Laurence Fishburne, appointed USA-UNICEF’s Ambassador in June 1996, is an impassioned champion of landmine victims. This uniquely gifted actor, play and screen writer and stage director is today one of the most vociferous advocates of children’s rights and believes that the capacity to care is what gives life its deepest significance.

Laurence was born in Augusta, Georgia, on July 30, 1961. At the age of 10, he broke into show-business on One Life to Live. At the age of 14, he won the role of Clean, a sailor who dies in an ambush in Coppola’s Apocalypse Now and appeared in three more Coppola films - The Cotton Club, Rumblefish and Gardens of Stone.

Laurence made a smooth transition from a young teenage star to adult roles. Recognized as a dramatic actor, he was acclaimed and nominated for the Oscar for his gripping performance of Ike Turner in the 1993 biopic What’s Love Got to Do With It? This performance was followed by an impressive chain of credits, with leads and supporting roles on stage, screen and television.

Critics raved about his portrayal of Othello in the 1995 film version of the Shakespearean tragedy. In 1999, he stepped into blockbuster territory with his starring role in the stylish sci-fi action film The Matrix.

Laurence’s performances, both in front and behind the camera, have garnered him much acclaim. On the big screen he received numerous nominations and received an NAACP Image Award for Best Actor for his performance in Boyz N the Hood.

On the small screen, he was nominated for the Emmy, Golden Globe and Cable ACE Awards. He won the NAACP Image Award for his performance in the HBO movie, The Tuskegee Airmen and an Emmy for the premier episode of Robert de Niro’s series Tribeca. Ms. Ever’s Boys, which Laurence executive produced, won five Emmys, including the President’s Award for a program that illuminates asocial or educational issue.

In addition to his work in cinema, Laurence has established a distinguished stage career, winning the Tony and other awards in 1992 for his role in the Broadway production of Two Trains Running. He also wrote, directed, produced, and starred in the one-act play Riff Raff, which sold out its entire New York City run in 1994, even before being reviewed.

Laurence’s fans describe him as “a most sensitive, most compelling and most mesmerizing actor of the screen from Cornbread, Earl and Me to Matrix.” But he is more than that.

The prolific actor also exemplifies compassion and determination to change the human condition. His ideals are translated into action through his work with the United Nations for the cause of children and landmine victims.