Lavell Crawford (born November 11, 1968) is an American comedian and actor. He is best known for playing Huell Babineaux in ''

Breaking Bad ''Breaking Bad'' is an American crime drama television series created and produced by Vince Gilligan. Set and filmed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the series follows Walter White (Bryan Cranston), an underpaid, overqualified, and dispirited h ...

'' (2011–2013) and its spin-off ''

Better Call Saul ''Better Call Saul'' is an American crime and legal drama television series created by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould. Part of the ''Breaking Bad'' franchise, it is a spin-off of Gilligan's previous series, ''Breaking Bad'', and serves as a ...

'' (2017–2022). He also played the role of Gus Patch in the

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...

original movie '' The Ridiculous 6'' (2015). The album version of his 2021 ''Comedy Vaccine'' special was nominated for the

Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album The Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album is presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement in comedy." The award was awarded yearly from 1959 to 1993 and then from 2004 to prese ...

at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards.

Early life

Crawford grew up in St. Louis County, Missouri, eventually settling in Pagedale. He has two sisters, Elonda and Erica. He struggled with his weight in childhood and experienced a near-drowning at age ten. Crawford graduated from Pattonville High School in 1986 before attending Missouri Western State College, where he studied

computer science Computer science is the study of computation, automation, and information. Computer science spans theoretical disciplines (such as algorithms, theory of computation, information theory, and automation) to Applied science, practical discipli ...

Career

Bob_Odenkirk_Lavell_Crawford_Breaking_Bad

Crawford began performing standup comedy professionally in 1990. He frequently performed on

BET Black Entertainment Television (acronym BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting African-American audiences. It is owned by the CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global via BET Networks and has offices in New York City, Los ...

's ''ComicView'' during the 1990s. He was a contestant on NBC's ''

Last Comic Standing ''Last Comic Standing'' was an American reality television talent competition show on NBC that aired from June 1, 2003, to August 9, 2010, then again in 2014 and 2015. The goal of the program was to select a comedian from an initially large grou ...

'' in 2007, where in the two-hour season finale he lost to Jon Reep. In 2011 at the Roberts Orpheum Theatre in St. Louis, he recorded ''Lavell Crawford: Can a Brother Get Some Love.'' Crawford portrayed Saul Goodman's laconic bodyguard Huell Babineaux in the crime drama series ''

'' and its spinoff, ''

'', from 2011 to 2022. He also played Babineaux in ''Huell's Rules'', a comedy short set after the events of ''Breaking Bad''. Crawford has also appeared in comedic roles in ''

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia ''It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia'' is an American sitcom created by Rob McElhenney and developed by McElhenney and Glenn Howerton that premiered on August 4, 2005 on FX and later FXX beginning with the ninth season in 2013. It stars Char ...

'', '' Tosh.0'', '' The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore'', and ''

Aqua TV Show Show ''Aqua TV Show Show'' is the alternative title given to the tenth season of the animated television series ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force''. The tenth season aired in the United States on Cartoon Network's late night programming block, Adult Swim. The ...

''.

Personal life

Crawford's weight peaked in March 2016 at approximately . After gastric sleeve surgery, his weight dropped to by August 2017.

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Crawford, Lavell Living people 20th-century American comedians 21st-century American comedians 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors African-American male comedians American male comedians American male film actors Last Comic Standing contestants African-American male actors American male television actors American male voice actors 20th-century African-American people 21st-century African-American people 1968 births