Laz Alonso

Birthday: 25 March 1974, Washington, District of Columbia, USA

Height: 182 cm

Born and raised in Washington DC, Laz always knew he wanted to be an actor. He remembers at a very early age entertaining his family by imitating relatives and family friends. He graduated from the prestigious Howard University School of Business, earning a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration with a concentration in marketing. After college, he worked on Wall Street at an investment banking firm. He and several partners eventually started their own marketing business, promoting mainstream products to the trend-setting urban market. Owning and operating his own successful business freed up Laz's time to finally explore his passion for acting. Laz began taking classes in the evening to hone his craft and it didn't take him long to begin landing roles in commercials and videos.From D.C. to New York, Laz feels his upbringing not only taught him how to deal with the school of hard knocks, but also prepared him for his biggest goal, his acting career. He credits the move to NYC as his move into manhood and the city holds many great memories for him. Laz also credits his acting ability to these life experiences, as he is able to bring a little of what he knows or has dealt with into his characters. Show less «

There was a day where I was sitting at my desk, working 90-hour work weeks, in a suit, looking at a ...Show more »

There was a day where I was sitting at my desk, working 90-hour work weeks, in a suit, looking at a computer, with all these pitch books on my desk, and I just thought, 'This can't be my life.' Show less «

My buddies all still make fun of me about the whole 'Leprechaun' thing, and I'm proud of that movie....Show more »

My buddies all still make fun of me about the whole 'Leprechaun' thing, and I'm proud of that movie. I'm just as proud of that work as I am of anything else that I've done. I feel like where I was in my career at the time, I committed to the character. Show less «

There is a little bit of me infused in every character I play.

I think the biggest lesson that I take from 'Avatar' on any set that I go to is just work ethic. Wor...Show more »

I think the biggest lesson that I take from 'Avatar' on any set that I go to is just work ethic. Working with Jim Cameron, you're used to working very, very long days and you're very meticulous about details. He's very, very picky about little details, little character-isms and things. Show less «

Being able to travel and see the world really makes me appreciate the blessings in my life. There ar...Show more »

Being able to travel and see the world really makes me appreciate the blessings in my life. There are so many people that will never get a chance to see some of the things that I've seen during my travels. I'll never take that for granted. Show less «

When you are really in love, you become vulnerable, and insecurities come out of nowhere.

'Miracle at St. Anna.' I was challenged by Spike Lee. When he offered me the film, he looked me squa...Show more »

'Miracle at St. Anna.' I was challenged by Spike Lee. When he offered me the film, he looked me square in the eye and said, 'You start this film off and you end this film. I don't want a dry eye in the theatre. Can you pull that off?' He was dead serious. Show less «

I'm flattered that women think that I'm sexy.

I love that period, between the '20s and the '60s. I love doing period pieces, and those eras are my...Show more »

I love that period, between the '20s and the '60s. I love doing period pieces, and those eras are my favorite period in time, music wise, and the elegance and the way of being. Show less «

As Africans Americans we often think about the tragic stories associated with our lineage, but there...Show more »

As Africans Americans we often think about the tragic stories associated with our lineage, but there are a lot of triumphs. Traveling helps you learn about other aspects of our history, like the story of Christ the Redeemer. It's empowering and inspiring. Show less «

I've been very blessed to work in some films that I'm very proud of.

My entire life, I've always known that I wanted to be a performer, but I didn't know exactly how, wh...Show more »

My entire life, I've always known that I wanted to be a performer, but I didn't know exactly how, where or when. I never learned or studied the craft, formally. I grew up doing martial arts and playing piano. But, something inside of me always said that I was going to do this, as far back as I can remember. Show less «

You may have seen me in movies like 'Fast & Furious' and 'Avatar.' But I wouldn't have been able to ...Show more »

You may have seen me in movies like 'Fast & Furious' and 'Avatar.' But I wouldn't have been able to do any of that without hard work and determination. You can accomplish anything if you just stay out of trouble and do the right things. Show less «

I love HGTV. I love working on my house and have really been bit by the 'luxury remodeling' bug. 'Mi...Show more »

I love HGTV. I love working on my house and have really been bit by the 'luxury remodeling' bug. 'Million Dollar Rooms,' 'Million Dollar Listing'... any show that can give me design inspiration, I soak it in and try my hand at it. Home Depot is my second home! Show less «

Eventually one day I want to direct, but as of right now my next cap that I'm looking for is the pro...Show more »

Eventually one day I want to direct, but as of right now my next cap that I'm looking for is the producer cap. Show less «

I want to play roles that I'm proud of, that I feel a certain integrity about, and I want to continu...Show more »

I want to play roles that I'm proud of, that I feel a certain integrity about, and I want to continue to be truthful in the work that I do. Show less «

I like speed, so I like taking the jet skis out and hitting the water, or hitting the lake. In the w...Show more »

I like speed, so I like taking the jet skis out and hitting the water, or hitting the lake. In the winter, unfortunately, I used to ski a lot but I haven't been able to ski in the past few years because thank God I've been working, so that's a good reason not to. Show less «

I'm a big fan of 'Star Wars.' Some of the most iconic characters of 'Star Wars,' we didn't see their...Show more »

I'm a big fan of 'Star Wars.' Some of the most iconic characters of 'Star Wars,' we didn't see their faces but to this day you can say Jabba the Hutt or Darth Vader and people know what you mean around the world. Show less «

Growing up in D.C. there are so many different types of educational and professional levels. They ca...Show more »

Growing up in D.C. there are so many different types of educational and professional levels. They call D.C. 'Chocolate City' but just because we're all chocolate doesn't mean we're all the same. In D.C., everyone co-exists harmoniously but the lines are still drawn. And people don't really step over those lines. Show less «

It's funny because when I got 'Jarhead' and 'Avatar' and all those movies, 'Leprechaun' still to thi...Show more »

It's funny because when I got 'Jarhead' and 'Avatar' and all those movies, 'Leprechaun' still to this day airs on BET. I was thinking, 'Will they just let it go? I finally have a body of work that can speak much better to what I can do than just Leprechaun.' Show less «

I believe in my heart that 'Avatar' is going to be the revolutionary sci-fi movie for this generatio...Show more »

I believe in my heart that 'Avatar' is going to be the revolutionary sci-fi movie for this generation, in this era. Show less «

You know, I think a lot of times what happens when we as actors know we're playing a bad guy is we g...Show more »

You know, I think a lot of times what happens when we as actors know we're playing a bad guy is we get into bad guy mode. You know what, man? In real life, bad people do good things too and good people do bad things. So you don't necessarily have to be the stereotypical bad guy to still do bad things. Show less «

I'm a martial artist. I've boxed all my life. I work out. I studied Hwarangdo, which is a Korean sty...Show more »

I'm a martial artist. I've boxed all my life. I work out. I studied Hwarangdo, which is a Korean style. Show less «

'Fast & Furious' is a well-oiled machine. Those guys really know what they're doing. The guys that w...Show more »

'Fast & Furious' is a well-oiled machine. Those guys really know what they're doing. The guys that work behind the scenes are just as important as the ones in front of the cameras. They are car enthusiasts. They live and breathe this world. Show less «

Laz Alonso

Laz Alonso's FILMOGRAPHY

Laz Alonso'S roles

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