Richard Lawson (actor)

{{short description|American actor (born 1947)}} {{Other people|Richard Lawson}} {{Infobox person | name = Richard Lawson | image = RichardLawsonBlackFist.JPG | image_size = | caption = Lawson in ''Black Fist'' (1974) | birth_name = Rickey Lee Lawson<ref>{{cite web|url=https://youtube.com/watch?v=2QEfQEF8Ilc|title=Richard Lawson on The Urban Roundtable|website=Youtube|date=16 April 2013 |access-date=April 10, 2017}}</ref> | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1947|3|7}} | birth_place = [[Loma Linda, California]], U.S. | other_names = Rick Lawson | occupation = Actor | years_active = 1969–present | spouse = {{marriage|[[Denise Gordy]]<br>|December 31, 1978|1989|end=divorced}}<ref name=ANN/><br>{{marriage|[[Tina Knowles]]<br>|2015|2024|end=divorced}} | children = [[Bianca Lawson]]<br>[[Ricky Lawson (songwriter)|Ricky Lawson]] | website = {{URL|richardlawson.net}} }} '''Rickey Lee Lawson'''<ref>{{Cite news|title=Where Was the Glow?|author=Holsey, Steve|date=April 22, 2015|work=Michigan Chronicle|page=D1|quote=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.|id={{ProQuest|1683383361}}}}</ref> (born March 7, 1947<ref name="AC@Ebony">Collier, Aldore. [https://books.google.com/books?id=qcwDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA32&dq=%22March+7,+1947%22+%22Richard+Lawson%22 "Richard Lawson's 5 Brushes With Death"], ''[[Ebony (magazine)|Ebony]]'', volume 47, number 9, July 1992, p. 32.</ref>) 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 (1982 film)|Poltergeist]]'', and Dr. Ben Taylor in the 1983 [[NBC]] miniseries ''[[V (1983 miniseries)|V]]''.

==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.<ref name="AC@Ebony"/> 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 (1979 film)|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 (1981 TV series)|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 (TV series)|Sister, Sister]]'', ''[[Soul Food (TV series)|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.<ref name=ANN>Ancestry.com. Nevada, Marriage Index, 1956-2005 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2007.</ref> They have one daughter, actress [[Bianca Lawson]], born in 1979. Lawson also has a son named [[Ricky Lawson (songwriter)|Ricky]], born in 1992.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Beyoncé and Jay-Z Are 'The Most Incredible Parents' Says Her Stepfather Richard Lawson|url=https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/beyonce-jay-z-are-the-most-incredible-parents-says-her-stepfather.html/|access-date=2021-07-16|website=Showbiz Cheatsheet|date=2 July 2021 |language=en}}</ref> On March 22, 1992, Lawson survived the [[USAir Flight 405]] plane crash, after take-off from [[LaGuardia Airport]], in [[Queens]], [[New York City]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kleinfield |first1=N.R. |title=Survivors of Mangled Plane Recall Fire, Water, Terror |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/03/24/nyregion/crash-at-la-guardia-survivors-of-mangled-plane-recall-fire-water-terror.html |access-date=2020-09-20 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=March 24, 1992 |pages=A1, B2}}</ref> During the summer of 2013, he began dating [[Tina Knowles]], fashion designer and mother of singers [[Beyoncé]] and [[Solange Knowles]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/07/tina-knowles-life-after-mathew-knowles_n_5947184.html|title=Tina Knowles Opens Up About Dating And Life After Mathew Knowles (VIDEO)|date=October 7, 2014|work=The Huffington Post|access-date=November 1, 2014}}</ref> Lawson and Knowles had known each other for over 30 years, as she was the best friend of his late sister.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://madamenoire.com/475476/im-happiest-ive-long-time-tina-knowles-talks-divorcing-mathew-knowles-finding-love/|title=Tina Knowles Talks Life After Mathew And Finding Love Again|date=October 6, 2014|work=[[MadameNoire]]|first=Victoria|last=Uwumarogie|access-date=April 10, 2017}}</ref> As a result, Lawson stated that he had "always admired her from afar and up close too."<ref>{{Cite web|date=April 23, 2018|title=Richard Lawson Shares A Bit On Marriage To Tina Lawson|url=https://blackamericaweb.com/2018/04/23/richard-lawson-shares-a-bit-on-marriage-to-tina-lawson/|access-date=February 25, 2021|website=Black America Web|language=en-US}}</ref> The couple married on April 12, 2015.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://people.com/celebrity/tina-knowles-marries-richard-lawson/|title=Tina Knowles Marries Richard Lawson|date=April 13, 2015|first=Tara|last=Fowler|work=[[People (magazine)|People]]|publisher=[[Time Inc.]]|access-date=April 10, 2017}}</ref> Knowles filed for divorce in July 2023, and it was finalized in 2024.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thegrio.com/2024/08/16/tina-knowles-to-pay-richard-lawson-300k-in-divorce-settlement/|title=Tina Knowles to pay Richard Lawson $300K in divorce settlement|date=August 16, 2024|first=Mariel|last=Turner|website=The Grio|access-date=August 18, 2024}}</ref>

==Filmography==

===Film=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="margin-right: 0;" |- ! scope="col" | Year ! scope="col" | Title ! scope="col" | Role ! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Notes |- | 1971 | ''[[Dirty Harry]]'' | Homosexual | |- |rowspan=2| 1973 | ''[[Scream Blacula Scream]]'' | Willis Daniels | |- | ''Fox Style'' | Little Henry | |- |rowspan=2| 1974 | ''[[Sugar Hill (1974 film)|Sugar Hill]]'' | Lt. Valentine | |- | ''Bogard'' | Leroy Fisk | |- | 1975 | ''Crossfire'' | Officer Ken Dillard | TV movie |- | 1977 | ''[[Audrey Rose (film)|Audrey Rose]]'' | Policeman #1 | |- | 1978 | ''[[Coming Home (1978 film)|Coming Home]]'' | Pat | |- |rowspan=4| 1979 | ''Charleston'' | James Harris | TV movie |- | ''[[The Jericho Mile]]'' | R.C. Stiles | TV movie |- | ''Buffalo Soldiers'' | Caleb Holiday | TV movie |- | ''[[The Main Event (1979 film)|The Main Event]]'' | Hector Mantilla | |- | 1980 | ''The Golden Moment: An Olympic Love Story'' | Gene Davis | TV movie |- |rowspan=2| 1982 | ''[[Poltergeist (1982 film)|Poltergeist]]'' | Ryan | |- | ''Leadfoot'' | Officer Venchek | TV movie |- | 1984 | ''[[Streets of Fire]]'' | Officer Ed Price | |- | 1985 | ''[[Stick (film)|Stick]]'' | Cornell | |- |rowspan=2| 1986 | ''Under the Influence'' | Dr. Duran | TV movie |- | ''Johnnie Mae Gibson: FBI'' | Adam Prentice | TV movie |- |rowspan=2| 1989 | ''The Forgotten'' | Sergeant Frank 'Doc' McDermott | TV movie |- | ''Double Your Pleasure'' | Dash | TV movie |- | 1997 | ''[[Wag the Dog]]'' | CIA Agent | |- | 1998 | ''[[How Stella Got Her Groove Back]]'' | Jack | |- |rowspan=2| 1999 | ''Justice'' | Gus | TV movie |- | ''[[Jackie's Back]]'' | Milkman Summers (Jackie's Ex-Husband #1) | TV movie |- | 2000 | ''Mars and Beyond'' | Mission Flight Director Maynard Nixon | Short |- | 2001 | ''[[Blue Hill Avenue (film)|Blue Hill Avenue]]'' | Uncle Rob | |- |rowspan=3| 2003 | ''[[Black Listed]]'' | Agent Gordon | Video |- | ''[[Maniac Magee (film)|Maniac Magee]]'' | Mr. Beale | TV movie |- | ''Out of the Rain'' | Donald | |- | 2004 | ''[[Christmas at Water's Edge]]'' | Mr. Turner | TV movie |- | 2005 | ''[[Guess Who (film)|Guess Who]]'' | Marcus | |- | 2006 | ''The Last Stand'' | Winston | |- | 2007 | ''[[I'm Through with White Girls]]'' | James Evans | |- | 2008 | ''[[Love for Sale (2008 film)|Love for Sale]]'' | Uncle Mac | |- | 2009 | ''The Business of Show'' | Special Thanks | Short |- |rowspan=2| 2010 | ''[[For Colored Girls]]'' | Frank | |- | ''Massacre'' | Rich Cannon | |- |rowspan=2| 2015 | ''Royal Family Thanksgiving'' | Leighton Royal | TV movie |- | ''Royal Family Christmas'' | Leighton Royal | TV movie |- | 2017 | ''[[Searching for Neverland]]'' | [[Joe Jackson (manager)|Joe Jackson]] | TV movie |- |rowspan=2| 2019 | ''[[From Zero to I Love You]]'' | Ron Logsdon | |- | ''[[Always a Bridesmaid (2019 film)|Always a Bridesmaid]]'' | Carlton Blakeston Sr | |- | 2020 | ''Old Dog'' | Curtis Winters | Short |- |rowspan=4| 2021 | ''The Corner Store'' | Marvin | Short |- | ''North Hollywood'' | Adolf's Dad | |- | ''Not Alone'' | Dr. James Clay | |- | ''A Holiday Chance'' | Garvin | |- | 2024 | ''[[Divorce in the Black]]'' | Clarence |- | 2025 | ''Aftershock: The Nicole P Bell Story'' | Al Sharpton |- |}

===Television=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="margin-right: 0;" |- ! scope="col" | Year ! scope="col" | Title ! scope="col" | Role ! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Notes |- |rowspan=2| 1973 | ''[[Shaft (TV series)|Shaft]]'' | Don Lewis | Episode: "The Enforcers" |- | ''[[Kojak]]'' | 1st Suspect | Episode: "One for the Morgue" |- | 1974 | ''[[Get Christie Love!]]'' | Rick Allen | Episode: "Fatal Image" |- |rowspan=2| 1975 | ''[[The Streets of San Francisco]]'' | Eddie Hill | Episode: "Endgame" |- | ''[[Medical Center (TV series)|Medical Center]]'' | Andy Willis | Episode: "Survivors" |- |rowspan=2| 1976 | ''[[Bert D'Angelo/Superstar]]'' | Hutchins | Episode: "The Brown Horse Connection" |- | ''[[Most Wanted (1976 TV series)|Most Wanted]]'' | Carl Webster | Episode: "Pilot" |- |rowspan=3| 1977 | ''[[Police Woman (TV series)|Police Woman]]'' | Skeet | Episode: "Once a Snitch" |- | ''[[All in the Family]]'' | Angry Black Man | Episode: "Mike the Pacifist" |- | ''[[The Fantastic Journey]]'' | Barker | Episode: "Funhouse" |- | 1977–78 | ''[[Hotel Story]]'' | | Main cast |- |rowspan=3| 1978 | ''[[Good Times]]'' | Raymond | Episode: "I Had a Dream" |- | ''[[Julie Farr, M.D.]]'' | Bert Rollins | Episode: "Old Friends" |- | ''[[What Really Happened to the Class of '65?]]'' | Lt. Sawyer | Episode: "Reunion in Terror" |- | 1981 | ''[[The White Shadow (TV series)|The White Shadow]]'' | David Mackey | Episode: "Burnout" |- |rowspan=2| 1982 | ''[[T. J. Hooker]]'' | Officer David McNeil | Episode: "The Protectors" |- | ''[[Chicago Story]]'' | Det. O.Z. Tate | Main cast |- |rowspan=2| 1983 | ''[[V (1983 miniseries)|V]]'' | Dr. Ben Taylor | Miniseries |- | ''[[Hardcastle and McCormick]]'' | Kid Calico | Episode: "The Boxer" |- | 1984 | ''[[Magnum, P.I.]]'' | Gerald Calvin | Episode: "Under World" |- |rowspan=2| 1985 | ''[[St. Elsewhere]]'' | The Messiah | Episode: "Cheers" |- | ''[[Remington Steele]]'' | Monroe Henderson | Episode: "Premium Steele" |- | 1986 | ''Comedy Factory'' | Dr. Julius Pepper | Episode: "The Faculty" |- | 1986–87 | ''[[Dynasty (1981 TV series)|Dynasty]]'' | [[Nick Kimball]] | Recurring cast: [[Dynasty (1981 TV series, season 7)|Season 7]] |- | 1987 | ''[[Amen (TV series)|Amen]]'' | Dr. Jonathan Wallace | Episode: "Thelma's Birthday" |- |rowspan=3| 1988 | ''[[CBS Summer Playhouse]]'' | Nick Scott | Episode: "Silent Whisper" |- | ''[[Wiseguy (TV series)|Wiseguy]]'' | Thurman McGill | Episode: "Last of the True Believers" |- | ''[[227 (TV series)|227]]'' | Raymond Blake | Episode: "A Yen for Lester" |- | 1988–91 | ''[[The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd]]'' | Det. Nathaniel Hawthorne | Recurring cast |- | 1989 | ''[[1st & Ten (HBO TV series)|1st & Ten: The Championship]]'' | Coleman King | Episode: "Final Bow" & "Out of the Past" |- | 1989–91 | ''[[MacGyver (1985 TV series)|MacGyver]]'' | Jesse Colton | 3 episodes |- |rowspan=2| 1991 | ''[[Father Dowling Mysteries]]'' | Brad Whitfield | Episode: "The Joyful Noise Mystery" |- | ''[[The Cosby Show]]'' | Mr. Bostic | Episode: "Pam Applies to College" |- | 1992–93 | ''[[All My Children]]'' | Lucas Barnes | Regular cast |- | 1993 | ''[[Saved by the Bell: The New Class]]'' | Judge Thurston Jones | Episode: "Good-bye Megan" |- | 1995 | ''[[Picket Fences]]'' | Dale "Sky" Betts | Episode: "Bloodbrothers" |- | 1996 | ''[[Doomsday Virus|Pandora's Clock]]'' | Captain Daniel Robb | Episode: "Episode #1.1 & 1.2" |- |rowspan=2| 1997 | ''[[Good News (TV series)|Good News]]'' | Percy Shepperd | Episode: "Show Me the Money: Part 1 & 2" |- | ''[[Moesha]]'' | Marlon James | Episode: "Talk to the Town" |- |rowspan=2| 1998 | ''[[The Parent 'Hood]]'' | T.K.'s Father | Episode: "Color Him Father" |- | ''[[L.A. Doctors]]'' | Gary Miller | Episode: "The Code" |- |rowspan=2| 1999 | ''[[Sister, Sister (TV series)|Sister, Sister]]'' | Victor Sims | Recurring cast: season 6 |- | ''[[Judging Amy]]'' | Thomas Horne | Episode: "An Impartial Bias" |- | 2000 | ''[[Family Law (American TV series)|Family Law]]'' | Chuck | Episode: "One Mistake" |- |rowspan=5| 2001 | ''[[JAG (TV series)|JAG]]'' | Sgt. Dan Craig | Episode: "Baby, It's Cold Outside" |- | ''[[Touched by an Angel]]'' | Nicholas Freeman | Episode: "The Sign of the Dove" |- | ''[[Soul Food (TV series)|Soul Food]]'' | Reverend Bobby Baxter | Episode: "Games People Play" |- | ''[[Strong Medicine]]'' | Alton Clayborne | Episode: "Systemic" |- | ''[[The Bernie Mac Show]]'' | Bishop | Episode: "Saving Bernie Mac" |- |rowspan=2| 2002 | ''[[The District]]'' | Commander Richard Gray | Episode: "Shades of Gray" & "Payback" |- | ''[[For the People (2002 TV series)|For the People]]'' | Clay Portman | Episode: "Textbook Perfect" |- | 2003 | ''[[Half & Half]]'' | Ben | Episode: "The Big How the Ex Stole Christmas Episode" |- |rowspan=3| 2004 | ''[[The Division]]'' | LaBon | Episode: "Hail, Hail, the Gang's All Here" |- | ''[[Dead Like Me]]'' | William Garrett | Episode: "Hurry" |- | ''[[NYPD Blue]]'' | Agent Wycoff | Episode: "Divorce, Detective Style" |- | 2005 | ''[[E-Ring]]'' | | Episode: "Pilot" |- | 2006 | ''[[All of Us]]'' | Luther Brody | Episode: "Like Father, Like Son... Like Hell!" & "My Two Dads" |- | 2008 | ''[[Numb3rs]]'' | Clay Porter, Sr. | Episode: "End Game" |- | 2011 | ''[[Angry Boys]]'' | Shwayne Senior | Recurring cast |- | 2013–16 | ''[[Real Husbands of Hollywood]]'' | Detective Smith | Episode: "Hook, Lie & Sink Her" & "Hart in the Hood" |- | 2015 | ''[[Being Mary Jane]]'' | Charles | Episode: "Sparrow" |- | 2016 | ''[[Saints & Sinners (2016 TV series)|Saints & Sinners]]'' | Pastor Evan Johnson | Episode: "Power Is Our Religion" |- | 2017 | ''[[Stitchers]]'' | Admiral Decker | Episode: "Out of the Shadows" & "Maternis" |- | 2017–21 | ''[[Grey's Anatomy]]'' | Bill Pierce | 3 episodes |- | 2018 | ''[[In Contempt]]'' | Earl Sullivan | Recurring cast |- | 2019 | ''[[Mixed-ish]]'' | Lynwood | Episode: "Do They Know It's Christmas?" |- | 2021 | ''Partners in Rhyme'' | Windell | Episode: "F.O.E." |- | 2022 | ''[[The Ms. Pat Show]]'' | Major | Episode: "Parents Just Don't Understand" |- | 2024-25 | ''[[Beauty in Black (TV series)|Beauty in Black]]'' | Norman | Series regular |}

== References == {{reflist|2}}

==External links== * [http://www.richardlawson.net/welcome.html Official website] * {{IMDb name|493311|Richard Lawson}} {{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lawson, Richard}} [[Category:1947 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Male actors from San Bernardino County, California]] [[Category:American male film actors]] [[Category:United States Army personnel of the Vietnam War]] [[Category:American male soap opera actors]] [[Category:People from Loma Linda, California]] [[Category:Survivors of aviation accidents or incidents]] [[Category:American male television actors]] [[Category:United States Army soldiers]] [[Category:20th-century African-American male actors]] [[Category:20th-century American male actors]] [[Category:21st-century African-American male actors]] [[Category:21st-century American male actors]] [[Category:Knowles–Carter family]] [[Category:Gordy family]]