Richard Lawson is an American actor. He was born on December 18, 1947 in Los Angeles, California, to American parents. Lawson’s father was an African-American doctor and his mother was a Caucasian social worker. Lawson has two older sisters. He was educated at the prestigious Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles and later attended Stanford University, where he studied drama.
Lawson’s acting career began in the early 1970s with guest appearances on such popular television shows as The Mod Squad and The Rookies. He also had a recurring role on the soap opera General Hospital. In 1975, Lawson made his film debut in the blaxploitation flick Three the Hard Way. He went on to appear in such films as The Mack (1976), Car Wash (1976), and Fort Apache the Bronx (1981).
In 1984, Lawson landed the role of Phillip Drummond on the NBC sitcom The Cosby Show. He played the wealthy father of two African-American children who are adopted by his wife, Clair (Phylicia Rashad). The Cosby Show was a huge hit and ran for eight seasons. After the show ended, Lawson appeared in a number of made-for-television movies and guest-starred on such television shows as L.A. Law, Touched by an Angel, and JAG.
In recent years, Lawson has appeared in the films Tyler Perry’s I Can Do Bad All by Myself (2009), For Colored Girls (2010), and Baggage Claim (2013). He also had a recurring role on the television series Revenge.
Lawson has been married three times. His first marriage was to actress Diahann Carroll, which lasted from 1973 to 1982. His second marriage was to actress Tina Andrews, which lasted from 1989 to 1991. Lawson has been married to actress Pam Grier since 1992. He has three children: two from his first marriage and one from his third marriage.
Richard Lawson has a net worth of $5 million. He has earned his wealth through his successful acting career.
General Info
Full Name
Richard Lawson
Date Of Birth
March 7, 1947
Height
1.85 m
Profession
Actor
Nationality
American
Family
Spouse
Tina Knowles, Denise Gordy
Children
Bianca Lawson
Accomplishments
Movies
Poltergeist, For Colored Girls, Scream Blacula Scream, How Stella Got Her Groove Back, Streets of Fire, Blue Hill Avenue, Sugar Hill, The Jericho Mile, Wag the Dog, Black Fist, I'm Through with White Girls, Christmas at Water's Edge, The Main Event, From Zero to I Love You, Black Listed, Stick, Back...
TV Shows
The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd, V, Chicago Story
I'm an actor. It's no struggle for me any more than it would be for a marathon champion to train by running 5 to 10 miles a day. I've accepted the process of what it takes to be an artist. Sure, I've been out of work, I've been without money, but it's not a struggle. It's what I do.
Served in the Vietnam War as a combat medic and was awarded the Purple Heart.
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He graduated from Hayward High School in 1965 and went to Riverside City College for a year and a half before he dropped out and was drafted into the Army three months later.
Lawson has won two L.A. Drama Critics Awards: one for the play "Streamers" (1977), and another for "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" (1987). In addition, he won a NAACP Image Award for his role on the TV soap opera All My Children (1970) in 1992.
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After serving a year's duty in Vietnam, he went to Chabot Junior College in Hayward, California and joined the debate team with the intention of pursuing law. His voice was so strong, resonant and authoritative that he decided to become an actor instead.
Survived the crash of USAir flight 405 on March 22, 1992. The plane, which took off from New York's LaGuardia Airport crashed into the waters of the Long Island Sound shortly after take-off.
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He has been a master scene study teacher and director at The Beverly Hills Playhouse with Milton Katselas for over 30 years. In addition, he owns and operates the Richard Lawson Studios (RLS). RLS offers several classes and professional development workshops, including: scene study, on-camera class, audition techniques, filmmaking, and business administration.
