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Richard Lawson (actor)

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For other people named Richard Lawson, see Richard Lawson (disambiguation).
Richard Lawson
Lawson in Black Fist (1974)
Born
Rickey Lee Lawson[1]

(1947-03-07) March 7, 1947 (age 77)
Loma Linda, California, U.S.
Other namesRick Lawson
OccupationActor
Years active1969–present
Spouse(s)
​
​
(m. 1978; div. 1989)​
[2]
​
​
(m. 2015; sep. 2023)​
ChildrenBianca Lawson
Ricky Lawson
Websiterichardlawson.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.

Early life and career

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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

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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

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1971 Dirty Harry Homosexual
1973 Scream Blacula Scream Willis Daniels
Fox Style Little Henry
1974 Sugar Hill Valentine
Bogard Leroy Fisk
1975 Crossfire Officer Ken Dillard TV movie
1977 Audrey Rose Policeman #1
1978 Coming Home Pat
1979 Charleston James Harris TV movie
The Jericho Mile R.C. Stiles TV movie
Buffalo Soldiers Caleb Holiday TV movie
The Main Event Hector Mantilla
1980 The Golden Moment: An Olympic Love Story Gene Davis TV movie
1982 Poltergeist Ryan
Leadfoot Officer Venchek TV movie
1984 Streets of Fire Officer Ed Price
1985 Stick Cornell
1986 Under the Influence Dr. Duran TV movie
Johnnie Mae Gibson: FBI Adam Prentice TV movie
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
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 Uncle Rob
2003 Black Listed Agent Gordon Video
Maniac Magee Mr. Beale TV movie
Out of the Rain Donald
2004 Christmas at Water's Edge Mr. Turner TV movie
2005 Guess Who Marcus
2006 The Last Stand Winston
2007 I'm Through with White Girls James Evans
2008 Love for Sale Uncle Mac
2009 The Business of Show Special Thanks Short
2010 For Colored Girls Frank
Massacre Rich Cannon
2015 Royal Family Thanksgiving Leighton Royal TV movie
Royal Family Christmas Leighton Royal TV movie
2017 Searching for Neverland Joe Jackson TV movie
2019 From Zero to I Love You Ron Logsdon
Always a Bridesmaid Carlton Blakeston Sr
2020 Old Dog Curtis Winters Short
2021 The Corner Store Marvin Short
North Hollywood Adolf's Dad
Not Alone Dr. James Clay
A Holiday Chance Garvin

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1973 Shaft Don Lewis Episode: "The Enforcers"
Kojak 1st Suspect Episode: "One for the Morgue"
1974 Get Christie Love! Rick Allen Episode: "Fatal Image"
1975 The Streets of San Francisco Eddie Hill Episode: "Endgame"
Medical Center Andy Willis Episode: "Survivors"
1976 Bert D'Angelo/Superstar Hutchins Episode: "The Brown Horse Connection"
Most Wanted Carl Webster Episode: "Pilot"
1977 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
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 David Mackey Episode: "Burnout"
1982 T. J. Hooker Officer David McNeil Episode: "The Protectors"
Chicago Story Det. O.Z. Tate Main cast
1983 V Dr. Ben Taylor Episode: "Part 1 & 2"
Hardcastle and McCormick Kid Calico Episode: "The Boxer"
1984 Magnum, P.I. Gerald Calvin Episode: "Under World"
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 Nick Kimball Recurring cast: Season 7
1987 Amen Dr. Jonathan Wallace Episode: "Thelma's Birthday"
1988 CBS Summer Playhouse Nick Scott Episode: "Silent Whisper"
Wiseguy Thurman McGill Episode: "Last of the True Believers"
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: The Championship Coleman King Episode: "Final Bow" & "Out of the Past"
1989–91 MacGyver Jesse Colton 3 episodes
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 Pandora's Clock Captain Daniel Robb Episode: "Episode #1.1 & 1.2"
1997 Good News Percy Shepperd Episode: "Show Me the Money: Part 1 & 2"
Moesha Marlon James Episode: "Talk to the Town"
1998 The Parent 'Hood T.K.'s Father Episode: "Color Him Father"
L.A. Doctors Gary Miller Episode: "The Code"
1999 Sister, Sister Victor Sims Recurring cast: season 6
Judging Amy Thomas Horne Episode: "An Impartial Bias"
2000 Family Law Chuck Episode: "One Mistake"
2001 JAG Sgt. Dan Craig Episode: "Baby, It's Cold Outside"
Touched by an Angel Nicholas Freeman Episode: "The Sign of the Dove"
Soul Food Reverend Bobby Baxter Episode: "Games People Play"
Strong Medicine Alton Clayborne Episode: "Systemic"
The Bernie Mac Show Bishop Episode: "Saving Bernie Mac"
2002 The District Commander Richard Gray Episode: "Shades of Gray" & "Payback"
For the People Clay Portman Episode: "Textbook Perfect"
2003 Half & Half Ben Episode: "The Big How the Ex Stole Christmas Episode"
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 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"
TBA Beauty in Black Norman Series regular

References

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  1. ^ "Richard Lawson on The Urban Roundtable". Youtube. 16 April 2013. Retrieved April 10, 2017.
  2. ^ a b 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. ^ a b 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.
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