Hollywood Mourns: John Lawlor, Star of The Facts of Life, Passes Away at 83

Hollywood star John Lawlor has died at the age of 83.

A Colorado-born individual sadly breathed his last on February 13 at a veterans’ care center in Albuquerque, New Mexico. This news was shared by his family via the internet.

Known for his multi-faceted acting skills, he gained prominence through his roles on popular television series, namely The Facts of Life and Phyllis.

During the initial season of “The Facts of Life,” he played the role of the headmaster, Steven Bradley, at the Eastland School for Girls. This popular show additionally starred actors like Charlotte Rae, Lisa Whelchel, Kim Fields, Mindy Cohn, and Nancy McKeon.

In my professional journey, I embodied the character of Leonard Marsh, a colleague of Cloris Leachman’s in the San Francisco City Supervisor’s office, as portrayed in the CBS sitcom.

Lawlor also had a varied movie career. 

In 1981, John appeared in the movie “Blake Edwards’ S.O.B.” alongside Julie Andrews, and he was also part of the cast for “Wyatt Earp” directed by Lawrence Kasdan in 1994, which starred Kevin Costner.

Originally from Troy, New York, John Lawlor III was subsequently brought up in Boulder, Colorado.

He graduated from the University of Colorado.

Then he went into acting.

He belonged to an acting group known as the Nomad Players, which is where Joan Van Ark, famously known for her role in Knots Landing, honed her skills.

In 1975, his debut major performance was on an episode of The Rockford Files, starring alongside James Garner. Later that year, he landed a part in the film Jackson County Jail, where he worked with Yvette Mimieux.

Next came the sitcom Phyllis.

Apart from that, he was involved in creating several well-known television series such as Alice, Barney Miller, Newhart, T.J. Hooker, Sledge Hammer!, Knots Landing, L.A. Law, Breaking Bad, and Longmire.

Among the other movies he starred in are “The Gumball Rally” from 1976, “Billy Jack Visits Washington” from 1977, and “Movie Mania” from 1982.

Or simply:
His additional films include “The Gumball Rally” (1976), “Billy Jack Goes to Washington” (1977), and “Movie Madness” (1982).

He was also remembers for his Malt-O-Meal cereal commercial.

Additionally, Lawlor held the position of assistant director for various films such as Excalibur (1981), Angel by Neil Jordan (1982), Highlander (1986), A Prayer for the Dying (1987) and Driftwood (1997).

Living on are his offspring: Eric, Bryan, Annie, Elizabeth, and Riel; his siblings, Thomas and David; as well as three of his grandkids.

In 1988, he tied the knot with Canadian actress Tantoo Cardinal (known for Dances With Wolves), but their marriage ended in a divorce in 2000.

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2025-02-24 21:19

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