Lawrence Thompson-Drake is a Chicago native, born and raised on the southside of Chicago in Englewood. After discovering his love for music and theater, the Walt Disney company hired him at 18 as a singer and performer. Shows included Festival of the Lion King and Tapestry of Dreams, where he was the first black male face character in the Walt Disney World theme parks. He worked for cruise lines, theatre companies around the country.  In 2008, he received his first Emmy nomination for his work on Green Screen Adventures. The show went on to win multiple Emmy Awards.