Common
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.
Known For

The Simpsons

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen

Late Night with Seth Meyers

Late Night with Seth Meyers

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
All Movies (97)
- W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel With a Cause2026 · as Self
- Boo-Yah: A Portrait of Stuart Scott2025 · as Self
- Wick Is Pain2025 · as Self
- Diane Warren: Relentless2025 · as Self
- Bilal: Live at Glasshaus2024 · as Self
- Live from Detroit: The Concert at Michigan Central2024 · as Self
- Hip-Hop and the White House2024
- Breathe2024 · as Darius
- A GRAMMY Salute to 50 Years of Hip-Hop2023 · as Self
- Fool's Paradise2023 · as The Dagger
- The Legacy of J Dilla2023 · as Self - Rapper; Friend
- Chris Rock: Road To Live Special2023 · as Self
- Between Riverside and Crazy2023 · as Junior
- Killing Me Softly with His Songs2022 · as Self
- Alice2022 · as Frank
- You're Watching Video Music Box2021 · as Self (archive footage)
- 2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony2021 · as Self
- Ava2020 · as Michael
- A Most Beautiful Thing2020 · as Narrator
- Let's Go Crazy: The Grammy Salute to Prince2020 · as Self
- One World: Together at Home2020 · as Self
- The Informer2019 · as Grens
- The Price of Protest2019 · as Self (archive footage)
- The Kitchen2019 · as Gary Silvers
- Here and Now2018 · as Ben
- Hunter Killer2018 · as RA John Fisk
- The Hate U Give2018 · as Uncle Carlos
- All About Nina2018 · as Rafe
- Saint Judy2018 · as Benjamin Adebayo
- Smallfoot2018 · as Stonekeeper (voice)
- Ocean's Eight2018 · as Common
- The Tale2018 · as Martin
- Love Beats Rhymes2017 · as Coltrane
- Girls Trip2017 · as Common
- The Words That Built America2017 · as Self - Reader: Declaration of Independence
- Chamber Check: Evolution of a Fight Scene2017 · as Self
- Misdirection: The Real Magic2017 · as Narrator
- Megan Leavey2017 · as Gunny Martin
- Feel Rich: Health Is the New Wealth2017 · as Himself
- A Happening of Monumental Proportions2017 · as Daniel
- Chasing Trane2017 · as Self - Musician
- John Wick: Chapter 22017 · as Cassian
- BET Presents Love & Happiness: An Obama Celebration2016 · as Self - Performer
- Letter to the Free2016
- Black America Again2016 · as Himself - Street Performer
- Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise2016 · as Self
- We're Still Here (Now).... A Documentary about nobody2016 · as Self
- Suicide Squad2016 · as Monster T
- VH1 Hip Hop Honors: All Hail the Queens2016
- Being Charlie2016 · as Travis
- Barbershop: The Next Cut2016 · as Jabari
- Two Trains Runnin'2016 · as Narrator
- The Wiz Live!2015 · as The Bouncer
- Stretch and Bobbito: Radio That Changed Lives2015
- Unity2015 · as Narrator (voice)
- Entourage2015 · as Common
- Run All Night2015 · as Mr. Price
- Selma2014 · as James Bevel
- Every Secret Thing2014 · as Devlin Hatch
- X/Y2014 · as Jason
- Our Vinyl Weighs a Ton: This Is Stones Throw Records2013 · as Self
- Now You See Me2013 · as Evans
- Pawn2013 · as Jeff Porter
- Movie 432013 · as Bob Mone (segment "The Pitch")
- LUV2013 · as Uncle Vincent
- The Odd Life of Timothy Green2012 · as Coach Cal
- Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap2012 · as Self
- New Year's Eve2011 · as Soldier
- Happy Feet Two2011 · as Seymour (voice)
- Beats Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest2011 · as Self
- Music2010 · as Self
- Just Wright2010 · as Scott McKnight
- Bouncing Cats2010 · as Narrator
- Date Night2010 · as Collins
- Brave New Voices 20102010 · as Himself - Host
- Terminator Salvation2009 · as Barnes
- Wanted2008 · as The Gunsmith
- Street Kings2008 · as Coates
- American Gangster2007 · as Turner Lucas
- Notorious B.I.G.: Bigger Than Life2007 · as Self
- Smokin' Aces2006 · as Sir Ivy
- Alicia Keys: Unplugged2005 · as Self
- Dave Chappelle's Block Party2005 · as Self
- Letter to the President2005 · as Self
- Kanye West: College Dropout [Video Anthology]2005 · as Self (segment "Two Words")
- Kanye West: College Dropout [Video Anthology]2005 · as Airline Employee (segment "All Falls Down")
- Soundz of Spirit2005 · as Self
- The Notorious B.I.G BET Official presents2005
- 5 Sides of a Coin2004 · as Himself
- Godfathers and Sons2003 · as Self
- Beef2003 · as Self
- Brown Sugar2002 · as Self
- Pete Rock: Soul Survivor1998 · as Common
- Hate to See You Go—
- Paragraphs I Manifest— · as Self
- Soul Power: The Legend of the American Basketball Association— · as Self/Narrator
- Dave Chappelle's Block Party 2— · as Self
All TV Shows (59)
- Soul Power: The Legend of the American Basketball Association2026 · as Narrator (voice)
- Evolution of the Black Quarterback2024 · as Self
- Silo2023 · as Robert Sims
- StoryBots: Answer Time2022 · as Mr. Wonderful
- The Jennifer Hudson Show2022 · as Self - Guest
- jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy2022 · as Self (archive footage)
- Obama2020 · as Self
- Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices2020
- Home Movie: The Princess Bride2020 · as Westley
- Bottomless Brunch at Colman's2020 · as Self
- Never Have I Ever2020 · as Dr. Chris Jackson
- Fraggle Rock: Rock On!2020 · as Self
- Tamron Hall2019 · as Self - Guest
- The Kelly Clarkson Show2019 · as Self
- Activate: The Global Citizen Movement2019 · as Self
- Shut Up and Dribble2018 · as Self - Musician
- The Chi2018 · as Rafiq
- America Divided2016 · as Self
- Chelsea2016 · as Self
- The Late Show with Stephen Colbert2015 · as Self - Guest
- The Late Show with Stephen Colbert2015
- The Late Show with Stephen Colbert2015 · as Self - Musical Guest
- Lip Sync Battle2015 · as Self
- Framework2015 · as Himself - Host
- Late Night with Seth Meyers2014 · as Self - Guest
- Late Night with Seth Meyers2014 · as Self
- The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon2014 · as Self
- The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon2014 · as Self - Musical Guest
- Off Camera with Sam Jones2014 · as Self
- The Mindy Project2012 · as Security Guard
- Hell on Wheels2011 · as Elam Ferguson
- Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen2009 · as Self - Guest
- Keeping Up with the Kardashians2007 · as Self
- I Love the '70s: Volume 22006 · as Self
- Nick Cannon Presents: Wild 'N Out2005
- Black in the 80s2005 · as Self
- Game Over2004 · as Himself (voice)
- The Ellen DeGeneres Show2003 · as Self
- Real Time with Bill Maher2003 · as Self
- Jimmy Kimmel Live!2003 · as Self
- Jimmy Kimmel Live!2003 · as Self - Musical Guest
- Chappelle's Show2003
- Scrubs2001 · as Common
- One on One2001 · as Darius
- Girlfriends2000 · as Omar
- Mark Twain Prize1999 · as Self - Musical Guest
- TRL1998
- The View1997 · as Self
- The Chris Rock Show1997
- The Daily Show1996 · as Self
- Late Night with Conan O'Brien1993 · as Self - Guest
- MTV Movie & TV Awards1992 · as Self - Presenter
- The Tonight Show with Jay Leno1992
- The Simpsons1989 · as Common (voice)
- LIVE with Kelly and Mark1988
- American Masters1986 · as Self
- MTV Video Music Awards1984 · as Self - Presenter
- Entertainment Tonight1981 · as Self
- Saturday Night Live1975 · as Self - Cameo (uncredited)