What is Martin Lawrence's net worth and Salary?
Martin Lawrence is an actor and stand-up comedian who has a net worth of $110 million. After attending performing arts high school and becoming a Golden Gloves boxing champion, Martin Lawrence eventually settled on a career in comedy. He made it to the stand-up comedy finals on "Star Search," and that led to television work. His professional on-camera career began in the late 80s, with roles on such shows as "What's Happening Now!" and multiple pilots. From there, he transitioned into film work, and for the next few years, he would go back and forth between successful big and small screen projects. He appeared in such films as "Do the Right Thing," "House Party," and "Boomerang."
In 1992, he began starring in the television show that would bring him the most fame, as the lead character in "Martin." He earned legions of new fans with his appearances as part of "Def Comedy Jam," and he also co-starred with Will Smith in the blockbuster summer film, "Bad Boys," and its sequels.
Unfortunately, somewhere in there, things started to go awry in his personal life. He was hospitalized multiple times and arrested once between 1995 and 1997 for erratic or violent behavior, and his behavior on the set of "Martin" was so unpredictable and ugly that his co-star filed a lawsuit. He has since slowed the pace of his work down and has seemed to be back on track. In April 2023, Lawrence got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Salary Highlights
At one point in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Martin was one of the highest-paid film stars on the planet. In fact, before the filming of "Bad Boys," Martin was considered much more in-demand and famous than his co-star Will Smith. So much so that for the first Bad Boys, Martin earned a salary of $6 million, whereas Will earned just $2 million. This created an awkward situation where Lawrence reportedly refused to entertain appearing in any Bad Boys sequels years later unless he continued to earn the same as Smith, who by then was the much bigger star. Thankfully, the issues were resolved for Bad Boys 2 in 2003 when both actors earned $20 million.
Martin Lawrence brought home $6 million for 1997's "Nothing to Lose" and $8.5 million for 1999's "Life." He earned $20 million for 1999's "Blue Streak." In 2001, he earned $13 million for "What's the Worst That Could Happen?" He made $16.5 million on 2001's "Black Knight," $20 million on 2003's "National Security," and $20 million on 2003's "Bad Boys II."
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Early Life
Martin Fitzgerald Lawrence was born on April 16, 1965, in Frankfort, Germany, to American parents. Lawrence was named after Martin Luther King, Jr. and John F. Kennedy. When he was seven, his family moved back to the U.S. and settled in Landover, Maryland. His parents divorced in 1973. After that, he rarely saw his father. Lawrence attended Eleanor Roosevelt High School and Friendly High School.
Career
At the start of his career, Lawrence frequented the standup comedy circuit in the Greater Washington D.C. Metro area. He worked odd jobs during the day to support himself. One night, comedian Ritch Snyder saw Lawrence's standup routine and encouraged him to give the New York City comedy scene a try. Lawrence moved to New York City and joined the Improv's showcase. Not long after, he was on the talent search TV show "Star Search." He made it to the final room but didn't win "Star Search." However, television executives saw Lawrence on "Star Search" and cast him in his first acting role on "What's Happening Now!!" After that show was canceled, Lawrence continued to find small parts in films and on television. His breakthrough happened when he appeared in "Do the Right Thing." In 1992, he was tapped to host "Def Comedy Jam." At the same time, Lawrence was starring in his own sitcom, "Martin," on Fox. The show ran from 1992 to 1997.
Martin Lawrence was banned from life from appearing on "Saturday Night Live" after he hosted the show on February 19, 1994, and made crude remarks about women's personal hygiene and genitalia in his monologue. The monologue was removed from reruns of that episode.
When "Martin" went off the air in 1997, Lawrence went on to appear in comedy films starring as the second lead. One of Lawrence's most well-known films is the "Bad Boys" franchise, which he stars in with Will Smith. The first film was released in 1995, the second in 2003, and the third in 2020. In 2022, he played the role of Jake Doyle in "Mindcage," and there's currently a fourth "Bad Boys" film in the works.
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Personal Life
Lawrence married Patricia Southall, Miss Virginia, USA, in 1995. Their daughter, Jasmine Page, was born in 1996. Lawrence and Southhall divorced in 1997.
He started dating Shamicka Gibbs in 1997. They have two daughters, Iyanna Faith (2000) and Amara Trinity (2002). They married on July 10, 2010. Lawrence filed for divorce from Gibbs in April 2012.
In April 2019, Martin was reportedly engaged to a nurse named Roberta Moradfar. According to reports at the time, Martin proposed with a $500,000 engagement ring.
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Behavioral Issues
In 1995, Lawrence reportedly flew into a violent rage during the filming of "A Thin Line Between Love and Hate" and had to be hospitalized after collapsing.
In January 1997, Lawrence's co-star Tisha Campbell-Martin filed a lawsuit against him, alleging sexual harassment and abuse both on and off the set of "Martin." In April 1997, Campbell settled the lawsuit and returned to appear in the last two episodes of the series.
In August 1999, Lawrence went jogging in 100-degree heat wearing heavy clothing over a plastic suit while prepping for "Big Momma's House." He collapsed from heat exhaustion and was in a coma for three days. He almost died as his body temperature hit 107 degrees. His breathing was assisted by a ventilator while he was in the coma.
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Real Estate
For years, Lawrence owned a large mansion in the Beverly Park neighborhood of Beverly Hills. It is where he and Gibbs had their wedding. At one point after their divorce, the house was available for rent at $200,000 a month. In 2013, the estate hit the market for $26.5 million. He eventually sold it to Los Angeles real estate developer Bruce Makowsky for $17.2 million. Lawrence then bought a home in Encino, California, for $6.63 million.
Lawrence also owns a farm near Purcellville, Virginia. Martin listed the 116-acre ranch for $8.5 million in 2018.
