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.
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Wick Is Pain
Self
2025
Diane Warren: Relentless
Self
2025
Bilal: Live at Glasshaus
Self
2024
Alice
Frank
2022
jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy
Self (archive footage) · (1 episode)
2022
Ava
Michael
2020
A Most Beautiful Thing
Narrator
2020
Never Have I Ever
Dr. Chris Jackson · (4 episodes)
2020
Let's Go Crazy: The Grammy Salute to Prince
Self
2020
One World: Together at Home
Self
2020
Tamron Hall
Self - Guest · (1 episode)
2019
The Price of Protest
Self (archive footage)
2019
Saint Judy
Benjamin Adebayo
2019
Shut Up and Dribble
Self - Musician · (2 episodes)
2018
Letter to the Free
2016
Hell on Wheels
Elam Ferguson · (43 episodes)
2011
Music
Self
2010
Brave New Voices 2010
Himself - Host
2010
Notorious B.I.G.: Bigger Than Life
Self
2007
I Love the '70s: Volume 2
Self · (3 episodes)
2006
Nick Cannon Presents: Wild 'N Out
(2 episodes)
2005
Letter to the President
Self
2005
![Kanye West: College Dropout [Video Anthology]](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w154/iJoIAh8NaChoVN0GRYVHaa4Yxlq.jpg){kind=small}
Kanye West: College Dropout [Video Anthology]
Airline Employee (segment "All Falls Down")
2005
Soundz of Spirit
Self
2005
Black in the 80s
Self · (3 episodes)
2005
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Self · (2 episodes)
2003
Scrubs
Common · (1 episode)
2001
Girlfriends
(1 episode)
2000
Pete Rock: Soul Survivor
Common
1998
Hate to See You Go
Paragraphs I Manifest
Self
Evolution of the Black Quarterback
Self · (1 episode)
2024
Live From Detroit: The Concert at Michigan Central
Self
2024
Hip-Hop and the White House
2024
Breathe
Darius
2024
A GRAMMY Salute to 50 Years of Hip-Hop
Self
2023
Fool's Paradise
The Dagger
2023
Silo
Robert Sims · (20 episodes)
2023
The Legacy of J Dilla
Self - Rapper; Friend
2023
Chris Rock: Road To Live Special
Self
2023
Between Riverside and Crazy
Junior
2023
StoryBots: Answer Time
Mr. Wonderful · (1 episode)
2022
Killing Me Softly with His Songs
Self
2022
The Jennifer Hudson Show
Self · (2 episodes)
2022
You're Watching Video Music Box
Self (archive footage)
2021
2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
Self
2021
Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices
(1 episode)
2020
Home Movie: The Princess Bride
Westley · (1 episode)
2020
Bottomless Brunch at Colman's
Self · (1 episode)
2020
The Kelly Clarkson Show
(2 episodes)
2019
The Kelly Clarkson Show
Self · (1 episode)
2019
Activate: The Global Citizen Movement
Self · (1 episode)
2019
The Informer
Grens
2019
The Kitchen
Gary Silvers
2019
Here and Now
Ben
2018
Hunter Killer
RA John Fisk
2018
The Hate U Give
Uncle Carlos
2018
All About Nina
Rafe
2018
Smallfoot
Stonekeeper (voice)
2018
Ocean's Eight
Common
2018
The Tale
Martin
2018
The Chi
Rafiq · (4 episodes)
2018
Love Beats Rhymes
Coltrane
2017
Girls Trip
Common
2017
The Words That Built America
Self - Reader: Declaration of Independence
2017
Chamber Check: Evolution of a Fight Scene
Self
2017
Misdirection: The Real Magic
Narrator
2017
Megan Leavey
Gunny Martin
2017
Feel Rich: Health Is the New Wealth
Himself
2017
A Happening of Monumental Proportions
Daniel
2017
Chasing Trane
Self - Musician
2017
John Wick: Chapter 2
Cassian
2017
BET Presents Love & Happiness: An Obama Celebration
Self - Performer
2016
America Divided
Self · (8 episodes)
2016
Black America Again
Himself - Street Performer
2016
Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise
Self
2016
Suicide Squad
Monster T
2016
Chelsea
Self · (1 episode)
2016
Barbershop: The Next Cut
Jabari
2016
Two Trains Runnin'
Narrator
2016
The Wiz Live!
The Bouncer
2015
Stretch and Bobbito: Radio That Changed Lives
2015
Being Charlie
Travis
2015
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Self · (1 episode)
2015
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
(1 episode)
2015
Unity
Narrator (voice)
2015
Entourage
Common
2015
Lip Sync Battle
Self · (1 episode)
2015
Run All Night
Mr. Price
2015
Framework
Himself - Host · (10 episodes)
2015
Selma
James Bevel
2014
Every Secret Thing
Devlin Hatch
2014
X/Y
Jason
2014
Late Night with Seth Meyers
Self · (1 episode)
2014
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
(1 episode)
2014
Off Camera with Sam Jones
Self · (1 episode)
2014
Our Vinyl Weighs a Ton: This Is Stones Throw Records
Self
2013
Now You See Me
Evans
2013
Pawn
Jeff Porter
2013
Movie 43
Bob Mone (segment "The Pitch")
2013
LUV
Uncle Vincent
2013
The Mindy Project
Security Guard · (1 episode)
2012
The Odd Life of Timothy Green
Coach Cal
2012
Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap
Self
2012
New Year's Eve
Soldier
2011
Happy Feet Two
Seymour (voice)
2011
Beats Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest
Self
2011
Just Wright
Scott McKnight
2010
Bouncing Cats
Narrator
2010
Date Night
Collins
2010
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
Self - Guest · (1 episode)
2009
Terminator Salvation
Barnes
2009
Wanted
The Gunsmith
2008
Street Kings
Coates
2008
American Gangster
Turner Lucas
2007
Keeping Up with the Kardashians
Self · (1 episode)
2007
Smokin' Aces
Sir Ivy
2006
Dave Chappelle's Block Party
Self
2005
Kanye West: College Dropout [Video Anthology]
Self (segment "Two Words")
2005
The Notorious B.I.G BET Official presents
2005
5 Sides of a Coin
Himself
2004
Game Over
Himself (voice) · (1 episode)
2004
Godfathers and Sons
Self
2003
Beef
Self
2003
Real Time with Bill Maher
Himself · (1 episode)
2003
Chappelle's Show
(1 episode)
2003
Brown Sugar
Self
2002
One on One
Darius · (1 episode)
2001
TRL
(1 episode)
1998
The View
Self · (2 episodes)
1997
The Chris Rock Show
(1 episode)
1997
The Daily Show
Self · (2 episodes)
1996
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Self - Guest · (2 episodes)
1993
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
(2 episodes)
1992
The Simpsons
Common (voice) · (1 episode)
1989
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
(1 episode)
1988
American Masters
Self · (1 episode)
1986
MTV Video Music Awards
Self - Presenter · (1 episode)
1984
Entertainment Tonight
Self · (1 episode)
1981
Saturday Night Live
Self - Cameo (uncredited) · (2 episodes)
1975