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.

Filmography

• 2025Aftershock: The Nicole P. Bell Story — Al Sharpton
• Beauty in Black — Norman
• 2024Tyler Perry's Divorce in the Black — Clarence
• 2024Will I See You Again?
• 2023Black Terror — Talk Show Host, Executive Producer, Director
• 2023CHAAW: Chapter 1 — Chief of Police
• Carl Weber's The Black Hamptons — Moses Britton
• 2021A Holiday Chance — Garvin
• 2021North Hollywood — Adolf's Dad
• 2021Not Alone — Dr. James Clay
• 2019Always a Bridesmaid — Carlton Blakeston Sr.
• 2019From Zero to I Love You — Ron Logsdon
• mixed-ish — Lynwood
• Saints & Sinners — Pastor Evan Johnson
• 2015A Royal Family Christmas — Leighton Royal
• 2015A Royal Family Holiday
• Stitchers — Admiral Decker
• 2010For Colored Girls — Frank
• 2008Love for Sale — Uncle Mac
• 2006The Last Stand — Winston
• Grey's Anatomy — Bill Pierce
• 2005Guess Who — Marcus
• Numb3rs — Clay Porter, Sr. (uncredited)
• 2004Christmas at Water's Edge — Mr. Turner
• All of Us
• 2003Blue Hill Avenue — Uncle Rob
• Dead Like Me — William Garrett
• 2003Maniac Magee — Mr. Beale
• For the People — Clay Portman
• Half & Half — Ben
• The Bernie Mac Show — Bishop
• The Division — LaBon
• Soul Food — Rev. Bobby Baxter
• Strong Medicine — Alton Clayborne
• The District — Richard Gray
• Family Law — Chuck
• 1999Jackie's Back! — Milkman Summers (Jackie's Ex-Husband #1)
• Judging Amy — Thomas Horne
• 1999Justice — Gus
• 1998How Stella Got Her Groove Back — Jack
• L.A. Doctors — Gary Miller
• Good News
• 1997Wag the Dog — Young Man / CIA
• Moesha — Marlon James
• Pandora's Clock — Daniel Robb
• JAG — Dan Craig
• The Parent 'Hood
• Sister, Sister — Victor Sims
• Touched by an Angel — Nicholas Freeman
• Saved by the Bell: The New Class — Judge Thurston Jones
• 1989Double Your Pleasure — Dash
• Father Dowling Mysteries
• 1989The Forgotten — Sgt. Frank " Doc " McDermott
• The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd — Det. Nathaniel Hawthorne
• Wiseguy
• 1986Johnnie Mae Gibson: FBI — Adam Prentice
• 1986Under the Influence — Dr. Duran
• MacGyver — Jesse Colton
• 1985Stick — Cornell
• The Comedy Factory — Dr. Julius Pepper
• 1984Streets of Fire — Officer Ed Price
• The Cosby Show — Mr. Bostic
• Hardcastle and McCormick
• V — Dr Ben Taylor
• Chicago Story — Detective O.Z. Tate
• 1982Poltergeist — Ryan
• Remington Steele — Monroe Henderson
• St. Elsewhere — The Messiah
• T. J. Hooker — Officer David McNeil
• Dynasty — Nick Kimball
• Magnum, P.I. — Gerald Calvin
• 1980The Golden Moment: An Olympic Love Story — Gene Davis
• 1980The Jericho Mile — R.C. Stiles
• 1979Charleston — James Harris
• 1979The Main Event — Hector Mantilla
• 1978Coming Home — Pat
• The White Shadow — David Mackey
• 1977Audrey Rose — Policeman #1
• 1977Black Fist — Leroy Fisk
• The Fantastic Journey — Barker
• What Really Happened to the Class of '65?
• 1975Crossfire — Officer Ken Dillard
• Good Times
• 1974Sugar Hill — Valentine
• Kojak — 1st Suspect
• 1973Scream Blacula Scream — Willis Daniels
• The Streets of San Francisco
• All in the Family — Angry Black Man
• 1971Dirty Harry — Homosexual (uncredited)
• Medical Center

Appearances as themselves (6)

• Sherri — Self - Guest
• 2019Beyoncé Presents: Making The Gift — Self
• 2019Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror — Self
• 2017Shotguns and Six Strings: Making a Rock N Roll Fable — Self
• 2016Lemonade — Self (home footage)
• 2007They Are Here: The Real World of the Poltergeists — Self