Martin Fitzgerald Lawrence (born April 16, 1965) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, producer, and writer. Lawrence came to fame during the 1990s, establishing a Hollywood career as a leading actor, most notably in the television sitcom Martin and the films House Party, Boomerang, Bad Boys, Wild Hogs, Nothing to Lose, Blue Streak, Life, Big Momma's House, and A Thin Line Between Love & Hate.
The fourth of six children, Martin Fitzgerald Lawrence was born on April 16, 1965 in Frankfurt, West Germany, to African American parents who were serving in the U.S. military in West Germany at the time of Martin's birth. Lawrence was named after civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. and U.S. President John F. Kennedy. His parents divorced when he was eight years old and Lawrence rarely saw his estranged father, who worked as a police officer. His mother, Chlora (née Bailey), began working several jobs to support her family.