Richard Lawson (actor)

Last updated
Richard Lawson
RichardLawsonBlackFist.JPG
Lawson in Black Fist (1974)
Born
Rickey Lee Lawson [1]

(1947-03-07) March 7, 1947 (age 77)
Other namesRick Lawson
OccupationActor
Years active1969–present
Spouse(s)
(m. 1978;div. 1989)
[2]
(m. 2015;sep. 2023)
Children Bianca Lawson
Ricky Lawson
Website richardlawson.net

Rickey Lee Lawson [3] (born March 7, 1947 [4] ) is an American actor who has starred in movies and on television. He is perhaps best known for his roles in genre films; he portrayed Ryan in the 1982 film Poltergeist , and Dr. Ben Taylor in the 1983 NBC miniseries V .

Contents

Early life and career

Born Rickey Lee Lawson in Loma Linda, California, Lawson was drafted into the United States Army and became a medic. He served 21 months in Vietnam during the Vietnam War and was wounded in action. [4] After completing his military duty, he embarked on an acting career. His first feature film role (uncredited) was that of a gay man targeted for murder in the 1971 movie Dirty Harry . In 1973, he played Willis in Scream Blacula Scream . His other well known roles include the 1979 movie The Main Event , and the 1984 drama Streets of Fire , where he played Officer Ed Price. Lawson's first ongoing starring role in a television series was in Australian drama Hotel Story in 1977, however, that series was cancelled before the first episode aired. He later starred in the 1980s series Chicago Story ; he took the ongoing role of Nick Kimball on the prime time soap opera Dynasty from 1986 to 1987, appeared in The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd as Detective Nathaniel Hawthorne from 1989 to 1991, and was in the daytime soap opera All My Children as Lucas Barnes from 1992 to 1994. Lawson has made many guest appearances on television, including roles on Kojak , Get Christie Love! , Sister, Sister , Soul Food , The Bernie Mac Show , The Division , All in the Family and Strong Medicine .

Personal life

Lawson was married to his first wife, actress Denise Gordy, from New Year's Eve 1978 until 1989. [2] They have one daughter, actress Bianca Lawson, born in 1979. Lawson also has a son named Ricky, born in 1992. [5] On March 22, 1992, Lawson survived the USAir Flight 405 plane crash, after take-off from LaGuardia Airport, in Queens, New York City. [6] During the summer of 2013, he began dating Tina Knowles, fashion designer and mother of singers Beyoncé and Solange Knowles. [7] Lawson and Knowles had known each other for over 30 years, as she was the best friend of his late sister. [8] As a result, Lawson stated that he had "always admired her from afar and up close too." [9] The couple married on April 12, 2015. [10] Knowles filed for divorce in July 2023. [11]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1971 Dirty Harry Homosexual
1973 Scream Blacula Scream Willis Daniels
Fox StyleLittle Henry
1974 Sugar Hill Valentine
BogardLeroy Fisk
1975CrossfireOfficer Ken DillardTV movie
1977 Audrey Rose Policeman #1
1978 Coming Home Pat
1979CharlestonJames HarrisTV movie
The Jericho Mile R.C. StilesTV movie
Buffalo SoldiersCaleb HolidayTV movie
The Main Event Hector Mantilla
1980The Golden Moment: An Olympic Love StoryGene DavisTV movie
1982 Poltergeist Ryan
LeadfootOfficer VenchekTV movie
1984 Streets of Fire Officer Ed Price
1985 Stick Cornell
1986Under the InfluenceDr. DuranTV movie
Johnnie Mae Gibson: FBIAdam PrenticeTV movie
1989The ForgottenSergeant Frank 'Doc' McDermottTV movie
Double Your PleasureDashTV movie
1997 Wag the Dog CIA Agent
1998 How Stella Got Her Groove Back Jack
1999JusticeGusTV movie
Jackie's Back Milkman Summers (Jackie's Ex-Husband #1)TV movie
2000Mars and BeyondMission Flight Director Maynard NixonShort
2001 Blue Hill Avenue Uncle Rob
2003 Black Listed Agent GordonVideo
Maniac Magee Mr. BealeTV movie
Out of the RainDonald
2004 Christmas at Water's Edge Mr. TurnerTV movie
2005 Guess Who Marcus
2006The Last StandWinston
2007 I'm Through with White Girls James Evans
2008 Love for Sale Uncle Mac
2009The Business of ShowSpecial ThanksShort
2010 For Colored Girls Frank
MassacreRich Cannon
2015Royal Family ThanksgivingLeighton RoyalTV movie
Royal Family ChristmasLeighton RoyalTV movie
2017 Searching for Neverland Joe Jackson TV movie
2019 From Zero to I Love You Ron Logsdon
Always a Bridesmaid Carlton Blakeston Sr
2020Old DogCurtis WintersShort
2021The Corner StoreMarvinShort
North HollywoodAdolf's Dad
Not AloneDr. James Clay
A Holiday ChanceGarvin

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1973 Shaft Don LewisEpisode: "The Enforcers"
Kojak 1st SuspectEpisode: "One for the Morgue"
1974 Get Christie Love! Rick AllenEpisode: "Fatal Image"
1975 The Streets of San Francisco Eddie HillEpisode: "Endgame"
Medical Center Andy WillisEpisode: "Survivors"
1976 Bert D'Angelo/Superstar HutchinsEpisode: "The Brown Horse Connection"
Most Wanted Carl WebsterEpisode: "Pilot"
1977 Police Woman SkeetEpisode: "Once a Snitch"
All in the Family Angry Black ManEpisode: "Mike the Pacifist"
The Fantastic Journey BarkerEpisode: "Funhouse"
1977–78 Hotel Story Main cast
1978 Good Times RaymondEpisode: "I Had a Dream"
Julie Farr, M.D. Bert RollinsEpisode: "Old Friends"
What Really Happened to the Class of '65? Lt. SawyerEpisode: "Reunion in Terror"
1981 The White Shadow David MackeyEpisode: "Burnout"
1982 T. J. Hooker Officer David McNeilEpisode: "The Protectors"
Chicago Story Det. O.Z. TateMain cast
1983 V Dr. Ben TaylorEpisode: "Part 1 & 2"
Hardcastle and McCormick Kid CalicoEpisode: "The Boxer"
1984 Magnum, P.I. Gerald CalvinEpisode: "Under World"
1985 St. Elsewhere The MessiahEpisode: "Cheers"
Remington Steele Monroe HendersonEpisode: "Premium Steele"
1986Comedy FactoryDr. Julius PepperEpisode: "The Faculty"
1986–87 Dynasty Nick Kimball Recurring cast: Season 7
1987 Amen Dr. Jonathan WallaceEpisode: "Thelma's Birthday"
1988 CBS Summer Playhouse Nick ScottEpisode: "Silent Whisper"
Wiseguy Thurman McGillEpisode: "Last of the True Believers"
227 Raymond BlakeEpisode: "A Yen for Lester"
1988–91 The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd Det. Nathaniel HawthorneRecurring cast
1989 1st & Ten: The Championship Coleman KingEpisode: "Final Bow" & "Out of the Past"
1989–91 MacGyver Jesse Colton3 episodes
1991 Father Dowling Mysteries Brad WhitfieldEpisode: "The Joyful Noise Mystery"
The Cosby Show Mr. BosticEpisode: "Pam Applies to College"
1992–93 All My Children Lucas BarnesRegular cast
1993 Saved by the Bell: The New Class Judge Thurston JonesEpisode: "Good-bye Megan"
1995 Picket Fences Dale "Sky" BettsEpisode: "Bloodbrothers"
1996 Pandora's Clock Captain Daniel RobbEpisode: "Episode #1.1 & 1.2"
1997 Good News Percy ShepperdEpisode: "Show Me the Money: Part 1 & 2"
Moesha Marlon JamesEpisode: "Talk to the Town"
1998 The Parent 'Hood T.K.'s FatherEpisode: "Color Him Father"
L.A. Doctors Gary MillerEpisode: "The Code"
1999 Sister, Sister Victor SimsRecurring cast: season 6
Judging Amy Thomas HorneEpisode: "An Impartial Bias"
2000 Family Law ChuckEpisode: "One Mistake"
2001 JAG Sgt. Dan CraigEpisode: "Baby, It's Cold Outside"
Touched by an Angel Nicholas FreemanEpisode: "The Sign of the Dove"
Soul Food Reverend Bobby BaxterEpisode: "Games People Play"
Strong Medicine Alton ClayborneEpisode: "Systemic"
The Bernie Mac Show BishopEpisode: "Saving Bernie Mac"
2002 The District Commander Richard GrayEpisode: "Shades of Gray" & "Payback"
For the People Clay PortmanEpisode: "Textbook Perfect"
2003 Half & Half BenEpisode: "The Big How the Ex Stole Christmas Episode"
2004 The Division LaBonEpisode: "Hail, Hail, the Gang's All Here"
Dead Like Me William GarrettEpisode: "Hurry"
NYPD Blue Agent WycoffEpisode: "Divorce, Detective Style"
2005 E-Ring Episode: "Pilot"
2006 All of Us Luther BrodyEpisode: "Like Father, Like Son... Like Hell!" & "My Two Dads"
2008 Numb3rs Clay Porter, Sr.Episode: "End Game"
2011 Angry Boys Shwayne SeniorRecurring cast
2013–16 Real Husbands of Hollywood Detective SmithEpisode: "Hook, Lie & Sink Her" & "Hart in the Hood"
2015 Being Mary Jane CharlesEpisode: "Sparrow"
2016 Saints & Sinners Pastor Evan JohnsonEpisode: "Power Is Our Religion"
2017 Stitchers Admiral DeckerEpisode: "Out of the Shadows" & "Maternis"
2017–21 Grey's Anatomy Bill Pierce3 episodes
2018 In Contempt Earl SullivanRecurring cast
2019 Mixed-ish LynwoodEpisode: "Do They Know It's Christmas?"
2021Partners in RhymeWindellEpisode: "F.O.E."
2022 The Ms. Pat Show MajorEpisode: "Parents Just Don't Understand"
TBA Beauty in Black NormanSeries regular

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References

  1. "Richard Lawson on The Urban Roundtable". Youtube. 16 April 2013. Retrieved April 10, 2017.
  2. 1 2 Ancestry.com. Nevada, Marriage Index, 1956-2005 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2007.
  3. Holsey, Steve (April 22, 2015). "Where Was the Glow?". Michigan Chronicle. p. D1. ProQuest   1683383361. Looking over a lot of the wedding pictures of Tina Knowles, mother of Beyoncé and Solange, and actor Richard Lawson, which took place on a yacht in California, it was surprising that she was smiling in so few of them. Maybe that is just her personality. But even if that is the case, this was a wedding, a joyous occasion! Lawson, on the other hand, was smiling all over the place. [...] Lawson, whose real name is Rickey Lee Lawson, was at one time married to Denise Gordy, Berry Gordy's niece.
  4. 1 2 Collier, Aldore. "Richard Lawson's 5 Brushes With Death", Ebony , volume 47, number 9, July 1992, p. 32.
  5. "Beyoncé and Jay-Z Are 'The Most Incredible Parents' Says Her Stepfather Richard Lawson". Showbiz Cheatsheet. 2 July 2021. Retrieved 2021-07-16.
  6. Kleinfield, N.R. (March 24, 1992). "Survivors of Mangled Plane Recall Fire, Water, Terror". The New York Times . pp. A1, B2. Retrieved 2020-09-20.
  7. "Tina Knowles Opens Up About Dating And Life After Mathew Knowles (VIDEO)". The Huffington Post. October 7, 2014. Retrieved November 1, 2014.
  8. Uwumarogie, Victoria (October 6, 2014). "Tina Knowles Talks Life After Mathew And Finding Love Again". MadameNoire . Retrieved April 10, 2017.
  9. "Richard Lawson Shares A Bit On Marriage To Tina Lawson". Black America Web. April 23, 2018. Retrieved February 25, 2021.
  10. Fowler, Tara (April 13, 2015). "Tina Knowles Marries Richard Lawson". People . Time Inc. Retrieved April 10, 2017.
  11. Turner, Mariel (August 16, 2024). "Tina Knowles to pay Richard Lawson $300K in divorce settlement". The Grio. Retrieved August 18, 2024.