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Laurence John Fishburne III is an American actor, playwright, director, and producer. He is best known for his roles as Morpheus in the Matrix science fiction film trilogy, Mr. Clean in Apocalypse Now, Cowboy Curtis on the television show Pee-wee's Playhouse, Ike Turner in the Tina Turner biopic What's Love Got to Do With It, and as Furious Styles in Boyz n the Hood.

Fishburne became the first African-American to portray Othello in a motion picture by a major studio when he appeared in Oliver Parker's 1995 film adaptation of the Shakespeare play. For his portrayal of Ike Turner in What's Love Got to Do With It, he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor in a leading role. He won a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his performance in Two Trains Running (1992), and an Emmy Award for Drama Series Guest Actor for his performance in TriBeCa (1993).

Fishburne has starred in several cult classics, including Deep Cover and King of New York. From 2008 to 2011, he starred as Dr. Raymond Langston on the CBS crime drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. In 2013, he portrayed Perry White in the Zack Snyder-directed Superman reboot Man of Steel.

He portrays FBI Special Agent Jack Crawford in NBC's Hannibal.

Early Life[]

Actor Laurence Fishburne III was born on July 30, 1961, in Augusta, Georgia. Raised in Brooklyn by his mother after his parents' divorce, Fishburne starting acting at age 12. He appeared primarily on television, including One Life to Live and Pee-wee's Playhouse, and made his film debut in Cornbread, Earl and Me.

Career[]

It wasn't until the 1990s when Fishburne landed meatier roles on the big screen that he became a recognized actor. His string of successes, built on his intense, solid performances, included Boyz n the Hood (1991), What's Love Got to Do with It (1993), and The Matrix trilogy. In 2006, Fishburne played a professor who coaches a girl from South Los Angeles to compete in a national spelling bee in Akeelah and the Bee. That same year he appeared as a chef in Bobby, a film about Robert F. Kennedy's assassination.

Even as his films triumphed at the box office, Fishburne continued to nurture his stage career. He earned a Tony Award in 1992 for August Wilson's Two Trains Running and appeared in Wilson's Fences opposite Angela Bassett. In 2008, Fishburne joined the cast of the popular television series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.

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