Laurence Fishburne Age, Height, Partner, Net Worth & Biography

Laurence Fishburne is an American actor best known as Morpheus, the mentor who offers Neo the choice between the red pill and the blue pill in The Matrix. Born on July 30, 1961, in Augusta, Georgia, Fishburne, 65, began acting as a child and has built a career of remarkable range, from Apocalypse Now and Boyz n the Hood to What’s Love Got to Do with It, CSI and John Wick.

Quick Facts

Who Is Laurence Fishburne?

Laurence Fishburne is an actor whose presence on screen is both commanding and calm, and whose most famous role is also one of the most influential in science fiction. As Morpheus in The Matrix (1999) and its sequels, Fishburne played a man who believes in a prophecy, who trains Neo and who speaks in a voice that is both gentle and certain. The line “I can only show you the door. You’re the one that has to walk through it” has become a part of popular culture, and the role made Fishburne a global star. He has also played in Apocalypse Now, in which he appeared as Tyrone “Clean” Miller at the age of 14, and in Boyz n the Hood (1991), in which he played Furious Styles, a father who tries to guide his son through the dangers of South Central Los Angeles, alongside Cuba Gooding Jr..

Beyond those roles, Fishburne has shown a wide range. He played Ike Turner in What’s Love Got to Do with It (1993), a performance that earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor, and he played Dr. Raymond Langston in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2008-2011), a role that brought him to television audiences around the world. He has also played the Bowery King in the John Wick films, and he has worked on stage, winning a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for Two Trains Running (1992) and an Emmy Award for his performance in TriBeCa (1993).

Early Life & Background

Laurence John Fishburne III was born in Augusta, Georgia, the son of Hattie Bell, a junior high school mathematics and science teacher, and Laurence John Fishburne Jr., a juvenile corrections officer. The family moved to Brooklyn, New York, when Fishburne was a child, and he grew up in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood. He attended the High School of Performing Arts in New York, and he began acting as a child, appearing in the television series One Life to Live (1973-1976), in which he played Joshua Hall, a role he took on at the age of 11.

He made his film debut in Cornbread, Earl and Me (1975), in which he played Wilford Robinson, and he appeared in Apocalypse Now (1979), a film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, in which he played Tyrone “Clean” Miller, a young soldier. He was only 14 when he was cast, and he lied about his age to get the role; he was 17 by the time filming was finished. He went on to work in The Cotton Club (1984), in School Daze (1988), in which he played Dap, and in Boyz n the Hood, which brought him to wide attention as a serious actor.

Career

Fishburne’s career in film includes Apocalypse Now, The Cotton Club, School Daze, King of New York (1990), Boyz n the Hood, What’s Love Got to Do with It, Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993), Event Horizon (1997), The Matrix, Mystic River (2003), Assault on Precinct 13 (2005), Contagion (2011), Man of Steel (2013), in which he played Perry White, and the John Wick films, in which he plays the Bowery King. He earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for What’s Love Got to Do with It, and he won a Tony Award for Two Trains Running and an Emmy Award for TriBeCa.

On television, Fishburne has played Dr. Raymond Langston in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Earl “Pops” Johnson in Black-ish (2014-2022), and Jack Crawford in Hannibal (2013-2015). He was married to Hajna O. Moss from 1985 to the 1990s, and they have two children together: Langston and Montana. He was married to Gina Torres, an actress, from 2002 to 2018, and they have a daughter together, Delilah. He is known for his work as an actor, as a producer, and as a director, and for a career that has lasted for more than fifty years.

Facts About Laurence Fishburne

• He was cast in Apocalypse Now at the age of 14, and he lied about his age to get the role.
• He played Morpheus in The Matrix (1999) and its sequels.
• He earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for What’s Love Got to Do with It (1993).
• He won a Tony Award for Two Trains Running in 1992 and an Emmy Award for TriBeCa in 1993.
• He played Dr. Raymond Langston in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and Earl “Pops” Johnson in Black-ish.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Trending Profiles

Discover more profiles on The Celeb IO: Morgan Freeman Age & Biography, Denzel Washington Age & Biography, Tom Hanks Age & Biography and Tom Cruise Age & Biography.