You've got to get obsessed and stay obsessed. You have to keep passing the open windows.
-The Hotel New Hampshire
Lawrence Kern was born and raised in Texas. After earning his BFA in Theatre (and also a minor in English with an emphasis in Shakespeare) from Southwestern University, he traveled to the North to attend The Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University, where he obtained his MFA.
Lawrence started acting on the stage, most notably performing at Shakespeare's Globe in London, England, through the prestigious Shakespeare at Winedale program, but has since turned his attentions to the camera. Aside from a glittering turn as "Swat Leader" in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight, which was so good it wound up on the cutting room floor (didn't want to steal Christian Bale's thunder), Lawrence has had roles in television (notably, Chicago PD and Betrayal), a straight-to-video thriller, and some short films, including Girl Parts and also Non-Love Song, which have both received critical acclaim and had the distinction of being featured at SXSW and Chicago International Film Festivals. He has over 11 years of experience as a motion capture actor, working in popular video game franchises including Mortal Kombat, Injustice: Gods Among Us, and Call of Duty.
Lawrence also writes and produces his own work, including the web series Comanche, and the pilot F-Men.
Since 2010, he has served as a teaching artist for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and is a proud co-founder of A.B.L.E. (Artists Breaking Limits and Expectations). Lawrence has appeared onstage in numerous productions alongside A.B.L.E.’s teen and adult ensembles, performing at a variety of theaters around Chicago while helping these actors develop confidence, communication, and social skills. He has written and directed 2 feature films for A.B.L.E., each featuring a cast of 20 actors with Down syndrome. The Curse of the Tempest Jewel (2015) and The Spy Who Knew Me (2017) have received acclaim on the local and international film circuits including The Chicago Onscreen Showcase, The Courage Film Festival in Berlin, and The Awareness Festival. Visit the Press page for clips and articles.
Lawrence lives in Chicago with his wife, Katie, and their Shakespearean-named pets Percy and Thisbe.