picture credit @imagerybyoscar/HCC
courtesy of entertainment tonight
getty/hollywood
Hollywood is giving Martin Lawrence his flowers. On Thursday, the 58-year-old received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Hollywood Blvd. The comedian and actor was honored with reverent speeches from co-stars and collaborators Lynn Whitfield, Tracy Morgan and Steve Harvey, who showered Lawrence with affection and praise as they reflected on his journey throughout the years.
"Martin Lawrence has been a staple in pop culture for more than 30 years," Ana Martinez, producer of the Hollywood Walk of Fame, said in a statement before the ceremony. "This comedic genius has made many of us laugh for decades and he will continue to do so with his creative television and film moments."
Emcee Steve Nissen lauded Lawrence's career, which began in the '90s as he went from standup comedian to iconic TV actor and leading film actor. Lawrence, best known for the hit TV show Martin, created some of the most iconic and beloved characters of all time alongside some of the greatest comedy actors.
ET's Kevin Frazier spoke with the star at his ceremony, where he said the honor was "better late than never." Sharing his thanks for his family and friends, Lawrence added that the day "means the world to me and I'm so honored. I feel so blessed, I know that I'm blessed. I'm grateful to God and I'm grateful to my fans, my family, my friends and everybody that just supported and showed me love."
"I'm over the moon because it's just such a great honor," the actor said, reflecting on how he continues to add to his legacy as the years go by and fans continue to praise him for his work. "Aw, man, I feel so loved. I feel like the love that I've given out I'm just getting it back, so I feel it."
Most importantly, the actor notes that his work is nowhere near done. Lawrence and his onscreen partner-in-crime, Will Smith, are hard at work on the fourth installment of the Bad Boys franchise, with Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah returning to direct from a script by Chris Bremner.
The previous entry in the franchise, Bad Boys for Life, hit theaters in 2020, grossing $426 million at the box office. The franchise as a whole, beginning with the first installment in 1995, has grossed nearly $1 billion at the box office.
"It has the chance to be the best one of them all and everybody's doing their thing," Lawrence shared with ET, adding, "we got a lot of the team back from the last one. Big Willie's doing his thing as always and so focused and, yeah, it has the chance to be the biggest one."
photo credit
@imagerybyoscar/HCC
Ana Martinez
Vice President Media Relations
Walk of Fame Producer
Hollywood Chamber of Commerce
6255 Sunset Blvd, #150
Hollywood CA 90028
323 469-8311 ext 120
Email: Ana@hollywoodchamber.net
Hollywoodchamber.net - Walkoffame.com