Joe Beaudoin Jr.: Created page with "{{Cast Data | character= Umpire (uncredited) | image=Umpire.jpg | series= 1980 | born_month= 04 | born_day= 26 | born_year= 1931 | death_month= 03 | death_day= 21 | death_year= 1992 | nationality= US | imdb= 0492835 | sortkey= Lawrence, John }} '''John Lawrence''' (April 26, 1931 – March 21, 1992) was an American character actor{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0492835/#:~:text=John%20Lawrence%20was%20bo..."

2025-11-01T15:34:26Z

Created page with "{{Cast Data | character= Umpire (uncredited) | image=Umpire.jpg | series= 1980 | born_month= 04 | born_day= 26 | born_year= 1931 | death_month= 03 | death_day= 21 | death_year= 1992 | nationality= US | imdb= 0492835 | sortkey= Lawrence, John }} '''John Lawrence''' (April 26, 1931 – March 21, 1992) was an American character actor<ref group="external" name="imdb_john_lawrence_bio">{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0492835/#:~:text=John%20Lawrence%20was%20bo..."

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{{Cast Data
| character= [[Umpire]] (uncredited)
| image=Umpire.jpg
| series= 1980
| born_month= 04
| born_day= 26
| born_year= 1931
| death_month= 03
| death_day= 21
| death_year= 1992
| nationality= US
| imdb= 0492835
| sortkey= Lawrence, John
}}

'''John Lawrence''' (April 26, 1931 – March 21, 1992) was an American character actor<ref group="external" name="imdb_john_lawrence_bio">{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0492835/#:~:text=John%20Lawrence%20was%20born%20on%2026%20April%201931|title=John Lawrence|publisher=IMDb|accessdate=November 1, 2025}}</ref> who portrayed an uncredited [[Umpire]] in the ''[[Galactica 1980]]'' episode "[[Spaceball]]," whose appearance was confirmed via computer-aided facial recognition. A longtime San Fernando Valley resident, Lawrence built a career spanning stage, film, and television over more than three decades.<ref group="external" name="latimes_obituary">{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-03-24-me-4141-story.html#:~:text=John%20Lawrence%2C%20who%20appeared%20on%20stage%2C%20in%20films%20and%20on%20television|title=John Lawrence; Actor|work=Los Angeles Times|date=March 24, 1992|accessdate=November 1, 2025}}</ref>

== Early Life and Education ==

Lawrence was born John Lawrence Levy in New York City.<ref group="external" name="california_death_index">California Death Index, 1940-1997, entry for John Lawrence, died March 21, 1992, mother's maiden name Veit.</ref> He legally changed his name to John Lawrence in the late 1950s, taking his middle name as his surname.<ref group="external" name="wikitree_levy_sources">WikiTree profile for John Lawrence Levy, citing U.S. Census records and California Death Index. Accessed November 1, 2025.</ref>

Lawrence graduated from Temple University in Philadelphia in 1953 with a bachelor's degree in business.<ref group="external" name="latimes_obituary"/><ref group="external" name="temple_yearbook_1953">Temple University Templar Yearbook, 1953, page 229.</ref> He served as a lieutenant in the United States Army, receiving an honorable discharge in 1955 after being stationed at Fort Eustis, Virginia, where he served with the Army Transportation Corps.<ref group="external" name="wikitree_levy_sources"/>

== Career ==

=== Early Career and Stage Work ===

After his military discharge, Lawrence studied at Paul Mann's Actor's Workshop in New York City.<ref group="external" name="wikitree_levy_sources"/> During his time in the New York theater scene, he appeared in the off-Broadway productions of "The Threepenny Opera" and "Children of Darkness".<ref group="external" name="latimes_obituary"/> He also performed on the prestigious television anthology series ''[[w:Playhouse 90|Playhouse 90]]'' and ''[[w:Omnibus (American TV series)|Omnibus]]'' before relocating to California in 1958.<ref group="external" name="latimes_obituary"/>

=== Film Work ===

As a character actor who often played villains, Lawrence appeared in several notable films throughout his career.<ref group="external" name="latimes_obituary"/> Film critic Chuck Stephens, writing for the Criterion Collection, described Lawrence as "the sort of obscure and wonderful character actor who essentially defines the term: as uncannily semirecognizable to movie- and boob-tube-bound baby boomers as he is virtually impossible to remember by name."<ref group="external" name="stephens_criterion_seconds">{{cite web|url=http://www.criterion.com/current/posts/2863-naming-names#:~:text=John%20Lawrence%20is%20the%20sort%20of%20obscure%20and%20wonderful%20character%20actor|title=Naming Names|author=Chuck Stephens|publisher=The Criterion Collection|date=2013|accessdate=November 1, 2025}}</ref>

His film credits included ''[[w:The Manchurian Candidate (1962 film)|The Manchurian Candidate]]'' (1962), ''[[w:Seconds (1966 film)|Seconds]]'' (1966),<ref group="external" name="stephens_criterion_seconds"/> and ''[[w:The Arrangement (1969 film)|The Arrangement]]'' (1969).<ref group="external" name="latimes_obituary"/> Additional film appearances included Jerry Lewis's ''[[w:The Family Jewels (1965 film)|The Family Jewels]]'' (1965), Henry Hathaway's ''[[w:Nevada Smith|Nevada Smith]]'' (1966), and [[w:John Carpenter|John Carpenter]]'s science fiction thriller ''[[w:They Live|They Live]]'' (1988), in which he portrayed the Bearded Man.<ref group="external" name="latimes_obituary"/><ref group="external" name="imdb_john_lawrence_filmography">{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0492835/#:~:text=They%20Live|title=John Lawrence - Filmography|publisher=IMDb|accessdate=November 1, 2025}}</ref><ref group="external" name="stephens_criterion_seconds"/>

Lawrence also appeared in additional films including ''[[w:Man of Violence (film)|Man of Violence]]'' (1970) and had film roles throughout the 1960s and 1970s.<ref group="external" name="imdb_john_lawrence_filmography"/>

=== Television Work ===

Lawrence built a substantial television career spanning three decades, primarily in guest and supporting roles. His work during the late 1970s and early 1980s coincided with numerous [[Glen A. Larson]] productions being filmed at Universal Studios, where ''Galactica 1980'' was produced in 1980.<ref group="external" name="imdb_glen_larson">{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0488991/#:~:text=Battlestar%20Galactica|title=Glen A. Larson|publisher=IMDb|accessdate=November 1, 2025}}</ref>

Lawrence appeared on many popular television shows throughout the 1960s, including ''[[w:Ben Casey|Ben Casey]]'', ''[[w:Gunsmoke|Gunsmoke]]'', ''[[w:Mister Ed|Mister Ed]]'', ''[[w:The Addams Family|The Addams Family]]'', and ''[[w:The Munsters|The Munsters]]''.<ref group="external" name="stephens_criterion_seconds"/> His television credits during the era surrounding ''Galactica 1980'' included appearances in ''[[w:Little House on the Prairie (TV series)|Little House on the Prairie]]'' (1980-1981), where he portrayed Jake Schultz and Jacob Platz,<ref group="external" name="imdb_john_lawrence_filmography"/> and ''[[w:The Magical World of Disney|The Magical World of Disney]]'' (1980), in which he played The Fisherman.<ref group="external" name="imdb_john_lawrence_filmography"/>

His career continued through the 1980s with roles in popular series including ''[[w:Darkroom (TV series)|Darkroom]]'' (1981), ''[[w:The A-Team|The A-Team]]'' (1986), ''[[w:Hill Street Blues|Hill Street Blues]]'' (1986), ''[[w:Knots Landing|Knots Landing]]'' (1985-1986), and ''[[w:L.A. Law|L.A. Law]]'' (1988).<ref group="external" name="imdb_john_lawrence_filmography"/><ref group="external" name="latimes_obituary"/> He also appeared in ''[[w:The F.B.I. (TV series)|The F.B.I.]]'' (1972) and various television commercials throughout his career.<ref group="external" name="latimes_obituary"/><ref group="external" name="imdb_john_lawrence_filmography"/>

=== Later Career and Teaching ===

In the 1980s, Lawrence returned to his theatrical roots by acting in stage plays. He also served as a guest lecturer at [[w:California State University, Northridge|California State University, Northridge]].<ref group="external" name="latimes_obituary"/>

== Personal Life ==

Lawrence married Kay Gulick on June 3, 1958, in Ithaca, Michigan.<ref group="external" name="wikitree_levy_sources"/> The couple was married for 34 years and resided in North Hills in the San Fernando Valley.<ref group="external" name="latimes_obituary"/> They had four children: sons Jeremy Lawrence of North Hollywood and Joshua Lawrence of San Diego; and daughters Jennifer Lawrence of Berkeley and Jessica Moore of Northridge.<ref group="external" name="latimes_obituary"/> At the time of his death, Lawrence had five grandchildren.<ref group="external" name="latimes_obituary"/>

=== Community Involvement ===

Throughout his life, Lawrence was actively involved in community service and educational outreach. He served as past chairman of the San Fernando Valley Fair Housing Council's speakers bureau and as a past board of managers member of the San Fernando Valley Interfaith Center.<ref group="external" name="latimes_obituary"/> He also served on the advisory council at James Monroe High School in North Hills.<ref group="external" name="latimes_obituary"/>

In his later years, Lawrence participated in the Screen Actors Guild Foundation's elementary school reading program, visiting schools to promote literacy among young students.<ref group="external" name="latimes_obituary"/> He was a member of First Presbyterian Church of Encino.<ref group="external" name="latimes_obituary"/>

Lawrence also worked under the alternative professional name John F. Lacues for some productions.<ref group="external" name="imdb_john_lawrence_bio"/> His birth name was John Lawrence Levy, which he legally changed to John Lawrence in the late 1950s.<ref group="external" name="wikitree_levy_sources"/><ref group="external" name="california_death_index"/>

=== Death ===

Lawrence died on March 21, 1992, at a Northridge hospital from heart failure at the age of 60.<ref group="external" name="latimes_obituary"/> A memorial service was held on March 25, 1992, at First Presbyterian Church of Encino.<ref group="external" name="latimes_obituary"/> In lieu of flowers, the family requested donations be made to the Screen Actors Guild Foundation Dales Scholarship Fund or to the Mary Magdelene Project in care of First Presbyterian Church of Encino.<ref group="external" name="latimes_obituary"/>

== References ==

=== External Sources ===
{{reflist|group=external}}

[[Category:Cast (1980)]]
[[Category:Deceased]]

John Lawrence - Revision history