Who Got His Big Break By Becoming The First Grand Champion In The Comedy Category On “Star Search”?

During the 1980s, one of the most iconic television shows was Star Search, an American talent competition show. After four successful seasons and several Music, Dance and Vocal winners, the show decided to expand with a new category – Comedy. The first-ever Grand Champion for the show’s Comedy category was none other than the one and only comedian, Martin Lawrence.

Martin Lawrence was born and raised in Frankfurt, Germany. He came to the United States while he was in the military and quickly found a knack for stand-up comedy, which he began performing in various Bay Area and Los Angeles comedy clubs. He was soon scooped up by some networks, and eventually found himself competing on Star Search in 1984.

On the show, which aired on CBS, Lawrence wowed the judges and the live audience with his unique brand of physical comedy. In fact, one of his acts – a series of characters wearing outlandish masks – made the audience go wild. So much so, the judges gave him the highest scores and awarded him the title of Grand Champion. After his win, Lawrence was offered his own television special on Showtime and was quickly on the rise in the world of comedy.

Lawrence went on to become one of the most iconic and popular comic actors of our time. His win of the Grand Champion on Star Search gave him the break he needed to branch out and become the multi-faceted comedian, actor and director that he is today. In 2009, he even returned to Star Search as a celebrity judge.

All these years later, Martin Lawrence’s success on Star Search still serves as an inspiration to aspiring comedians everywhere. His win taught us that determination, hard work and a few laughs can truly get you places in life.