Richard Lawson

Personal Info

Known For

Acting

Born

1947-03-07

Place of Birth

Loma Linda, California, USA
IMDb

Richard Lawson

Biography

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.

Gallery

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Acting History

2025
Aftershock: The Nicole P. Bell Story as Al Sharpton
2024
Beauty in Black as Norman
2024
Will I See You Again?
2024
Tyler Perry's Divorce in the Black as Clarence
2023
CHAAW: Chapter 1 as Chief of Police
2022
Sherri as Self - Guest
2022
The Black Hamptons as Moses Britton
2021
A Holiday Chance as Garvin
2021
Not Alone as Dr. James Clay
2021
North Hollywood as Adolf's Dad
2019
Always a Bridesmaid as Carlton Blakeston Sr.
2019
mixed-ish as Lynwood
2019
Beyoncé Presents: Making The Gift as Self
2019
From Zero to I Love You as Ron Logsdon
2019
Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror as Self
2017
Shotguns and Six Strings: Making a Rock N Roll Fable as Self
2016
Lemonade as Self (home footage)
2016
Saints & Sinners as Pastor Evan Johnson
2015
A Royal Family Christmas as Leighton Royal
2015
A Royal Family Holiday
2015
Stitchers as Admiral Decker
2010
For Colored Girls as Frank
2008
Love for Sale as Uncle Mac
2007
They Are Here: The Real World of the Poltergeists as Himself
2006
The Last Stand as Winston
2005
Grey's Anatomy as Bill Pierce
2005
Guess Who as Marcus
2005
Numb3rs as Clay Porter, Sr. (uncredited)
2004
Christmas at Water's Edge as Mr. Turner
2003
Blue Hill Avenue as Uncle Rob
2003
All of Us
2003
Dead Like Me as William Garrett
2003
Maniac Magee as Mr. Beale
2002
Half & Half as Ben
2001
The Bernie Mac Show as Bishop
2001
The Division as LaBon
2000
The District as Richard Gray
2000
Strong Medicine as Alton Clayborne
2000
Soul Food as Rev. Bobby Baxter
1999
Family Law as Chuck
1999
Judging Amy as Thomas Horne
1999
Jackie's Back! as Milkman Summers (Jackie's Ex-Husband #1)
1999
Justice as Gus
1998
L.A. Doctors as Gary Miller
1998
How Stella Got Her Groove Back as Jack
1997
Wag the Dog as Young Man / CIA
1997
Good News
1996
Pandora's Clock as Daniel Robb
1996
Moesha as Marlon James
1995
JAG as Sgt. Dan Craig
1995
The Parent 'Hood
1994
Touched by an Angel as Nicholas Freeman
1994
Sister, Sister as Victor Sims
1993
Saved by the Bell: The New Class as Judge Thurston Jones
1989
Double Your Pleasure as Dash
1989
The Forgotten as Sgt. Frank " Doc " McDermott
1989
Father Dowling Mysteries
1987
Wiseguy
1987
The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd as Det. Nathaniel Hawthorne
1986
Johnnie Mae Gibson: FBI as Adam Prentice
1986
Under the Influence as Dr. Duran
1985
MacGyver as Jesse Colton
1985
The Comedy Factory as Dr. Julius Pepper
1985
Stick as Cornell
1984
The Cosby Show as Mr. Bostic
1984
Streets of Fire as Officer Ed Price
1983
Hardcastle and McCormick
1983
V as Dr Ben Taylor
1982
St. Elsewhere as The Messiah
1982
Remington Steele as Monroe Henderson
1982
Poltergeist as Ryan
1982
T. J. Hooker as Officer David McNeil
1982
Chicago Story as Detective O.Z. Tate
1981
Dynasty as Nick Kimball
1980
Magnum, P.I. as Gerald Calvin
1980
The Jericho Mile as R.C. Stiles
1980
The Golden Moment: An Olympic Love Story as Gene Davis
1979
The Main Event as Hector Mantilla
1979
Charleston as James Harris
1978
The White Shadow as David Mackey
1978
Coming Home as Pat
1977
What Really Happened to the Class of '65?
1977
Black Fist as Leroy Fisk
1977
Audrey Rose as Policeman #1
1977
The Fantastic Journey as Barker
1975
Crossfire as Officer Ken Dillard
1974
Good Times
1974
Sugar Hill as Valentine
1973
Kojak as 1st Suspect
1973
Scream Blacula Scream as Willis Daniels
1972
The Streets of San Francisco
1971
Dirty Harry as Homosexual (uncredited)
1971
All in the Family as Angry Black Man
1969
Medical Center
—
Black Terror as Talk Show Host