Richard Lawson
Birthday: Born in 1947-03-07 in Loma Linda, California, USA
Deathday: Alive
Richard Lee Lawson (born March 7, 1947) 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.
TV Credits
St. Elsewhere
Character:
St. Elsewhere is an American medical drama television series that originally ran on NBC from October 26, 1982 to May 25, 1988. The series starred Ed Flanders, Norman Lloyd and William Daniels as teaching doctors at a lightly-regarded Boston hospital who gave interns a promising future in making critical medical and life decisions....
Hardcastle and McCormick
Character:
Hardcastle and McCormick is an American action/drama television series from Stephen J. Cannell Productions, shown on ABC from 1983 through 1986. The series stars Brian Keith as Judge Milton C. Hardcastle and Daniel Hugh Kelly as ex-con and race car driver Mark "Skid" McCormick. The series premise was somewhat recycled from a previous Cannell series, Tenspeed and Brown Shoe....
Father Dowling Mysteries
Character:
Father Dowling Mysteries is an American television mystery series that aired from January 20, 1989 to May 2, 1991. Prior to the series, a TV movie aired on November 30, 1987. For its first season, the show was on NBC; it moved to ABC for its last two seasons. It is based on the adventures of the title character created by Ralph McInerny, in a series of mystery novels. The series was produced by The Fred Siverman Company and Dean Hargrove Productions in association with Viacom Productions....
Good Times
Character:
Good Times is an American sitcom that originally aired from February 8, 1974, until August 1, 1979, on the CBS television network. It was created by Eric Monte and Mike Evans, and developed by Norman Lear, the series' primary executive producer. Good Times is a spin-off of Maude, which is itself a spin-off of All in the Family along with The Jeffersons. The series is set in Chicago. The first two seasons were taped at CBS Television City in Hollywood. In the fall of 1975, the show moved to Metr...
Saved by the Bell: The New Class
Character: Judge Thurston Jones
Saved by the Bell: The New Class is a spin-off of the Saved by the Bell series which ran from September 11, 1993 to January 8, 2000. The series lasted for seven seasons on NBC as a part of the network's TNBC Saturday morning line-up. It was the fourth incarnation of the franchise. The show had the same concept as the original series but featured a new group of students now roaming the halls of the fictional Bayside High School. Mr. Belding, played by Dennis Haskins, remained as the school's pri...
Numb3rs
Character:
Inspired by actual cases and experiences, Numb3rs depicts the confluence of police work and mathematics in solving crime as an FBI agent recruits his mathematical genius brother to help solve a wide range of challenging crimes in Los Angeles from a very different perspective....
Remington Steele
Character: Monroe Henderson
Laura Holt, a licensed private detective, opens a detective agency but finds that potential clients refuse to hire a woman, however qualified. To solve the problem, Laura invents a fictitious male superior whom she names Remington Steele. Through a series of events that unfold in the first episode, "License to Steele," a former thief and con man, whose real name is never revealed, assumes the identity of Remington Steele. Behind the scenes, Laura remains firmly in charge....
The District
Character: Commander Richard Gray
The District is a television police drama which aired on CBS from October 7, 2000 to May 1, 2004. The show followed the work and personal life of the chief of Washington, D.C.'s Police Department....
Half & Half
Character: Ben
Half & Half is an American sitcom that aired on UPN from September 23, 2002, to May 15, 2006. The show focuses on the lives of two paternal half-sisters in their twenties who were estranged throughout their childhood, and are finally developing a close relationship. The series is set in San Francisco. It was the second-most-watched show on UPN's Monday night line-up and fourth overall on the network. The show was on The CW's first draft line-up in March 2006, but due to several circumstances—in...
All of Us
Character:
Robert James, an entertainment reporter for a local Los Angeles television station, is handsome, smart and thoroughly modern in his thinking. Recently divorced from the somewhat self-absorbed Neesee, the mother of their endearing 6-year-old son, Robert refuses to buy into the old stereotype that being divorced means you can't get along with the ex....
The Division
Character:
The Division is an American crime drama television series created by Deborah Joy LeVine and starring Bonnie Bedelia. The series focused on a team of women police officers in the San Francisco Police Department. The series premiered on Lifetime on January 7, 2001 and ended on June 28, 2004 after 88 episodes....
Judging Amy
Character: Thomas Horne
Judging Amy is an American television drama that was telecast from September 19, 1999, through May 3, 2005, on CBS-TV. This TV series starred Amy Brenneman and Tyne Daly. Its main character is a judge who serves in a family court, and in addition to the family-related cases that she adjudicates, many episodes of the show focus on her own experiences as a divorced mother, and on the experiences of her mother, a social worker who works in the field of child welfare. This series was based on the li...
L.A. Doctors
Character:
L.A. Doctors is an American medical drama television series set in a Los Angeles practice. It ran on CBS during the 1998-99 season....
Touched by an Angel
Character: Nicholas Freeman
Monica, an angel, is tasked with bringing guidance and messages from God to various people who are at a crossroads in their lives....
The Bernie Mac Show
Character: Bishop
The Bernie Mac Show is an American sitcom that aired on Fox for five seasons from November 14, 2001 to April 14, 2006. The series featured comic actor Bernie Mac and his wife Wanda raising his sister's three kids: Jordan, Bryana, and Vanessa....
The Cosby Show
Character: Mr. Bostic
The Cosby Show is an American television situation comedy starring Bill Cosby, which aired for eight seasons on NBC from September 20, 1984 until April 30, 1992. The show focuses on the Huxtable family, an upper middle-class African-American family living in Brooklyn, New York....
All in the Family
Character: Angry Black Man
Archie Bunker, a working class bigot, constantly squabbles with his family over the important issues of the day....
The Streets of San Francisco
Character:
Two police officers, the older Lt. Stone and the young upstart Inspector Keller, investigate murders and other serious crimes in San Francisco. Stone would become a second father to Keller as he learned the rigors and procedures of detective work....
Sister, Sister
Character:
Twins Tia Landry and Tamera Campbell were separated and adopted at birth. Fourteen years later, they encounter each other by chance at the mall. After the families meet, Tia's widowed father agrees to let Tamera and her single mother move in with them....
Dynasty
Character: Nick Kimball
The saga of a wealthy Denver family in the oil business: Blake Carrington, the patriarch; Krystle, his former secretary and wife; his children: Adam, lost in childhood after a kidnapping; Fallon, pampered and spoiled; Steven, openly gay; and Amanda, hidden from him by his ex-wife, the conniving Alexis. Most of the show features the conflict between 2 large corporations, Blake's Denver Carrington and Alexis' ColbyCo....
Soul Food
Character: Rev. Bobby Baxter
Soul Food: The Series is a television drama that aired Wednesday nights on Showtime from June 28, 2000 to May 26, 2004. Created by filmmaker George Tillman, Jr. and developed for television by Felicia D. Henderson, Soul Food is based upon Tillman's childhood experiences growing up in Wisconsin, and is a continuation of his successful 1997 film of the same name. Having aired for 74 episodes, it is the longest running drama with a predominantly black cast in the history of North American prime-tim...
MacGyver
Character: Jesse Colton
He's everyone's favorite action hero... but he's a hero with a difference. Angus MacGyver is a secret agent whose wits are his deadliest weapon. Armed with only a knapsack filled with everyday items he picks up along the way, he improvises his way out of every peril the bad guys throw at him. Making a bomb out of chewing gum? Fixing a speeding car's breaks... while he's riding in it? Using soda pop to cook up tear gas? That's all in a day's adventures for MacGyver. He's part Boy Scout, part gen...
The Parent 'Hood
Character:
The Parent 'Hood is an American sitcom that aired on The WB airing from January 18, 1995 to July 25, 1999. The series starred Robert Townsend and Suzzanne Douglas. Originally to have been titled Father Knows Nothing, the series was one of the four sitcoms that aired as part of the original Wednesday night two-hour lineup that helped launch The WB network....
Moesha
Character:
Moesha was an American sitcom series that aired on the UPN network from January 23, 1996 to May 14, 2001. The series stars R&B singer Brandy Norwood as Moesha Mitchell, a high school student living with her family in the Leimert Park neighborhood of South Central Los Angeles. It was originally ordered as a pilot for the CBS network's 1995-1996 television season, who rejected. It was then picked up by UPN, who aired it as a mid-season replacement. It went on to become the biggest success for the ...
Kojak
Character: 1st Suspect
A bald, lollipop sucking police detective with a fiery righteous attitude battles crime in New York City....
Medical Center
Character:
Medical Center is a medical drama series which aired on CBS from 1969 to 1976. It was produced by MGM Television....
JAG
Character: Sgt. Dan Craig
Harmon "Harm" Rabb Jr. is a former pilot turned lawyer working for the military's JAG (Judge Advocate General) division, the elite legal wing of officers that prosecutes and defends those accused of military-related crimes. He works closely with Lt. Col. Sarah Mackenzie, and together they do what needs to be done to find the truth....
Wiseguy
Character:
Vinnie Terranova does time in a New Jersey penitentiary to set up his undercover role as an agent for the OCB (Organized Crime Bureau) of the United States. His roots in a traditional Italian city neighborhood form the underlying dramatic base throughout the series, bringing him into conflict with his conservative mother and other family members while acting undercover as syndicate enforcer....
The White Shadow
Character: David Mackey
The White Shadow is an American drama television series that ran on the CBS network from November 27 1978, to March 16 1981....
Family Law
Character: Chuck
Family attorney and mom Lynn Holt has had to scramble to keep her family and her law firm together since her husband left her and took most of their joint law practice with him. Although the attorneys are carting plenty of life's baggage, they're all determined to make the most of this unexpected second chance—and make each month's mortgage payment....
The Fantastic Journey
Character:
The Fantastic Journey was an American science fiction television series that was originally aired on NBC from February 3 through June 17, 1977....
V
Character: Dr Ben Taylor
Fifty spaceships, each three miles across, hover ominously above Earth's major cities. The Visitors that emerge are humanlike in appearance and extend the hand of friendship. Our planet's resources are just what these aliens need to survive. And for its future survival, unsuspecting humankind will need... a miracle!...
What Really Happened To the Class Of '65?
Character:
Sam Ashley, a graduate of 1965 class of Bret Harte High School, who was now a teacher at the school, served as the narrator describing what had happened to his fellow graduates in the decade since they had graduated....
Dead Like Me
Character: William Garrett
When her life comes to an abrupt end, George discovers that death is nothing like she thought it would be. Recruited to collect the souls of others as they die, she suddenly finds herself an unwilling participant in a line of work she never knew existed: Grim Reaping!...
Saints & Sinners
Character: Pastor Evan Johnson
A large Southern church is the background for greed, corruption and murder....
Stitchers
Character: Admiral Decker
A young woman is recruited into a secret government agency to be “stitched” into the minds of the recently deceased, using their memories to investigate murders....
Pandora's Clock
Character: Daniel Robb
A man infected with a deadly virus boards Quantum Airlines flight 66 in Frankfurt, Germany. The US government must stop the plane before it lands at JFK International Airport....
The Black Hamptons
Character: Moses Britton
A feud between two families in the quaint town of Sag Harbor on Long Island, N.Y., starkly illustrates the difference between old and new money; based on the novel of the same name....
Grey's Anatomy
Character: Bill Pierce
Follows the personal and professional lives of a group of doctors at Seattle’s Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital....
The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd
Character: Det. Nathaniel Hawthorne
Molly Dodd — a mid-30s, divorced woman living in New York — faces the comedy and drama of a widely changing career, difficulties of apartment living, love life and its consequences, and more....
Beauty in Black
Character: Norman
A stripper's fate takes a turn when she crosses paths with the wealthy, dysfunctional family behind a cosmetics dynasty and a devious trafficking scheme....
T. J. Hooker
Character: Officer David McNeil
Sergeant Thomas Jefferson Hooker is a tough-as-nails veteran police officer with the LCPD who turns his back on a gold badge and goes back to patrolling the streets and training recuits. Along with his young partners in blue, Hooker take on Lake City's toughest criminals....
mixed-ish
Character: Lynwood
Rainbow Johnson recounts her experience growing up in a mixed-race family in the ‘80s and the constant dilemmas they had to face over whether to assimilate or stay true to themselves....
Strong Medicine
Character: Alton Clayborne
The lives of staff in the womens' health clinic of a fictitious hospital in Philadelphia....
Comedy Factory
Character: Dr. Julius Pepper
The Comedy Factory (no known affiliation with the comedy club of the same name) was a live-action, scripted comedy series that ran during the summers of 1985 and 1986 on ABC in the United States and CTV in Canada (who also oversaw production). The show revolved around comedians and actors acting out scenes from television pilots that had been passed on previously by ABC. Further information on the show is scarce and nearly every episode of the show is presumed lost; only the premiere episode, "H...
Movie Credits
Poltergeist
Character: Ryan
Upon realizing that something truly evil haunts his home, Steve Freeling calls in a team of parapsychologists to help before it's too late....
Justice
Character: Gus
A lawyer and her partner run from the Colombian Mafia and the corrupt U.S. marshals and attorneys assigned to protect them....
The Forgotten
Character: Sgt. Frank " Doc " McDermott
Based on a story by Vietnam veteran Paul Staples, the film concerns six American Green Berets, held for 17 years in a Vietnamese POW camp. They are finally released in secret, during a delicate trade-talk session between Vietnam and the United States. Captain Tom Watkins, the ex-prisoners' CO, begins to suspect that government-man Adam Roth, who is in charge of the debriefing, may be pursuing a hidden agenda that will result in the early deaths of Watkins and the five men under his command....
Not Alone
Character: Dr. James Clay
An unsuspecting family buys a mansion for a bargain but discovers a presence in the home and must fight to save their lives....
The Main Event
Character: Hector Mantilla
A bankrupt entrepreneur attempts to recoup some of her losses by getting a washed-out boxer she picked up as a tax loss back into the ring — an idea her protégé isn't fond of....
A Holiday Chance
Character: Garvin
The family of the founder of a multi-million-dollar film company experiences some tragic events during the holidays and two sisters must set aside a life-long rivalry and come together to turn the company around and keep the family intact....
Scream Blacula Scream
Character: Willis Daniels
After an aging voodoo priestess dies, her arrogant son Willis Daniel's believes he is next in line to lead. He is outraged when Lisa, his mother's adopted apprentice is chosen as the leader. Willis seeks revenge by reviving the African prince Blacula — but soon finds that he cannot control him....
Wag the Dog
Character: Young Man / CIA
During the final weeks of a presidential race, the President is accused of sexual misconduct. To distract the public until the election, the President's adviser hires a Hollywood producer to help him stage a fake war....
Crossfire
Character: Officer Ken Dillard
Vince Rossi is a cop who has been asked by the department to go undercover. Part of the process was being dismissed from the department and being branded a dirty cop. And his first job is to go after a mob boss....
For Colored Girls
Character: Frank
About existence from the perspective of 20 nameless black females. Each of the women portray one of the characters represented in the collection of twenty poems, revealing different issues that impact women in general and women of color in particular....
Blue Hill Avenue
Character: Uncle Rob
A child of a middle class home with solid moral values is lured into a world of crime and corruption....
Audrey Rose
Character: Policeman #1
A man is convinced that a young girl is the reincarnation of his own daughter Audrey Rose, who died in a fiery car accident, along with his wife, two minutes before the girl was born....
Double Your Pleasure
Character: Dash
A television movie about an FBI agent (Jackée) who breaks her leg while trying to capture drug runners, and her identical twin sister (also portrayed by Jackée), a waitress who is enlisted to take her place. Masquerading as a sophisticated financial analyst, the twin is thrust into a dangerous game of organized crime and official corruption with a shady business mogul....
Sugar Hill
Character: Valentine
When her boyfriend is brutally murdered, after refusing to be shaken down by the local gangsters running their protection racket, Sugar Hill, decides not to get mad, but BAD! Calling upon the help of aged voodoo queen Mama Maitresse, Sugar entreats her to call upon Baron Zamedi, the Lord of the Dead, for help in gaining a gruesome revenge. In exchange for her soul, the Dark Master raises up a zombie army to do her bidding. The bad guys who thought they were getting away clean are about to find o...
The Jericho Mile
Character: R.C. Stiles
A runner, serving a life sentence at Folsom Prison, works at becoming the world's fastest miler and wins a chance to compete for a spot on the Olympic team....
Christmas at Water's Edge
Character: Mr. Turner
Everyone knows Christmas is a time of giving — well, everyone but one wealthy, spoiled college student who's about to get the ultimate wake-up call. When she helps organize a holiday concert at a youth center, little does she know the grumpy cabbie she works with is actually an angel in training....
Black Fist
Character: Leroy Fisk
To make money, a Los Angeles street-fighter goes to work for gangsters....
Stick
Character: Cornell
After getting out of jail, car thief Ernest "Stick" Stickley witnesses the murder of his friend Rainy during a drug deal. To avoid getting killed by the same people, who work for mobster Chucky, Stick gets a job as a chauffeur for millionaire Barry Braham and lies low. As he gets used to his new routine, Stick woos Barry's financial consultant, Kyle McClaren, but must fight back when Chucky's men come after him....
CHAAW: Chapter 1
Character: Chief of Police
A Celebration of Hip Hop through beatboxing and unique storytelling by the Legendary Biz Markie who rhymes while telling the stories of victims of injustice. CHAAW - Five interconnected stories highlighting victims of injustice. China, Hector, Africa, Ardnas and Wesley.(CHAAW) These are the stories of victims of Injustice in America. The effect of injustice not only impacts the individuals but also their families and community....
Under the Influence
Character: Dr. Duran
Noah Talbot is a long-time alcoholic whose drinking begins to have a devastating effect not only on his personal life but on his family as well....
Leadfoot
Character: Officer Venchek
Tommy just bought his first car with his own money. He enjoys driving it fast regardless of the speed limit. He ignores several warnings and not even a speeding ticket can change his way of driving. And then one night Tommy's beloved car is sideswiped, and Tommy makes a reckless decision that leads to tragedy....
Tyler Perry's Divorce in the Black
Character: Clarence
Ava, a young bank professional is devastated when her husband Dallas abandons a marriage she is determined to fight for until fate intervenes, revealing Dallas' wicked deeds that have trashed their marriage, and once upon a time sabotaged Ava's destiny to be loved by her true soulmate....
Charleston
Character: James Harris
Stella Farrell is a southern belle in 1860's Charleston, South Carolina who is determined to hang onto her aristocratic family's mansion following the Civil War....
How Stella Got Her Groove Back
Character: Jack
Through good times and bad, Stella and Delilah have always had each other. Now, Stella's so busy building a life that she's forgotten how to really live. But Delilah is about to change all that. What starts as a quick trip to Jamaica, ends as an exhilarating voyage of self discovery as Stella learns to open her heart and find love – even if it's with a man 20 years her junior....
Beyoncé Presents: Making The Gift
Character: Self
Beyoncé takes viewers on a journey through Africa with an hour-long documentary special, an intimate behind-the-scenes look at the making of the album, The Lion King: The Gift, featuring candid footage and interviews detailing the hard work and passion that went into her love letter to Africa....
Black Terror
Character: Talk Show Host
Fifty years after Richard Wesley's original production of Black Terror, Richard Lawson directs a bi-coastal cast of revolutionaries on a daunting mission to free their people. As the Black Comrades Keusi, M'Balia, Geronimo, and Ahmed fight on the edge of life and death, the divide between them intensifies and widens....
The Golden Moment: An Olympic Love Story
Character: Gene Davis
This Olympics film, tied in with the planned 1980 games from which the United States subsequently withdrew, focuses on an American athlete whose dreams of winning the Decathlon are threatened by his romance with a pretty Russian gymnast....
Dirty Harry
Character: Homosexual (uncredited)
When a madman dubbed 'Scorpio' terrorizes San Francisco, hard-nosed cop, Harry Callahan – famous for his take-no-prisoners approach to law enforcement – is tasked with hunting down the psychopath....
Will I See You Again?
Character:
Two former friends find themselves summoned to their late friend's estate hearing. To claim their inheritance, they must first confront their past relationship while undergoing a polygraph test....
A Royal Family Christmas
Character: Leighton Royal
In the sequel to "A Royal Family Holiday", the children Phillip "Flip" Royal (Romeo Miller), a good-looking spiritual guru; Austin Royal (Eric Myrick III, At Sunrise), a Washington, D.C. community activist; Kelsey Royal (Chelsea Tavares, Fright Night), a fashion designer's gopher; and Pamela Royal (Taquilla Whitfield, Magic Mike XXL), a hair and nail salon owner; join forces to reunite their parents in time for Christmas. They try every trick in the book - including "playing nice" and setting as...
Lemonade
Character: Self (home footage)
The second "visual album" (a collection of short films) by Beyoncé, this time around she takes a piercing look at racial issues and feminist concepts through a sexualized, satirical, and solemn tone....
Streets of Fire
Character: Officer Ed Price
Raven Shaddock and his gang of merciless biker friends kidnap rock singer Ellen Aim. Ellen's former lover, soldier-for-hire Tom Cody, happens to be passing through town on a visit. In an attempt to save his star act, Ellen's manager hires Tom to rescue her. Along with a former soldier, they battle through dangerous cityscapes, determined to get Ellen back....
Coming Home
Character: Pat
In 1968 California, a Marine officer's wife falls in love with a former high school classmate who suffered a paralyzing combat injury in the war....
Johnnie Mae Gibson: FBI
Character: Adam Prentice
A police officer is called by F.B.I. to infiltrate into gang of arms smugglers....
Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror
Character: Self
Delving into a century of genre films that by turns utilized, caricatured, exploited, sidelined, and finally embraced them, this is the untold history of black Americans in Hollywood through their connection to the horror genre....
Always a Bridesmaid
Character: Carlton Blakeston Sr.
Tired of always being the bridesmaid, Corina James wonders if marriage is for everyone else but her, even when she finally meets Mr. Right....
From Zero to I Love You
Character: Ron Logsdon
Darryl Stephens plays Pete Logsdon-just a guy in Philadelphia who happens to have a history of getting involved with married men. His father, played by veteran Richard Lawson and his soon-to-be step mom, Leslie Zemeckis, are on him to find someone who's actually available and to settle down. Instead, he finds a man named Jack who is fifteen years into a perfect marriage with two beautiful children and an enviable wife....
North Hollywood
Character: Adolf's Dad
A kid must decide between choosing the future his father wants and following his dream of becoming a pro skater....
They Are Here: The Real World of the Poltergeists
Character: Himself
This two-parter is about as insightful and plausible as one of those "Histories Mysteries" specials, or that weekly John Edwards "Coast to Coast" baloney. A stream of real-life spook experts, ghost story writers and scientist types are interviewed. They try to convince (usually with little real proof) of the existence of the kind of paranormal activity seen in 'Poltergeist.'...
Shotguns and Six Strings: Making a Rock N Roll Fable
Character: Self
Documentary about the making of Streets of Fire....
The Last Stand
Character: Winston
The Last Stand, a drama that chronicles the life of four very different people attempting success as performers in Los Angeles until life becomes too much to handle....
Love for Sale
Character: Uncle Mac
Trey is a young deliveryman who can't seem to catch a break. His whole life is a shambles - no money for college and no game to attract the ladies. After a failed attempt to get together with the girl of his dreams, Trey gets caught up by a seductive older woman who pays for his "personal delivery services." He's having the time of his life - at first, but this deceptively ideal situation soon sends his life spinning out of control!...
Guess Who
Character: Marcus
When a young African-American woman brings her fiancé home to meet her parents, she's neglected to mention one tiny detail – he's white....
Jackie's Back!
Character: Milkman Summers (Jackie's Ex-Husband #1)
A British documentarian profiles washed-up diva Jackie Washington as she prepares for her comeback concert....