Common
Born: 1972-03-13 in Chicago, Illinois, USA
Known For: Acting
Biography
Lonnie Rashid Lynn (born March 13, 1972), known by his stage name Common (formerly Common Sense), is an American rapper and actor. He has received three Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and a Golden Globe Award. He debuted in 1992 with the album Can I Borrow a Dollar?, and gained critical acclaim with his 1994 album Resurrection. He maintained an underground following into the late 1990s. He achieved mainstream success through his work with the Soulquarians. His first major-label album Like Water for Chocolate (2000), received commercial success. In 2003, he won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Song for the Erykah Badu single "Love of My Life". His 2005 album Be was also a commercial success and was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 2006 Grammy Awards. Common received his second Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for "Southside" (featuring Kanye West), from his 2007 album Finding Forever. His best-of album, Thisisme Then: The Best of Common, was released in late 2007. In 2011, Common launched Think Common Entertainment, his own record label imprint, having previously released music under various other labels including Relativity, Geffen, and GOOD Music. Common won the 2015 Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song and the Academy Award for Best Original Song, for his song, co-written and performed with John Legend, "Glory" from the 2014 film Selma, in which he co-starred as Civil Rights Movement leader James Bevel. Common's acting career also includes roles in the films Smokin' Aces, Street Kings, American Gangster, Wanted, Terminator Salvation, Date Night, Just Wright, Happy Feet Two, New Year's Eve, Run All Night, Being Charlie, Rex, John Wick: Chapter 2, Smallfoot and Hunter Killer. He also narrated the documentary Bouncing Cats, about one man's efforts to improve the lives of children in Uganda through hip-hop/b-boy culture. He starred as Elam Ferguson on the AMC western television series Hell on Wheels. Description above from the Wikipedia article Common (rapper), licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Filmography
2026
- Soul Power: The Legend of the American Basketball Association as Narrator (voice)
- W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel With a Cause as Self
2025
- Wick Is Pain as Self
- Diane Warren: Relentless as Self
- SLY LIVES! (aka The Burden of Black Genius) ... (Executive Producer)
- Boo-Yah: A Portrait of Stuart Scott as Self
2024
- Breathe as Darius
- Justice, USA ... (Executive Producer)
- Evolution of the Black Quarterback as Self
- Live from Detroit: The Concert at Michigan Central as Self
- Hip-Hop and the White House
- Bilal: Live at Glasshaus as Self
- Four Letters ... (Music)
2023
- Silo as Robert Sims
- Fool's Paradise as The Dagger
- A GRAMMY Salute to 50 Years of Hip-Hop as Self
- Chris Rock: Road To Live Special as Self
- Between Riverside and Crazy as Junior
- The Legacy of J Dilla as Self - Rapper; Friend
2022
- The Jennifer Hudson Show as Self - Guest
- StoryBots: Answer Time as Mr. Wonderful
- jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy as Self (archive footage)
- Alice as Frank
- Killing Me Softly with His Songs as Self
- Glitter Ain't Gold ... (Executive Producer)
2021
- 2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony as Self
- You're Watching Video Music Box as Self (archive footage)
2020
- Never Have I Ever as Dr. Chris Jackson
- Home Movie: The Princess Bride as Westley
- Ava as Michael
- Bottomless Brunch at Colman's as Self
- Fraggle Rock: Rock On! as Self
- One World: Together at Home as Self
- Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices
- Obama as Self
- A Most Beautiful Thing as Narrator
- Let's Go Crazy: The Grammy Salute to Prince as Self
2019
- The Kelly Clarkson Show as Self
- Tamron Hall as Self - Guest
- The Informer as Grens
- The Kitchen as Gary Silvers
- Activate: The Global Citizen Movement as Self
- The Price of Protest as Self (archive footage)
2018
- The Chi as Rafiq
- Ocean's Eight as Common
- Hunter Killer as RA John Fisk
- The Hate U Give as Uncle Carlos
- Smallfoot as Stonekeeper (voice)
- Shut Up and Dribble as Self - Musician
- Saint Judy as Benjamin Adebayo
- The Tale as Martin
- All About Nina as Rafe
- Here and Now as Ben
2017
- John Wick: Chapter 2 as Cassian
- Girls Trip as Common
- Marshall ... (Lyricist)
- Megan Leavey as Gunny Martin
- The Words That Built America as Self - Reader: Declaration of Independence
- Love Beats Rhymes as Coltrane
- Chasing Trane as Self - Musician
- A Happening of Monumental Proportions as Daniel
- Chamber Check: Evolution of a Fight Scene as Self
- Feel Rich: Health Is the New Wealth as Himself
- Misdirection: The Real Magic as Narrator
2016
- Chelsea as Self
- Suicide Squad as Monster T
- Barbershop: The Next Cut as Jabari
- America Divided as Self
- Being Charlie as Travis
- Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise as Self
- BET Presents Love & Happiness: An Obama Celebration as Self - Performer
- VH1 Hip Hop Honors: All Hail the Queens
- Letter to the Free
- An American Girl Story - Melody 1963: Love Has to Win ... (Executive Producer)
- Two Trains Runnin' as Narrator
- Black America Again as Himself - Street Performer
- We're Still Here (Now).... A Documentary about nobody as Self
2015
- The Late Show with Stephen Colbert as Self - Guest
- Lip Sync Battle as Self
- Run All Night as Mr. Price
- Entourage as Common
- Unity as Narrator (voice)
- The Wiz Live! as The Bouncer
- Framework as Himself - Host
- Stretch and Bobbito: Radio That Changed Lives
2014
- The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon as Self
- Late Night with Seth Meyers as Self - Guest
- Off Camera with Sam Jones as Self
- Selma as James Bevel
- Every Secret Thing as Devlin Hatch
- X/Y as Jason
2013
- Now You See Me as Evans
- Movie 43 as Bob Mone (segment "The Pitch")
- Pawn as Jeff Porter
- LUV as Uncle Vincent
- Our Vinyl Weighs a Ton: This Is Stones Throw Records as Self
2012
- The Mindy Project as Security Guard
- The Odd Life of Timothy Green as Coach Cal
- Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap as Self
2011
- Hell on Wheels as Elam Ferguson
- Happy Feet Two as Seymour (voice)
- New Year's Eve as Soldier
- Beats Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest as Self
2010
- Date Night as Collins
- Just Wright as Scott McKnight
- Music as Self
- Brave New Voices 2010 as Himself - Host
- Bouncing Cats as Narrator
2009
- Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen as Self - Guest
- Terminator Salvation as Barnes
2008
- Wanted as The Gunsmith
- Street Kings as Coates
2007
- Keeping Up with the Kardashians as Self
- American Gangster as Turner Lucas
- Notorious B.I.G.: Bigger Than Life as Self
2006
- Smokin' Aces as Sir Ivy
- I Love the '70s: Volume 2 as Self
2005
- Nick Cannon Presents: Wild 'N Out
- Dave Chappelle's Block Party as Self
- Black in the 80s as Self
- Kanye West: College Dropout [Video Anthology] as Self (segment "Two Words")
- Letter to the President as Self
- Soundz of Spirit as Self
- Alicia Keys: Unplugged as Self
- The Notorious B.I.G BET Official presents
2004
- Game Over as Himself (voice)
- 5 Sides of a Coin as Himself
2003
- Real Time with Bill Maher as Self
- Jimmy Kimmel Live! as Self
- The Ellen DeGeneres Show as Self
- Chappelle's Show
- Beef as Self
- Godfathers and Sons as Self
2002
- Brown Sugar as Self
2001
- Scrubs as Common
- One on One as Darius
2000
- Girlfriends as Omar
1999
- Mark Twain Prize as Self - Musical Guest
1998
- TRL
- Pete Rock: Soul Survivor as Common
1997
- The View as Self
- The Chris Rock Show
1996
- The Daily Show as Self
1993
- Late Night with Conan O'Brien as Self - Guest
1992
- MTV Movie & TV Awards as Self - Presenter
- The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
1989
- The Simpsons as Common (voice)
1986
- American Masters as Self
1984
- MTV Video Music Awards as Self - Presenter
1981
- Entertainment Tonight as Self
1975
- Saturday Night Live as Self - Cameo (uncredited)