Common
Known for
Before he was an award-winning actor, Lonnie Lynn (Chicago, 1972) established himself as Common, one of the most respected rappers of conscious hip-hop, with cult albums like 'Resurrection' and 'Be'. That musical prestige was crowned with an Oscar for Best Original Song for 'Glory', composed alongside John Legend for 'Selma', a film in which he also played the activist James Bevel. In film he has developed a solid career in action and drama with titles like 'American Gangster', 'John Wick: Chapter 2' and 'The Core', and on television he played Elam Ferguson in the western 'Hell on Wheels'. Common brings to the screen the serenity and restraint of his music, composing characters of quiet dignity and imposing presence.
Common
43 Movies
11 Series
Before he was an award-winning actor, Lonnie Lynn (Chicago, 1972) established himself as Common, one of the most respected rappers of conscious hip-hop, with cult albums like 'Resurrection' and 'Be'. That musical prestige was crowned with an Oscar for Best Original Song for 'Glory', composed alongside John Legend for 'Selma', a film in which he also played the activist James Bevel. In film he has developed a solid career in action and drama with titles like 'American Gangster', 'John Wick: Chapter 2' and 'The Core', and on television he played Elam Ferguson in the western 'Hell on Wheels'. Common brings to the screen the serenity and restraint of his music, composing characters of quiet dignity and imposing presence.
Movies
Plays Cassian
John Wick: Chapter 2
2017
Plays Evans
Now You See Me
2013
Plays Monster T
Suicide Squad
2016
Plays Common
Ocean's Eight
2018
Plays Turner Lucas
American Gangster
2007
Plays RA John Fisk
Hunter Killer
2018
Plays Barnes
Terminator Salvation
2009
Plays Soldier
New Year's Eve
2011
Plays Collins
Date Night
2010
Plays Mr. Price
Run All Night
2015
Plays Coates
Street Kings
2008
Plays The Gunsmith
Wanted
2008
Plays Stonekeeper (voice)
Smallfoot
2018
Plays Michael
Ava
2020
Plays Seymour (voice)
Happy Feet Two
2011
Plays Grens
The Informer
2019
Plays Gunny Martin
Megan Leavey
2017
Plays Bob Mone (segment "The Pitch")
Movie 43
2013
Plays Sir Ivy
Smokin' Aces
2006
Plays Common
Girls Trip
2017
Plays Common
Entourage
2015
Plays Uncle Carlos
The Hate U Give
2018
Plays Jeff Porter
Pawn
2013
Plays Coach Cal
The Odd Life of Timothy Green
2012
Plays Gary Silvers
The Kitchen
2019
Plays Benjamin Adebayo
Saint Judy
2018
Plays James Bevel
Selma
2014
Plays Uncle Vincent
LUV
2013
Plays Jabari
Barbershop: The Next Cut
2016
Plays Darius
Breathe
2024
Plays Scott McKnight
Just Wright
2010
Plays Devlin Hatch
Every Secret Thing
2014
Plays Rafe
All About Nina
2018
Plays The Dagger
Fool's Paradise
2023
Plays Martin
The Tale
2018
Plays Jason
X/Y
2014
Producer
Plays Frank
Alice
2022
Plays Travis
Being Charlie
2016
Plays Ben
Here and Now
2018
Plays Coltrane
Love Beats Rhymes
2017
Plays Daniel
A Happening of Monumental Proportions
2017
TV Shows
Plays Elam Ferguson
Hell on Wheels
2011
Plays Robert Sims
Silo
2023
Plays Dr. Chris Jackson
Never Have I Ever
2020
Plays Rafiq
The Chi
2018
Plays Self
Black in the 80s
2005
Plays Omar
Girlfriends
2000
Plays Security Guard
The Mindy Project
2012
Plays Mr. Wonderful
StoryBots: Answer Time
2022
Plays Common (voice)
The Simpsons
1989
Plays Westley
Home Movie: The Princess Bride
2020
Plays Common
Scrubs
2001
Latest Trailers
Watch Trailer
W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel With a Cause
Full Filmography
Breathe
Darius
2024
Film
Fool's Paradise
The Dagger
2023
Film
Silo
Robert Sims · 31 episodes
2023–
TV
Between Riverside and Crazy
Junior
2023
Film
StoryBots: Answer Time
Mr. Wonderful · 1 episode
2022–
TV
Alice
Frank
2022
Film
Ava
Michael
2020
Film
Home Movie: The Princess Bride
Westley · 1 episode
2020–
TV
Never Have I Ever
Dr. Chris Jackson · 4 episodes
2020–
TV
Photos
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Common and where are they from?
Common is 54 years old, born on March 13, 1972 in Chicago, Illinois, USA.
What are the most famous roles of Common?
Common is best known for roles in Suicide Squad, Now You See Me, John Wick: Chapter 2.
How many movies has Common been in?
Over a 28-year career (since 1998), Common has appeared in 42 movies and 10 TV shows.
What was Common's first movie?
The career of Common began with Pete Rock: Soul Survivor (1998).
What is Common's most recent movie or series?
Common's most recent release is Spark Into a Flame, which premiered on June 15, 2026.
What TV shows has Common appeared in?
On television, Common has appeared in The Simpsons, Silo, Never Have I Ever, Keeping Up with the Kardashians.
Common
1972-03-13 · Chicago, Illinois, USA
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.Common (rapper), licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.