Hollywood star John Lawlor has died at the age of 83.
The Colorado native passed away on February 13 at a veterans’ hospice facility in Albuquerque, New Mexico, his family announced online.
The versatile actor was best known for his appearances on the hit TV shows The Facts of Life and Phyllis.
On The Facts Of Life he was headmaster Steven Bradley at the Eastland School for Girls during the first season. The series also featured actors Charlotte Rae, Lisa Whelchel, Kim Fields, Mindy Cohn and Nancy McKeon.
On Phyllis, he portrayed Leonard Marsh, one of Cloris Leachman’s co-workers at the San Francisco City Supervisor’s office on the CBS sitcom.
Lawlor also had a varied movie career.
John was in the high-profile film Blake Edwards’ S.O.B. (1981) with Julie Andrews and Lawrence Kasdan’s Wyatt Earp (1994) with Kevin Costner.
Hollywood star John Lawlor has died at the age of 83. The Colorado native passed away on February 13 at a veterans’ hospice facility in New Mexico. Seen here on The Facts of Life
With acclaimed actress Charlotte Rae as Mrs Edna Ann Garrett on The Facts Of Life
John – full name John Henry Lawlor III – was born in Troy, New York but raised in Boulder, Colorado.
He graduated from the University of Colorado.
Then he went into acting.
He was a part of the acting troupe called the Nomad Players, the same place Knots Landing actress Joan Van Ark trained.
His first big show was a 1975 episodes of The Rockford Files with James Garner. He then had a role in the 1976 movie Jackson County Jail with Yvette Mimieux.
Next came the sitcom Phyllis.
He also worked on the popular TV shows Alice, Barney Miller, Newhart, T.J. Hooker, Sledge Hammer!, Knots Landing, L.A. Law, Breaking Bad and Longmire.
Some of his other films were The Gumball Rally (1976), Billy Jack Goes to Washington (1977) and Movie Madness (1982).
On The Facts Of Life he was headmaster Steven Bradley at the Eastland School for Girls during the first season
Lawlor as Mr. Bradley, Lisa Whelchel as Blair Warner in a 1980 episode
He was also remembers for his Malt-O-Meal cereal commercial.
Lawlor also served as an assistant director on features including Excalibur (1981), Neil Jordan’s Angel (1982), Highlander (1986), A Prayer for the Dying (1987) and Driftwood (1997).
Survivors include his children, Eric, Bryan, Annie, Elizabeth and Riel, brothers Thomas and Dave and three grandchildren.
His second wife was Canadian actress Tantoo Cardinal (Dances With Wolves); they were married from 1988 until their 2000 divorce.