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Common

Highest Rated: 100% Two Trains Runnin' (2016)

Lowest Rated: 5% Movie 43 (2013)

Birthday: Mar 13, 1972

Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, USA

A critically lauded, underground hip-hop artist who eventually found mainstream success with his artistically daring and politically conscious music, Common eventually parlayed his profile into acting. Common began his career as a cult figure in alternative hip-hop in the early 1990s, at a time when commercial rap was dominated by warring gangstas from both coasts. With his literary lyrics focused more on love and spirituality than drugs and guns, Common built a following among music critics and hip-hop fans alienated by the negative direction of gangsta rap. He earned some backlash for doing so, but eventually triumphed in the late 1990s amidst a growing revival of old school hip-hop. Following a number of best-selling, Grammy-winning albums, he began an acting career. Unlike Common's musical content, which was socially outspoken and positive, his early supporting film roles found him playing just the type of street thugs his music had railed against. As he began to find his footing in action and comedy features, Common proved that his magnetism and persona as a stage performer translated quite well to characters ranging from his starring role in Western railroad drama "Hell On Wheels" (AMC 2011-16) to comedy "Barbershop: The Next Cut" (2016) to supervillain blockbuster "Suicide Squad" (2016). He maintained his musical credibility as well, winning Best Original Song at the 2015 Academy Awards for "Glory," his collaboration with John Legend for the film "Selma" (2014) and being nominated for the same award three years later for "Stand Up for Something," a collaboration with Diane Warren, for the film "Marshall" (2017).

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Highest rated movies

100% 100% Two Trains Runnin'
Watchlist
100% 97% A Most Beautiful Thing Watchlist 99% 86% Selma Watchlist 99% 81% The Tale Watchlist 97% 81% The Hate U Give Watchlist 96% 88% Maya Angelou and Still I Rise Watchlist
96% 86% The Apollo
Watchlist
91% 66% Barbershop: The Next Cut Watchlist 89% 85% John Wick: Chapter 2 Watchlist 86% 69% All About Nina Watchlist

Filmography

Movies

Credit
No Score Yet No Score Yet SLY LIVES! (aka The Burden of Black Genius) Executive Producer - 2025
No Score Yet No Score Yet Diane Warren: Relentless Self - 2024
15% 21% Breathe Darius (Character) - 2024
No Score Yet No Score Yet Hip-Hop and The White House Self - 2024
No Score Yet No Score Yet Grassland Executive Producer - 2024
18% 38% Fool's Paradise Unknown (Character) $855.1K 2023
No Score Yet No Score Yet Killing Me Softly With His Songs Self - 2022
29% 57% Alice Frank (Character),
Executive Producer
$364.2K 2022
21% 29% Ava Michael (Character) $464.2K 2020
100% 97% A Most Beautiful Thing Narrator - 2020
63% 61% The Informer Grens (Character) $300.5K 2019
96% 86% The Apollo Self - 2019
24% 69% The Kitchen Gary Silvers (Character) $12.2M 2019
73% 86% Saint Judy Benjamin Adebayo (Character) $78.5K 2018
No Score Yet No Score Yet Blue Night Ben (Character) $13.3K 2018
No Score Yet No Score Yet They Fight Producer - 2018
38% 67% Hunter Killer RA John Fisk (Character) $15.7M 2018
97% 81% The Hate U Give Carlos (Character) $29.6M 2018
86% 69% All About Nina Rafe (Character) $100.8K 2018
76% 62% Smallfoot Stonekeeper (Voice) $83.2M 2018
99% 81% The Tale Martin (Character) - 2018
23% 13% Here and Now (Blue Night) Unknown (Character) - 2018
29% 51% A Happening of Monumental Proportions Daniel (Character) - 2017
44% 63% Love Beats Rhymes Coltrane (Character) - 2017
86% 82% Megan Leavey Gunny Martin (Character) $13.4M 2017
No Score Yet 67% Feel Rich: Health Is the New Wealth Self - 2017
89% 85% John Wick: Chapter 2 Cassian (Character) $92.0M 2017
100% 100% Two Trains Runnin' Narrator,
Executive Producer
- 2016
74% 76% Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary Self $406.3K 2016
96% 88% Maya Angelou and Still I Rise Self - 2016
91% 66% Barbershop: The Next Cut Rashad (Character) $54.0M 2016
24% 39% Being Charlie Travis (Character) $11.9K 2015
No Score Yet 92% Stretch and Bobbito: Radio That Changed Lives Self - 2015
No Score Yet 62% Unity Narrator - 2015
59% 56% Run All Night Andrew Price (Character) $26.5M 2015
32% 32% Every Secret Thing Devlin Hatch (Character) $97.0K 2014
54% 30% X/Y Jason (Character) - 2014
99% 86% Selma James Bevel (Character) $52.1M 2014
51% 70% Now You See Me Evans (Character) $117.7M 2013
No Score Yet 27% Pawn Jeff Porter (Character) $2.1K 2013
5% 24% Movie 43 Bob Mone (Character) $8.8M 2013
35% 61% Luv Uncle Vincent (Character),
Producer
$151.1K 2012
36% 67% The Odd Life of Timothy Green Coach Cal (Character) $51.9M 2012
7% 45% New Year's Eve Soldier (Character) $54.5M 2011
45% 60% Happy Feet Two Seymour (Voice) $64.0M 2011
47% 61% Just Wright Scott McKnight (Character) $21.5M 2010
67% 55% Date Night Det. Collins (Character) $98.7M 2010
33% 53% Terminator Salvation Barnes (Character) $125.3M 2009
No Score Yet No Score Yet Brave New Voices Unknown (Character) - 2009
71% 69% Wanted The Gunsmith (Character) $134.3M 2008
37% 58% Street Kings Coates (Character) $26.4M 2008
No Score Yet 50% Notorious B.I.G. Bigger Than Life Unknown (Character) - 2007
31% 62% Smokin' Aces Sir Ivy (Character) $35.6M 2007
No Score Yet 50% 5 Sides of a Coin Unknown (Character) - 2003
No Score Yet No Score Yet Lyricist Lounge: Hip Hop Video Classics Unknown (Character) - 2002

TV

Credit
92% 64% Silo Robert Sims (Character) 2023-2025
No Score Yet 54% The Kelly Clarkson Show Music Performer,
Guest
2020 2024
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Jennifer Hudson Show Music Performer,
Guest
2024
No Score Yet No Score Yet Evolution of the Black Quarterback Unknown (Voice) 2024
No Score Yet 44% The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Music Performer,
Guest
2016-2021 2024
No Score Yet 63% The Chi Executive Producer 2018-2024
No Score Yet No Score Yet Justice, USA Executive Producer 2024
No Score Yet 11% The View Music Performer,
Guest
2015-2019 2022-2024
No Score Yet 55% Late Night With Seth Meyers Guest 2016 2018 2023-2024
No Score Yet 48% The Late Show With Stephen Colbert Music Performer,
Guest
2018-2020 2022 2024
No Score Yet No Score Yet StoryBots: Answer Time Mr. Wonderful (Guest Star) 2022
No Score Yet No Score Yet Let the World See Self 2022
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Ellen DeGeneres Show Music Performer,
Guest
2012-2013 2017 2021
No Score Yet No Score Yet For Ball and Country Narrator 2021
No Score Yet No Score Yet Beyond the CANVAS Guest 2021
No Score Yet No Score Yet Action Planet: Climate Challange Self 2021
No Score Yet No Score Yet Soul of a Nation Music Performer 2021
No Score Yet No Score Yet Bookmarks Guest 2020
No Score Yet No Score Yet Home Movie: The Princess Bride Westley (Character) 2020
No Score Yet No Score Yet Fraggle Rock: Rock On! Guest 2020
No Score Yet No Score Yet Activate: The Global Citizen Movement Unknown (Character) 2019
100% No Score Yet Sherman's Showcase Unknown (Guest Star) 2019
No Score Yet No Score Yet Desus & Mero Guest 2019
No Score Yet No Score Yet Reel South Narrator 2019
No Score Yet 67% The Lion Guard Kiburi (Guest Voice) 2017-2018
45% No Score Yet The Academy Awards Music Performer 2018
No Score Yet 42% Jimmy Kimmel Live! Music Performer,
Guest
2007-2009 2014-2015 2018
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Talk Guest 2015 2018
85% 76% The Simpsons Himself (Guest Voice) 2017
41% 61% Chelsea Guest 2016
No Score Yet No Score Yet Harry Guest 2016
No Score Yet No Score Yet America Divided Correspondent 2016
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Wendy Williams Show Music Performer,
Guest
2010-2011 2016
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Daily Show Guest 2011 2015-2016
No Score Yet No Score Yet Lip Sync Battle Contestant 2015
No Score Yet No Score Yet Framework Executive Producer,
Host
2015
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Mo'Nique Show Unknown (Character) 2015
73% 90% Hell on Wheels Elam Ferguson (Character) 2011-2014
No Score Yet No Score Yet 106 & Park Unknown (Character),
Guest
2013-2014
No Score Yet No Score Yet Larry King Now Guest 2014
No Score Yet No Score Yet Fashion Police Unknown (Character) 2014
No Score Yet No Score Yet Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen Guest 2014
No Score Yet No Score Yet Late Night With Jimmy Fallon Music Performer,
Guest
2010 2012-2013
86% 83% The Mindy Project Unknown (Guest Star) 2013
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Bonnie Hunt Show Guest 2009
No Score Yet No Score Yet Late Night With Conan O'Brien Guest 2006
83% 86% Scrubs Himself (Guest Star) 2004
No Score Yet No Score Yet One on One Unknown (Guest Star) 2004
36% No Score Yet Game Over Unknown (Guest Voice) 2004
No Score Yet No Score Yet Girlfriends Unknown (Guest Star) 2003
No Score Yet No Score Yet Storyville Unknown (Guest Voice)