John Lawlor, Actor on ‘Phyllis’ and ‘The Facts of Life,’ Dies at 83

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John Lawlor, an actor who played a colleague of Cloris Leachman on the CBS sitcom ‘Phyllis’ and the headmaster at Eastland School for Girls in the first season of NBC comedy ‘The Facts of Life’, has passed away. He was 83 years old.

Lawlor passed away on February 13th at a veterans’ care facility located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, according to his family.

The family of Lawlor confirmed that he sadly passed away on the 13th of February, at a veteran’s hospice in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Apart from his extensive career, spanning over 60 years, he also appeared in movies like Blake Edwards’ “S.O.B.” (1981) and Lawrence Kasdan’s “Wyatt Earp” (1994).

During the second and final seasons (1976-77), Lawlor took on the role of the bumbling Leonard Marsh, a character who worked alongside Phyllis Lindstrom, played by Leachman, in the City Supervisor’s office in San Francisco. This was not his first appearance within the universe of the Mary Tyler Moore Show, as he had previously portrayed a police officer in a first-season episode.

In August 1979, when the spinoff of “Diff’rent Strokes” titled “The Facts of Life” made its debut, Lawlor took on the role of headmaster Steven Bradley. He featured in every episode of the first season, but later episodes no longer had him, as he was substituted by Roger Perry’s character, Charles Parker.

Born on the 5th of June, 1941, in Troy, New York, John Henry Lawlor III was the eldest of six siblings. Growing up, he resided in Boulder, Colorado, where his mother, Carolyn, devoted her time to teaching special-needs students at a local middle school.

He earned his degree from the University of Colorado and, being part of the Nomad Players troupe (which launched the careers of Larry Linville and Joan Van Ark), he performed in shows like “Sweeney Todd” and others.

Following his service in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War, Lawlor debuted on television screens with guest roles in 1975 episodes of “The Rockford Files” and “Ellery Queen,” followed by a performance as a deputy in the 1976 series “Jackson County Jail,” alongside Yvette Mimieux. Eventually, he secured a role on the show “Phyllis.

His work history featured appearances on shows such as Alice, Barney Miller, Newhart, T.J. Hooker, Sledge Hammer!, Knots Landing, L.A. Law, Breaking Bad, and Longmire; films like The Gumball Rally (1976), Billy Jack Goes to Washington (1977) and Movie Madness (1982); and a role in the ’80s as a father (“Good stuff, Maynard”) for a Malt-O-Meal cereal commercial.

Additionally, Lawlor held the position of assistant director on various feature films such as “Excalibur” from 1981, “Angel,” directed by Neil Jordan in 1982, “Highlander” released in 1986, “A Prayer for the Dying” from 1987, and “Driftwood” in 1997.

Among those who carry on his legacy are his children Eric, Bryan, Annie, Elizabeth, and Riel, along with brothers Thomas and Dave. Additionally, three grandchildren also survive him. His second spouse was the Canadian actress Tantoo Cardinal, best known for her role in “Dances With Wolves”; they were married from 1988 until their divorce in 2000.

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2025-02-24 20:24