John Henry Lawlor III (June 5, 1941 – February 13, 2025) was an American actor and assistant director.
Early life
Lawlor was born on June 5, 1941 in Troy, New York,[1] but spent much of his early life in Boulder, Colorado,[2] where his mother was a teacher of special needs children at Casey Jr. High School. In the late-1960s, he worked as a AmeriCorps Seniors volunteer trainer in Denver.[citation needed]
Career
His best known roles were Supervisor Leonard Marsh on the television series Phyllis from 1976 to 1977,[3] and later of Headmaster Steven Bradley on the television series The Facts of Life from 1979 to 1980.[4] The name Steven Bradley was likely meant as a tribute to Steve Bradley in Boulder, a friend and one-time manager of the Winter Park ski area.[citation needed]
He also guest-starred in L.A. Law, Knots Landing, Mr. Belvedere, Barney Miller, The Rockford Files, Ellery Queen, Baa Baa Black Sheep, and Alice. He played the locksmith exhorted by Skylar White in Breaking Bad.
He appeared in the movies National Lampoon's Movie Madness (1982), S.O.B. (1981), Billy Jack Goes to Washington (1977), The Gumball Rally (1976), Wyatt Earp (1994) and Mr. Fixit (1988).
In a 1980s TV commercial for Malt-O-Meal hot cereal, he played a father telling his son's invisible friend that Malt-O-Meal was, "Good stuff, Maynard!" a line which became a popular phrase.[citation needed]
Personal life and death
Lawlor was divorced from Tantoo Cardinal, with whom he had two children. He also had four other children.[5]
Lawlor died in Albuquerque, New Mexico on February 13, 2025, at the age of 83.[6][7]
Filmography
Film
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1976 | Jackson County Jail | Deputy Burt | |
1976 | The Gumball Rally | Jake | |
1977 | Billy Jack Goes to Washington | Dan McArthur | |
1981 | S.O.B. | Capitol Studios Manager | |
1982 | National Lampoon's Movie Madness | Mr. Haggis | |
1994 | Wyatt Earp | Judge Spicer | |
2011 | Naked Run | Max Siegel | |
2011 | The Reunion | Lenny Cleary | |
2016 | Gold | Mining Expert |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1975 | The Rockford Files | Dave Kruger | Episode: "Resurrection in Black & White" |
1975 | Ellery Queen | Director / Radio Technician | 2 episodes |
1976 | The Bureau | Agent Butterfield | Television film |
1976 | Baa Baa Black Sheep | Dr. Jim Reese | Episode: "Flying Misfits" |
1976–1977 | Phyllis | Leonard Marsh / Officer Hale | 25 episodes |
1977 | Relentless | Walker | Television film |
1977 | Alice | Henderson | Episode: "The Sixty Minutes Man" |
1978 | Outside Chance | Bill Hill | Television film |
1978 | Barney Miller | Morris the Dogcatcher | Episode: "Dog Days" |
1979 | A New Kind of Family | Tom | Episode: "Are You Sure Barnum and Bailey Started Like This?" |
1979–1980 | The Facts of Life | Steven Bradley | 13 episodes |
1980 | United States | Josh | Episode: "Josh" |
1981 | A Matter of Life and Death | Bud Coggins | Television film |
1981 | Here's Boomer | John Hawthorne | Episode: "Boomer in the Pound" |
1981 | Why Us? | Jules Sanborn | Television film |
1982 | Cassie & Co. | Merritt | Episode: "Dark Side of the Moon" |
1982 | Newhart | Director of Vermont Today | Episode: "Vermont Today" |
1984 | T. J. Hooker | Charles Bowers | Episode: "Pursuit" |
1984 | Simon & Simon | Scott Banfield | Episode: "Almost Completely Out of Circulation" |
1984 | ABC Weekend Special | Paul Landry | Episode: "Henry Hamilton Graduate Ghost" |
1985 | The Best Times | Willis Troutman | Episode: "Snake Meat" |
1985, 1987 | Highway to Heaven | Brad / Earl | 2 episodes |
1986 | Stingray | Dr. Jimmy Monroe | Episode: "That Terrible Swift Sword" |
1986 | Sledge Hammer! | Chief Reisner | Episode: "Under the Gun" |
1987 | She's the Sheriff | Diamond | Episode: "Max Moves In" |
1988–1989 | The Bold and the Beautiful | Walter Talbert | 4 episodes |
1989 | Mr. Belvedere | Dr. Peterson | Episode: "Fear of Flying" |
1990 | After the Shock | Fireman | Television film |
1991 | The New Lassie | Jim Berger | Episode: "Kitty Saver" |
1992 | FBI: The Untold Stories | Steve Gates | Episode: "Millionaire Murderer" |
1992–1993 | Knots Landing | Larry Lambert | 4 episodes |
1993 | L.A. Law | Howard Bowling | Episode: "Bourbon County" |
1999 | Hercules: The Legendary Journeys | Horatius | Episode: "Stranger and Stranger" |
2003 | The Lyon's Den | Mr. Dilby | Episode: "Privileged" |
2004 | Cold Case | Father Declan | Episode: "Glued" |
2005 | McBride: Tune in for Murder | Don | Television film |
2008 | The Roaring Twenties | Gary | Miniseries |
2009 | In Plain Sight | Judge John Metcalf | Episode: "Who's Bugging Mary?" |
2010 | Scoundrels | Herbert West | 3 episodes |
2011 | Breaking Bad | Locksmith | Episode: "Box Cutter" |
2014 | Killer Women | Judge Walter Garrity | Episode: "Some Men Need Killing" |
2014 | Longmire | Oren Mallory | Episode: "Miss Cheyenne" |
2014 | Outlaw Prophet: Warren Jeffs | Judge Shumate | Television film |
2016 | Graves | Dr. Mirsky | Episode: "A Tincture of Madness" |
2017 | Godless | Elmer Knowland | 4 episodes |
References
- ^ John Lawlor Dies: ‘The Facts Of Life’, ‘Phyllis’ Actor Was 83
- ^ McNeal, David. "Celebrity Then And Now". Albany Daily News.
- ^ McNeil, Alex (1984). Total Television: A Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present. Viking Press p. 514. ISBN 978-0-1400-7377-5.
- ^ Lewis, Rachel (September 25, 2019). "Where Is The Cast of 'The Facts Of Life' Now?". Pens & Patron. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
- ^ Sonneborn, Liz (2014). A to Z of American Indian Women. Infobase Publishing p. 38. ISBN 978-1-4381-0788-2.
- ^ Barnes, Mike (February 24, 2025). "John Lawlor, Actor on 'Phyllis' and 'The Facts of Life,' Dies at 83". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 24, 2025.
- ^ "John Lawlor". Legacy. February 21, 2025. Retrieved February 25, 2025.
External links
- John Lawlor at IMDb
- John Lawlor at the TCM Movie Database