What is Richard Lawson's Net Worth?
Richard Lawson is an actor who has a net worth of $1 million. Richard Lawson has appeared in numerous films and television series since the early 1970s. On the small screen, he has had significant roles on such shows as "Chicago Story," "Dynasty," "The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd," "All My Children," and "In Contempt." Lawson's notable film credits include "Sugar Hill," "Poltergeist," "Streets of Fire," "How Stella Got Her Groove Back," and "Blue Hill Avenue."
Personal Life
From 1978 to 1989 Richard was married to actress/singer Denise Gordy. Denise is the niece of the Motown founder Berry Gordy. They welcomed a daughter, Bianca Lawson, in 1979. Bianca would go on to enjoy a successful acting career.
In 2015 Richard married Tina Knowles, mother of singers Beyonce and Solange Knowles. They divorced in July 2023. During this period, Bianca and Beyonce/Solange were step-sisters. Denise Gordy's first biological son is Marvin Gaye III. So Bianca and Marvin are half siblings. Richard has another child named Ricky.
Early Life and Military Service
Richard Lawson was born on March 7, 1947 in Loma Linda, California. As a young adult, he was drafted into the US Army, where he became a medic. Lawson ultimately served 21 months in Vietnam during the Vietnam War.
Film Career
In 1971, Lawson made his big-screen debut with an uncredited role as a gay man in the Clint Eastwood action crime thriller "Dirty Harry." Two years later, he appeared in the blaxploitation vampire film "Scream Blacula Scream." Lawson was subsequently in such films as "Fox Style," "Sugar Hill," and "Audrey Rose." In 1978, he appeared in the Academy Award-winning drama "Coming Home," and in 1979 he was in the romantic sports comedy "The Main Event." Lawson next appeared on the big screen in the 1982 supernatural horror film "Poltergeist," playing Dr. Ryan Mitchell. He had another memorable role, as Officer Ed Price, in the 1984 action crime film "Streets of Fire." After appearing in the 1985 crime film "Stick," Lawson wasn't in another theatrical film for over a decade. Upon his return to the big screen in the late 1990s, he appeared in the romantic dramedy "How Stella Got Her Groove Back."
In the early '00s, Lawson had roles in the crime dramas "Blue Hill Avenue" and "Black Listed" and the holiday film "Christmas at Water's Edge." He appeared mostly in comedies over the remainder of the decade, such as "Guess Who," "I'm Through with White Girls," and "Love for Sale." Kicking off the 2010s, Lawson appeared in Tyler Perry's "For Colored Girls," based on Ntozake Shange's 1975 choreopoem. He didn't act much on the big screen in the years immediately after that. At the end of the decade, Lawson had supporting roles in the gay romantic drama "From Zero to I Love You" and the romantic comedy "Always a Bridesmaid," both in 2019.
(Photo by Brandon Williams/WireImage)
Television Career
Lawson began his television career in 1973 with guest roles on "Shaft" and "Kojak." He continued to appear in guest roles on various shows over the subsequent years, including "Get Christie Love!," "The Streets of San Francisco," "Police Woman," and "The Fantastic Journey." Lawson landed his first main television role in 1977 on the Australian series "Hotel Story," but the show was canceled before its first episode even aired. He went on to appear in three television films to close out the decade: "Charleston," "Buffalo Soldiers," and Michael Mann's Emmy Award-winning "The Jericho Mile." Lawson appeared in more television films in the 1980s, including "Leadfoot," "Under the Influence," and "The Forgotten." He also starred on the short-lived NBC series "Chicago Story," and played the recurring role of Nick Kimball in the seventh season of the primetime soap opera "Dynasty." Meanwhile, Lawson had guest roles on such shows as "V," "Hardcastle and McCormick," "St. Elsewhere," "Wiseguy," and "227." Toward the end of the decade, he began playing the recurring role of Detective Nathaniel Hawthorne on "The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd," which ran until 1991.
From 1992 to 1993, Lawson played Lucas Barnes on the long-running ABC soap opera "All My Children." After that, he had guest roles on such shows as "Saved by the Bell: The New Class," "Picket Fences," "Good News," "Moesha," and "L.A. Doctors." To close out the decade, Lawson played the recurring role of Victor Sims in the sixth and final season of the sitcom "Sister, Sister," and also appeared in the television film "Jackie's Back." He went on to make guest appearances on numerous shows in the '00s, including "JAG," "Strong Medicine," "The District," "For the People," "Dead Like Me," "All of Us," and "Numb3rs." Lawson also had a brief role in the 2003 Nickelodeon television film "Maniac Magee." His next substantial role came in 2011 in the Australian mockumentary miniseries "Angry Boys." Lawson's subsequent credits were episodes of "Real Husbands of Hollywood," "Being Mary Jane," "Saints & Sinners," "Stitchers," and "Grey's Anatomy." In 2017, he portrayed Joe Jackson in the biographical television film "Michael Jackson: Searching for Neverland." The next year, he played the father of Erica Ash's main character on the short-lived BET show "In Contempt."
