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Laurence Fishburne: A hero, a mentor, a star By Jessica Gosse TV Media

scenes in 2000, when he turned a play he wrote called “Riff Raff” into a screenplay and created the film “Once in the Life,” which he wrote, directed, produced and performed in. He did not continue writing and directing but has produced a number of films and is now an executive producer for “Black-ish,” as well as its new spinoff series, “Mixed-ish.” Throughout his long and impressive career, Fishburne has remained exceptionally humble. When asked in an interview how it feels to be the consummate role model for black youth, he responded by saying, “If that is in fact what I am to some people, I am grateful, and I am hopeful that I have fulfilled that role in a way that has been useful to young people.” Just last year, Fishburne was honored by the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, and throughout his career, he has been nominated for 22 NAACP Image Awards (he’s won five). Make sure to watch Fishburne when Season 6 of “Black-ish” premieres Tuesday, Sept. 24, on ABC.

The extremely talented and versatile Laurence Fishburne continues to impress as executive producer and one of the stars of “Black-ish,” which is heading into its sixth season. Fishburne was born in Augusta, Georgia, to parents Laurence John Fishburne Jr. and Hattie Bell Crawford. His parents separated when he was very young, which led to Fishburne moving to Brooklyn, New York, with his mother, whom he credits for his success — she acknowledged his acting talent in his childhood and pushed him to pursue it. Fishburne was only 10 years old when he performed in his first play in a small Manhattan theater. By 12, his career had begun in earnest, and he had landed a recurring role in the soap “One Life to Live.” By the age of 17, Fishburne’s career began to take off after his appearance as Tyrone “Mr. Clean” Miller in the Oscar-winning film “Apocalypse Now” (1979). In the ‘80s, he began to expand his TV and film credits with appearances in “M*A*S*H,” “Pee-wee’s Playhouse,” “The Color Purple” (1985) and many others. It was in the 1990s when Fishburne was truly launched into stardom by his performance as Jason “Furious” Styles in the critically acclaimed film “Boyz n the Hood” (1991). In the years to come, Fishburne would go on to take part in many films and TV series, earning an Academy Award nomination for his performance as Ike Turner in “What’s Love Got to Do with It?” (1993). Some of Fishburne’s most notable roles over the years include Morpheus in “The Matrix” (1999), the inspiring Dr. Larabee in “Akeelah and the Bee” (2006), investigator Raymond Langston in “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” and, most recently, the wise, albeit curmudgeonly, Earl “Pops” Johnson in “Black-ish.” Fishburne took a step behind the

FACTS: - Born July 30, 1961, in Augusta, Georgia (age 58) - Married to Hajna O. Moss in 1985, and the pair have two daughters - Was the first African-American actor to play Perry White, newspaper editor and employer of Superman’s alter ego, Clark Kent - Saved Dennis Hopper’s life the first day they were on set filming “Apocalypse Now” (1979) - Enjoys watching MMA, and has said that it is real drama and completely unpredictable - Has referred to himself as a “Secret Canadian” after spending years living in Toronto

Laurence Fishburne as “Pops” in “Black-ish”

SATURDAY DAYTIME SEPTEMBER 21, 2019 6:30

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