John Lurie (December 14, 1952) is an actor, musician, and producer born in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA.

In 1978 he formed The Lounge Lizards, initially a tongue-in-cheek fake-jazz combo with his brother Evan. The Lounge Lizards exhibited the tremendous talent of artists such as Arto Lindsay and Marc Ribot, among others. The band continued to make music for 20 years.

In 2000 Lurie released an album under the pseudonym Marvin Pontiac , whom he described as "the son of an African father from Mali and a white Jewish mother from New Rochelle, New York."

During the 1980s he starred in a number of films by Jim Jarmusch, namely Stranger Than Paradise, Down By Law, Mystery Train and Permanent Vacation. He also composed music for the first three of these films.

His 1991 TV Series Fishing with John was a cult success. Lurie professes no knowledge about fishing, but appears in exotic locations with various notable friends, including Willem Dafoe, Matt Dillon, Dennis Hopper, Jim Jarmusch, and Down by Law co-star Tom Waits.

He is reported to being a member of a secret society known as The Sons of Lee Marvin, with friends Jim Jarmusch and Tom Waits. All members bear a physical resemblence to the actor Lee Marvin and apparently meet up occasionally to watch Lee marvin movies.

Filmography

• Sleepwalk (2000)
• New Rose Hotel (1998)
• Just Your Luck (1996)
• Blue in the Face (1995)
• Smoke (1995) (uncredited)
• Wild at Heart (1990)
• Il Piccolo diavolo (1988)
• The Last Temptation of Christ (1988)
• Down by Law (1986)
• Desperately Seeking Susan (1985)
• Paris, Texas (1984)
• Stranger Than Paradise (1983)
• Subway Riders (1981)
• The Offenders (1980)
• Permanent Vacation (1980)
• Underground U.S.A. (1980)

Discography

John Lurie

• Berlin 1991 Volume One and the Lounge Lizards (1991)
• Men With Sticks (1993)
• The Days with Jacques
• National Orchestra

Lounge Lizards

• Lounge Lizards (1990)
• No Pain for Cakes (1991)
• (1991)
• (1992)
• Live in Berlin, Volume One (1993)
• Live in Berlin, Volume Two (1995)
• Queen of All Ears (1998)
• Voice of Chunk (1998)
• (2004)

Marvin Pontiac

• Legendary Marvin Pontiac (2000)

Soundtracks

• Get Shorty (1995)
• Excess Baggage (1997)
• Fishing With John (recorded in 1991, released in 1998)
• African Swim and Manny and Lo (1999)
• Mystery Train (1989)
• Stranger Than Paradise and The Resurrection of Albert Ayler (1984)
• Down By Law and Variety (1985)

External link

• Official Website of John Lurie and the Lounge Lizards