitcom Martin. That was what helped him become a leading man star. Moving between action movies like Bad Boys and comedies like Big Momma’s House, Lawrence has proven his status as one of the best funnymen in film.
10 Big Momma’s House (2000)
Martin Lawrence Plays Malcolm Turner / Big Momma
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Big Momma’s House PG-13CrimeComedy
Big Momma’s House features Martin Lawrence as an FBI agent who goes undercover, disguising himself as a Southern grandmother to protect a woman and her child from a dangerous criminal. Released in 2000, the film combines elements of comedy and action in its narrative.
Director Raja Gosnell Release Date May 31, 2000 Cast Martin Lawrence , Nia Long , Paul Giamatti , Jascha Washington , Terrence Howard , Anthony Anderson , Carl Wright , Phyllis Applegate , Starletta DuPois , Nicole Prescott , Octavia Spencer , Tichina Arnold , Cedric the Entertainer , Philip Tan , Edwin Hodge , Aldis Hodge , Brian Palermo , Brian Paul Stuart , Tameka Holmes , Ellis Hall , Debby Gaudet , Phil Hawn , Jay So , J.T. Thibodeau , Arnold Chon Runtime 98 minutes Expand
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Big Momma’s House was a Martin Lawrence vehicle that seemed to find a huge fanbase when it came to the audience but received terrible reviews from the critics. The film mixed what Eddie Murphy was doing in the 80s and 90s with what Tyler Perry would do a few years later with his Madea movies. Lawrence stars as an FBI agent assigned to catch an escaped convict, so he goes undercover as Hattie Mae Pierce, an elderly African American woman and the grandmother of one of the convict’s targets.
The humor comes from Lawrence in the prosthetic body pretending to be the elderly woman, and this is easily where it lost the critics. It ended up with a 30% rotten score on Rotten Tomatoes, but it ended up making $174 million on a $30 million budget (via Box Office Mojo) and was popular enough with mainstream audiences to allow it to continue on with two sequels, both with Lawrence returning to the role, but with a more lighthearted comedic storyline.
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9 Life (1999)
Martin Lawrence Plays Claude Banks
Ted Demme (The Ref, Blow) directed a team-up of Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence in the buddy comedy-drama Life in 1999. The film was narrated by an elderly inmate about two of his friends who are both wrongfully convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison. These friends are Ray (Murphy) and Claude (Lawrence), and the two men have to figure out how they will settle into life behind bars with real criminals and survive to face another day.
The film did receive mixed to positive reviews from critics when it came out with both Lawrence and Murphy receiving praise for their performances.
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The film was a disappointment when it was released and ended up as a box office failure. However, it has since become a cult classic, especially among fans of Murphy and Lawrence, and is considered one of their better films. The film did receive mixed to positive reviews from critics when it came out with both Lawrence and Murphy receiving praise for their performances. Rick Baker also picked up an Oscar nomination for his makeup work in making the two actors age throughout the film.
8 Bad Boys: Ride Or Die (2024)
Martin Lawrence Plays Detective Marcus Burnett
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9.5/10 Bad Boys: Ride or Die RActionCrimeThrillerComedy
Bad Boys: Ride or Die continues the action-packed saga of Miami detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett. The film follows the duo as they face new threats and personal challenges, blending intense action scenes with the camaraderie fans have come to love in the Bad Boys series.
Director Adil El Arbi , Bilall Fallah Release Date June 7, 2024 Distributor(s) Sony Pictures Releasing Cast Will Smith , Martin Lawrence , Vanessa Hudgens , Alexander Ludwig , Paola Núñez , Eric Dane , Ioan Gruffudd , Jacob Scipio , Melanie Liburd , Tasha Smith , Rhea Seehorn , Tiffany Haddish , Joe Pantoliano , dj khaled , John Salley , Bianca Bethune , Dennis Greene , Quinn Hemphill , Derek Russo , Karter Reese Newsome , Levy Tran , Jay DeVon Johnson , Jeff J.J. Authors , Nicholas Verdi , Steven Sean Garland , Jerri Tubbs , Jewelianna Ramos-Ortiz , Enoch King Runtime 115 Minutes Expand
Martin Lawrence and Will Smith have appeared in four Bad Boys movies over their careers, with the latest coming out in 2024. This film, Bad Boys: Ride or Die, has the two in a very different situation as their beloved captain (Joe Pantoliano) dies and is framed for crimes he never committed. It turns out there is corruption in the Miami police force and soon Mike and Marcus also end up framed and have to go on the run from the police while trying to clear their names.
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While the film is still an exciting non-stop thrill ride, it falls short of the first three movies in the franchise, although it does tie up some nice stories for the franchise, including one with Mike’s son he met in the previous movie. It ended up as a commercial success with one of the better box office takes of 2024, while receiving mixed to positive reviews from critics.
7 Death At A Funeral (2010)
Martin Lawrence Plays Ryan Barnes
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Death at a Funeral RComedy
Death at a Funeral is a 2010 ensemble comedy directed by Neil LaBute. The film revolves around the chaos and misadventures that unfold during a family’s funeral gathering. Featuring an ensemble cast including Chris Rock, Martin Lawrence, and Tracy Morgan, the story dives into family secrets and misunderstandings, blending humor with moments of emotional insight.
Director Neil LaBute Release Date April 16, 2010 Cast Loretta Devine , Peter Dinklage , Danny Glover , Regina Hall , Martin Lawrence , James Marsden , Tracy Morgan , Chris Rock , Zoe Saldana , Columbus Short , Luke Wilson , Keith David , Ron Glass , Kevin Hart Runtime 92 Minutes
In 2010, Neil LaBute remade the 2007 British comedy film Death at a Funeral. He transposed the comedy from the British family mourning the death of a loved one to a Black family doing the same. As in the original film, the funeral ends up a huge source of controversy thanks to a mishmash of misfortune and one very dangerous uninvited guest who has incriminating photos of the deceased and wants a payoff to make them disappear.
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Related 10 Funniest Movies about Death
Death is sometimes a turning point in movies or shows due to the tragedy. These movies, however, bring laughs rather than tears.
The cast was what carried the movie to the comic heights it achieved. On top of Martin Lawrence, as the more successful of the dead man’s children, Chris Rock stars as his less successful younger brother. Other cast members include Danny Glover, Loretta Devine, Keith David, Regina Hall, Zoe Saldana, Tracy Morgan, James Marsden, and Luke Wilson. The film was only a minor box office success with mixed reviews from critics.
6 Bad Boys (1995)
Martin Lawrence Plays Detective Marcus Burnett
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Bad Boys RActionAdventureComedyCrimeThriller
Detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett, played by Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, must recover $100 million worth of stolen heroin in Miami. When a key witness to a murder, Julie Mott, is threatened, they race against time to protect her and take down the ruthless drug lord Fouchet behind the heist.
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*Availability in US Director Michael Bay Release Date July 18, 2003 Cast Martin Lawrence , Will Smith , Jordi Molla , Gabrielle Union , Peter Stormare , Theresa Randle Runtime 119 Minutes
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Michael Bay directed the first Bad Boys movie, where he introduced the world to Mike Lowry (Will Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence), two lifelong friends who are Miami narcotics detectives. The two detectives are involved in a case investigating $100 million worth of stolen packs of heroin. This leads them to go after an international drug dealer who has targeted a woman who witnessed a murder (Téa Leoni).
It was also, as is expected with Bay movies, full of explosions, car chases, and gun fights
Unlike many of Lawrence’s action movies of the 1990s, this was not a comedy but was a pure action flick with witty dialogue providing some of the laughs. It was also, as is expected with Bay movies, full of explosions, car chases, and gun fights. Bad Boys was a decent box office success thanks to Bay’s lower-than-usual budget, and it spawned a franchise that has included four movies to date.
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5 Bad Boys For Life (2020)
Martin Lawrence Plays Detective Marcus Burnett
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Bad Boys for Life RActionAdventureComedyCrimeThriller
In Bad Boys For Life, the third installment in the Bad Boys film franchise, Marcus Burnett wants to retire, but when Mike Lowrey is shot, and the assailant goes after a friend of Burnett’s, the two team up together for one last ride.
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*Availability in US Director Adil El Arbi , Bilall Fallah Release Date January 17, 2020 Distributor(s) Sony Pictures Releasing Cast Will Smith , Martin Lawrence , Kate del Castillo , Joe Pantoliano , Vanessa Hudgens , Alexander Ludwig , Charles Melton Runtime 124 Minutes
The Bad Boys franchise returned in 2020, 17 years after the second movie, with the widow of Johnny Tapia (who Mike and Marcus took down in Bad Boys II) looking for revenge. The problem is that Mike and Isabel (the widow) had a fling when he was undercover, bringing down her husband, and this leads to a major twist that turns this movie on its head and sets up the sequel that arrived four years later.
Related Bad Boys 3: What Happened To Martin Lawrence
What happened to Martin Lawrence after Bad Boys II released in 2003? Here’s a career refresher for the actor who plays Detective Marcus Burnett.
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When released, Bad Boys For Life ended up as the highest-grossing movie in the franchise at that time (a record that still stands), with $424 million. Critics also praised it, with a 76% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with Smith and Lawrence both slipping back into their roles, Smith as the cool and daring cop and Lawrence as the more reserved careful cop with a family at home he knows he needs to care for. The film won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Motion Picture.
4 House Party (1990)
Martin Lawrence Plays Bilal
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House Party RComedy
House Party (1990) follows a teenager named Kid, who sneaks out to attend a party at his friend Play’s house after being grounded by his father. Meanwhile, three school thugs aim to confront Kid over a previous altercation, creating a night filled with unexpected challenges and comedic moments.
Director Calmatic Release Date January 13, 2023 Cast Christopher Martin , Christopher Reid , Martin Lawrence , Tisha Campbell , A.J. Johnson , Robin Harris , Paul Anthony , George Clinton , John Witherspoon , Bowlegged Lou , B-Fine , Edith Fields , Kelly Jo Minter , Clifton Powell , Verda Bridges , Desi Arnez Hines II , Lou B. Washington , Gene ‘Groove’ Allen , Anthony Johnson , Diana Mendoza , Barry Diamond , Mike Pniewski , Norma Donaldson , Daryl Mitchell Runtime 100 minutes Expand
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In 1990, Martin Lawrence was part of the ensemble cast for the Kid ‘n Play movie House Party. The project was written and directed by Reginald Hudlin based on his award-winning student short film he made while at Harvard. The movie is, as its title suggests, about a house party held by Peter (Play), and how his friend Christopher (Kid) has to sneak out of his house to attend it after his father grounds him.
House Party then follows Kid and his misadventures as he tries to get to the party while local bullies are trying to make him pay after an earlier fight. Martin Lawrence has one of the main roles as Bilal, who is expected to DJ the party and is there to spin the music that plays over the soundtrack. The film has also been praised as culturally, historically, and aesthetically significant with its inclusion into the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in 2022.
3 Bad Boys II (2003)
Martin Lawrence Plays Detective Marcus Burnett
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Bad Boys II RActionComedyCrime
Bad Boys II is an action-comedy film directed by Michael Bay, featuring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence as Miami detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett. Released in 2003, the film follows the duo as they attempt to dismantle a drug trafficking ring while navigating personal tensions. Gabrielle Union and Jordi Mollà co-star.
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*Availability in US Director Michael Bay Release Date July 18, 2003 Cast Will Smith , Martin Lawrence , Gabrielle Union , Jordi Molla , Peter Stormare , Theresa Randle , Joe Pantoliano , Michael Shannon Runtime 147 Minutes
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The second movie in the Bad Boys franchise remains its best. After Mike and Marcus brought down an international drug ring in the first film, this one saw them teaming up to once again find the source of illegal drugs coming into Miami and put a stop to it. The two were now solidly in their roles, with Smith as the self-assured cop who would do anything to stop a bad guy and Lawrence as his lifelong friend wanting to be more careful to live to fight another day.
These movies showed why Martin Lawrence received a solid batch of action movies to star in for almost a decade, although it was hard to come close to the brilliance of the Bad Boys franchise. The movie was louder, with more explosions and gun fights than even the first entry, and it proved to be a successful franchise. However, it took 17 years before the two actors reunited for the third movie in the series.
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2 Martin (1992-1997)
Martin Lawrence Plays Martin Payne
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Martin
Martin is a popular television sitcom starring Martin Lawrence as Martin Payne, a wisecracking Detroit DJ navigating life and relationships with his quirky group of friends. The series, which aired from 1992 to 1997, explores comedic situations and misunderstandings with Payne’s girlfriend Gina and their entourage, providing a humorous take on urban life and romance. Tisha Campbell, Tichina Arnold, Carl Anthony Payne II, and Thomas Mikal Ford co-star.
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*Availability in US Cast Martin Lawrence , Tisha Campbell-Martin , Carl Anthony Payne II , Thomas Mikal Ford , Tichina Arnold , Garrett Morris , Jon Gries Release Date August 27, 1992 Seasons 5 Creator(s) John Bowman , Martin Lawrence , Topper Carew
Martin Lawrence was one of the top standup acts in the early 1990s, but he failed to catch on with In Living Color or Saturday Night Live at the time. That was all for the best, though, as he got something even better. Lawrence got to lead his own comedy sitcom that aired on Fox from 1992 to 1997. In Martin, Lawrence stars as Martin Payne, a disc jockey for a local radio station in Detroit who lives with his girlfriend Gina (Tisha Campbell).
Related How Backstage Drama Got Martin Canceled After Just 5 Seasons
Martin Lawrence’s self-titled sitcom Martin made him a star, but after only five seasons, backstage drama caused the hit show to be canceled.
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In later seasons, he became a talk show host, but through it all, Martin remained one of the more successful sitcoms on TV in the 90s. It ended up lasting for five seasons and 132 episodes before it came to an end. Throughout its run, Martin picked up 12 NAACP Image Award nominations, with Martin Lawrence winning for Outstanding Lead Actor in 1995 and 1995 and the show winning for Outstanding Comedy Series in 1994 and 1995.
1 Do The Right Thing (1989)
Martin Lawrence Plays Cee
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9/10 Do the Right Thing RDramaDocumentary
Do the Right Thing is Spike Lee’s Oscar-nominated film starring himself, Giancarlo Esposito, Bull Nunn, John Turturro, and Ossie Davis. The comedy drama revolves around Spike Lee’s young character Mookie, who is stuck in Brooklyn on the hottest day of summer, where bigotry and hate build before exploding into violence.
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*Availability in US Director Spike Lee Release Date June 14, 1989 Distributor(s) Universal Pictures Cast Danny Aiello , Ossie Davis , Ruby Dee , Richard Edson , Giancarlo Esposito , John Turturro , Spike Lee Runtime 120 minutes
Martin Lawrence made his big screen debut in the best movie he ever appeared in over his career. In 1989, Lawrence starred in the Spike Lee film, Do the Right Thing. The ensemble film follows the lives of people living in a Brooklyn neighborhood who experience deadly racial tensions between the Black neighborhood residents and the Italian American pizzeria owner. It all takes place over one extremely hot summer day and ends in tragedy.
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Lee himself stars as Mookie, a delivery man who works for a pizzeria owned by Sal (Danny Aiello). Martin Lawrence is one of the people who lives in the neighborhood, and he has the very important role of introducing viewers to Radio Raheem (Bill Nunn), the tragic member of the cast of characters. Spike Lee picked up an Oscar nomination for his script, while Danny Aiello earned a nomination for Best Supporting Actor. The film was added to the National Film Registry in 1999.