John Lurie Movies and Career Information

John Lurie (born December 14, 1952) is an American actor, musician, painter and producer. Lurie was born in Worcester, Massachusetts, moved to New Orleans at the age of 6, then moved again to Worcester, Massachusetts. In 1978 he formed The Lounge Lizards, initially a "fake jazz" combo, with his brother Evan Lurie. The Lounge Lizards exhibited the talent of artists such as Calvin Weston, Billy Martin, Oren Bloedow, Steve Bernstein, Marc Ribot, and Erik Sanko, among others. The band continued to make music for 20 years. During this time, Lurie recorded 22 albums and composed scores for over 20 movies, the most notable being Stranger than Paradise, Down by Law, Mystery Train, Clay Pigeons, Animal Factory, and Get Shorty, which earned him a Grammy nomination. During the 1980s he starred in three films directed by Jim Jarmusch, Stranger Than Paradise, Down by Law, and Permanent Vacation. He went on to have roles in other notable films including Paris, Texas and The Last Temptation of Christ. Lurie also starred, during 2001-2003, on the HBO prison series Oz as inmate Greg Penders. His 1991 TV series Fishing with John, which he wrote, directed and starred in, was a cult success. The