Richard Lawson
Seen across enough titles, Richard Lawson turns into a familiar face with a career measured in decades rather than seasons. 'Poltergeist' sits at the front of the filmography, where he plays Ryan. Elsewhere on the filmography sits 'Wag the Dog'. The career opened quietly, the way most long ones do. Careers that pass the 55-year mark are a small club.
Richard Lawson
26 Movies
35 Series
Seen across enough titles, Richard Lawson turns into a familiar face with a career measured in decades rather than seasons. 'Poltergeist' sits at the front of the filmography, where he plays Ryan. Elsewhere on the filmography sits 'Wag the Dog'. The career opened quietly, the way most long ones do. Careers that pass the 55-year mark are a small club.
Movies
Plays Ryan
Poltergeist
1982
Plays Marcus
Guess Who
2005
Plays Young Man / CIA
Wag the Dog
1997
Plays Officer Ed Price
Streets of Fire
1984
Plays Clarence
Tyler Perry's Divorce in the Black
2024
Plays Pat
Coming Home
1978
Plays Cornell
Stick
1985
Plays Policeman #1
Audrey Rose
1977
Plays Jack
How Stella Got Her Groove Back
1998
Plays Frank
For Colored Girls
2010
Plays Hector Mantilla
The Main Event
1979
Plays Ron Logsdon
From Zero to I Love You
2019
Plays Willis Daniels
Scream Blacula Scream
1973
Plays Adolf's Dad
North Hollywood
2021
Plays Uncle Mac
Love for Sale
2008
Plays Valentine
Sugar Hill
1974
Plays Winston
The Last Stand
2006
Plays Uncle Rob
Blue Hill Avenue
2003
Plays Carlton Blakeston Sr.
Always a Bridesmaid
2019
Plays Leroy Fisk
Black Fist
1977
Plays Dr. James Clay
Not Alone
2021
TV Shows
Plays Det. Nathaniel Hawthorne
The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd
1987
Plays Norman
Beauty in Black
2024
Plays Detective O.Z. Tate
Chicago Story
1982
Plays Pastor Evan Johnson
Saints & Sinners
2016
Plays Moses Britton
The Black Hamptons
2022
Plays Victor Sims
Sister, Sister
1994
Plays Jesse Colton
MacGyver
1985
Plays Bill Pierce
Grey's Anatomy
2005
Plays Richard Gray
The District
2000
Plays Dr Ben Taylor
V
1983
Plays Admiral Decker
Stitchers
2015
Plays Daniel Robb
Pandora's Clock
1996
Plays The Messiah
St. Elsewhere
1982
Plays Monroe Henderson
Remington Steele
1982
Plays Ben
Half & Half
2002
Plays LaBon
The Division
2001
Plays Thomas Horne
Judging Amy
1999
Plays Gary Miller
L.A. Doctors
1998
Plays Nicholas Freeman
Touched by an Angel
1994
Plays Bishop
The Bernie Mac Show
2001
Plays Mr. Bostic
The Cosby Show
1984
Plays Angry Black Man
All in the Family
1971
Plays Rev. Bobby Baxter
Soul Food
2000
Plays Marlon James
Moesha
1996
Plays 1st Suspect
Kojak
1973
Plays Dan Craig
JAG
1995
Plays David Mackey
The White Shadow
1978
Plays Chuck
Family Law
1999
Plays Barker
The Fantastic Journey
1977
Plays William Garrett
Dead Like Me
2003
Latest Trailers
Watch Trailer
Aftershock: The Nicole P. Bell Story
Full Filmography
Aftershock: The Nicole P. Bell Story
Al Sharpton
2025
Film
Beauty in Black
Norman · 16 episodes
2024–
TV
Tyler Perry's Divorce in the Black
Clarence
2024
Film
CHAAW: Chapter 1
Chief of Police
2023
Film
The Black Hamptons
Moses Britton · 8 episodes
2022–
TV
A Holiday Chance
Garvin
2021
Film
Not Alone
Dr. James Clay
2021
Film
North Hollywood
Adolf's Dad
2021
Film
Always a Bridesmaid
Carlton Blakeston Sr.
2019
Film
Photos
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Richard Lawson and where are they from?
Richard Lawson is 79 years old, born on March 7, 1947 in Loma Linda, California, USA.
What are the most famous roles of Richard Lawson?
Richard Lawson is best known for roles in Poltergeist, Dirty Harry, Wag the Dog.
How many movies has Richard Lawson been in?
Over a 55-year career (since 1971), Richard Lawson has appeared in 26 movies and 35 TV shows.
What was Richard Lawson's first movie?
The career of Richard Lawson began with Dirty Harry (1971).
What is Richard Lawson's most recent movie or series?
Richard Lawson's most recent release is Aftershock: The Nicole P. Bell Story, which premiered on November 28, 2025.
What TV shows has Richard Lawson appeared in?
On television, Richard Lawson has appeared in Grey's Anatomy, V, MacGyver, Dead Like Me.
Richard Lawson
1947-03-07 · Loma Linda, California, USA
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.