Biography
Lawrence C. Gamell Jr. (also known as Larry Gamell Jr.) has been performing on stage since the age of five, having participated in over 125 plays and productions. In 1993, he received The Beverly Hills/Hollywood NAACP Award for "Best Supporting Performance by a Male" for his role in "Neva's Tale," a play directed by Ted Lange and written by Dr. Cliff Harper. That same year, he earned a second accolade from The L.A. Weekly for "Best Featured Male Performance" for the same production. In 1995, he was honored with an "Actors Recognition Award" from the Off-Broadway Theatre in Las Vegas for his leading role in "12 Angry Men." In 1997, he won the inaugural "Best Actor Award" at the Colsac Theatre Co. for portraying Aaron The Moor in Shakespeare's "Titus Andronicus." Over the years, he has also appeared in film, television, and numerous commercials.
Lawrence serves as the Artistic Director of The Alkebu-lan Theatre Group, based within the Alkebu-lan Cultural Center in Pasadena. There, he has produced, directed, and acted in various productions such as "Othello," "Master Harold and the Boys," "A Raisin in the Sun," "Having Our Say," "Harriet," "The Meeting," and "For Colored Girls..." among others, over the past decade.
A bi-coastal actor, Lawrence has made New Orleans his second home. He has worked on several recent projects in his beloved Crescent City and had just completed filming two projects before returning to California about two months prior to Hurricane Katrina. New Orleans profoundly impacted his life when he landed his role in "Ray," and he eagerly anticipates the city's recovery, stating, "New Orleans never gave up on me, so I won't give up on her.
