Lavell Crawford is a brilliant comedian and actor who has been around for a while. His stock began to rise after his thrilling performance on NBC’s show ‘Last Comic Standing’. As an actor, he started his acting career with a feature in the series Breaking Bad and had secured a recurring role as ‘Huell Babineaux’ in the award-winning series.
Crawford who is known in the industry for his witty and intelligent jokes – and also for his signature body size – has continued to progress. Read on as we unveil how he began his comic career, who his parents are, his wife and how much he is worth.
Lavell Crawford’s Biography
Born in St. Louis, Missouri, on the 11th of November 1968, Lavell Crawford attended Pattonville High School, Maryland Heights, Missouri from whence he graduated in 1986.
His childhood was a little rough as he struggled with his weight and self-esteem and he almost drowned when he was about ten years old. But despite the challenges he faced, he has made something good out of his life – bringing laughter to millions across the globe.
Career – As A Standup Comedian and Actor
Lavell Crawford ventured into comedy in the 1990s and was a regular on the BET’s Comic View. He continued to build up his career with different performances in different stages.
In 2007, Crawford contested on the show ‘Last Comic Standing’ by NBC television. Unfortunately, he lost to Jon Reep in the season finale. Despite his loss, the show catapulted him to the limelight. He went ahead to record his own show with the title ‘Lavell Crawford: Can a Brother Get Some Love‘ in Roberts Orpheum Theatre, St. Louis.
He then ventured into acting with a debut in TV series Breaking Bad from 2008 to 2013. He featured as a standup comedian with the name ‘Landslide’ on sitcom Always Sunny in Philadelphia. The St. Louis native also went made two episodal appearances in Tosh.0, a Comedy Central production from 2010 to 2011.
By 2015, he landed a supporting role in American Ultra. He also made several guest appearances on different shows including The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore, Aqua TV Show, Squidbillies, Your pretty Face is Going to Hell, Goodnights Comedy Show, to mention a few.
One of Lavell Crawford’s signature in the industry is his weight. The comedian in a bid to have a healthier lifestyle underwent a gastric sleeve surgery in 2016 chopped off 120 pounds. He revealed that he was motivated to undertake the surgery to stay alive for his family. Prior to the medical procedure, he weighed 475 pounds but is now down to 350 pounds.
As part of his healthy lifestyle change, he also signed up with the Katana Jujitsu academy Woodland where he takes part in their health and self-defense training.
Lavell released a new showtime standup special after his weight loss titled ‘Lavell Crawford: New Look Same Funny’. He has continued to host different shows in different cities alongside his acting.
Some of his acting works include; Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates, Ridiculous 6, Boo! A Madea Halloween, Love is Not Enough, Compton’s Finest, Meet The Blacks, Better Call Saul, For Love or Money, Squidbillies, Love Chronicles: Secrets Revealed, and many more.
Parents – Dad
Lavell Crawford’s father is Daryl Crawford, a popular bodybuilder who abandoned his family – leaving his wife Annita Crawford to raise their three children alone. The father and son were estranged for several years before they mended their relationship after reuniting in 2010. Lavell Crawford reveals that his father is gay and they just discovered after their reunion. This discovery was life-changing for him as he feared that it could be hereditary.
His father also admits that he left when he discovered that he was gay as he didn’t know how to break the news to his family. Sadly, his father’s gay partner – a white man he had married – passed on in 2015.
Wife
The humor merchant married Deshawn Jones on 14th February 2009. The couple has three kids together. One of the major reasons why the 1.78m (5 ft 10 inches) tall comedian decided to work on his weight is because of his wife and children. He admits not wanting to leave his wife hanging.
He constantly shares pictures of her on his social media pages gushing about his love for her and her devotion to him and their kids. Asides from being the main provider of his family, he loves spending quality time with his family. His has expressed interest in starting a YouTube channel dedicated to his fishing hobby where he would give his followers tips on the best lures to use in fishing.
How Much Is Lavell Crawford’s Net Worth?
Lavell Crawford started out as a comedian but has since veered into the movie industry as most comedians do. He has featured in some notable films and television series alongside established actors and must have earned a substantial amount for his roles.
While nothing has been confirmed yet, his net worth is said to be $500k as of 2018. With an increase in the number of movies, TV shows and comedy gigs in different cities he has embarked on after that year, his net worth is expected to have experienced a surge. Thus it could be more than the estimated sum of $500,000.