John Lawlor
- February 13, 2025
- 83 years
About John Lawlor
John Lawlor, 83, American actor (Phyllis, The Facts of Life, Wyatt Earp).
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60 Seconds Life Story
John Henry Lawlor III was a versatile American actor whose career spanned decades of television and film.
John Lawlor
d. 2025
60 Seconds: John Lawlor's Life Story
A look at the life and career of American actor John Lawlor, known for his roles on The Facts of Life and Phyllis.
Transcript
John Henry Lawlor III was a versatile American actor whose career spanned decades of television and film. Born in 1941, he spent his early years in Colorado before building an impressive acting resume. Audiences fondly remember him as Leonard Marsh on the sitcom Phyllis and as Headmaster Steven Bradley on The Facts of Life. Beyond sitcoms, he made memorable appearances in shows like Breaking Bad and the film Wyatt Earp. He also became part of pop culture history in a 1980s commercial, popularizing the catchphrase, "Good stuff, Maynard!" Lawlor was a dedicated father to his six children throughout his life. He passed away on February 13, 2025, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, at the age of 83.
Play the illustrated life story above, or read the full biography on this page.
Visual credits: Own work (CC BY-SA 3.0) · The Crystal Mill (CC BY 2.0) · Vintage Television Collection: Motorola Porthole "Suitcase" 7-Inch Television Set, Uses Electrostatic Deflection, Missing Antenna Housed in Cover (Typical of These Sets), Very Good Condition, Circa 1949 (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Own work (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Box of Cereal (CC BY-SA 2.0) · This image is available from the United States Library of Congress's Prints and Photographs division under the digital ID ppmsc.06257.This tag does not indicate the copyright status of the attached work. A normal copyright tag is still required. See Commons:Licensing. (Public domain) · Mount Evans and Denver skyline Uploaded by xnatedawgx (CC BY 2.0)
An illustrated presentation assembled inside the archive from the approved script and the credited images: narration, scene transitions and captions. Caption timing is estimated from the narration.
Narrated illustration. Images are sourced and credited; they are not presented as authenticated photographs.
Full Biography
|John Henry Lawlor III (June 5, 1941 – February 13, 2025) was an American actor and assistant director.
Early life
Lawlor was born on June 5, 1941, in Troy, New York, but spent much of his early life in Boulder, Colorado, where his mother was a teacher of special needs children at Casey Jr. High School. In the late-1960s, he worked as a AmeriCorps Seniors volunteer trainer in Denver.[citation needed]
Career
His best known roles were Supervisor Leonard Marsh on the television series Phyllis from 1976 to 1977, and later of Headmaster Steven Bradley on the television series The Facts of Life from 1979 to 1980. The name Steven Bradley was likely meant as a tribute to Steve Bradley in Boulder, a friend and one-time manager of the Winter Park ski area.[citation needed]
He also guest-starred in L.A. Law, Knots Landing, Mr. Belvedere, Barney Miller, The Rockford Files, Ellery Queen, Baa Baa Black Sheep, and Alice. He played the locksmith exhorted by Skylar White in Breaking Bad.
He appeared in the movies National Lampoon's Movie Madness (1982), S.O.B. (1981), Billy Jack Goes to Washington (1977), The Gumball Rally (1976), Wyatt Earp (1994) and Mr. Fixit (1988).
In a 1980s TV commercial for Malt-O-Meal hot cereal, he played a father telling his son's invisible friend that Malt-O-Meal was, "Good stuff, Maynard!" a line which became a popular phrase.[citation needed]
Personal life and death
Lawlor was divorced from Tantoo Cardinal, with whom he had two children. He also had four other children.
Lawlor died in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on February 13, 2025, at the age of 83.
Filmography
Film
Television
Content from Wikipedia — licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
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Articles & News
- deadline.comJohn Lawlor Dies: ‘The Facts Of Life’, ‘Phyllis’ Actor Was 83
- hollywoodreporter.com"John Lawlor, Actor on 'Phyllis' and 'The Facts of Life,' Dies at 83"
Reported coverage of John Lawlor; each link opens the original article on the publisher's own site.
Books & Media
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Lawlor_(actor)
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- Sep 26, 2026
People who died on February 13
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