Lawrence's Acting/Directing Career
How it all Began
Lawrence spent his childhood in a college town in Virginia, and was exposed to a lot of culture "My parents took trips to New York and Washington D.C. to see great shows, and we were always going to the movies and local theatre productions". When Lawrence was in Kindergarten, he was cast in the small role as the Jack in the Box in the school Christmas Play, but in first grade, he found himself moving up to take the lead as Santa. "That's where I first got the bug".
AFTER COLLEGE
Through high school and college, Lawrence rarely graced a stage, but instead focused on production (staging, props, camera, sound, lighting). In 1995, a year after graduating from the University of Montana with his BA in Theatre, he moved to Hollywood. "I went to LA thinking I would get a job as a set or office PA and work my way up the ladder on the production side of things". However, on the advice of Keanu Reeves former stepfather, Paul Aaron (who Lawrence had worked with on a feature film in 1985), Lawrence got some headshots, found representation, and began working as an actor. "When I got there in 1995, actors were still using the old 8x10 Black and White headshots. Luckily, my first headshot got me a lot of work". In 1996, He joined the Screen Actors Guild.
Lawrence's Film and TV Acting Credits (partial list)
Jingle All the Way - Extra
Disturbing the Peace - Eddie
Beverly Hills 90210 (TV) - College Professor/Extra
Pacific Blue (TV)- Robber
The Opposite of Sex - Reporter
Knight Life (TV Pilot) - Court Trumpeter
Amistad - Spanish Pirate
Bablyon 5 (TV) - Telepath (Tag)
Hearts in Atlantis - Lowman
Gods and Generals - Maj. J. Pelham
American Dreams (TV) - Father Paul Joseph
Plato's Symposium - Eric
Veep (TV) - Secret Service Agent
Slant Streets - Montana Ranch owner
Directing
Beginning around 2005, Lawrence got into directing. He had been showing up as a regular performer with First Stage LA in Hollywood, run by several veteran actors from New York and The Actor's Studio. One day somebody asked him to direct a staged reading of an original script. Eventually he was directing full theatre productions and in 2009, was hired to direct the festival short "Circles of Life" (pictured here on the set working with Stephanie Schmidt whom he hired as his Cinematographer for the project).
As a director, Lawrence found he could succeed in casting, often casting against type for more diversity and inclusion, and he became adept at every aspect of production, making decisions on everything from lighting and sound to set design. If he is ever asked what his "ultimate dream job" would be, his answer is always directing.
Beyond Hollywood - Other Work
In 2014, Lawrence stepped away from acting to accept a major party nomination to run for high office. In 2017, in the aftermath of the violence in Charlottesville, Lawrence worked with a non-profit civic engagement foundation that he founded to try to bring about peace. From 2018 to 2024, he taught high school classes on Kitsap in Western Washington State.
Lawrence continues to work occasionally in Film and TV and on the stage. In 2019, the year his father passed away, Lawrence played the iconic dad in a local stage production of "Cheaper by the Dozen".
More recently, he performed in a run of "It's All in the Timing" at Freehold Theatre in Seattle (2023), playing various ensemble roles. He also did the part of a Spirit Shaman on a webcast series called "The Scottish Play", as well as a spot for the WA Lottery.
In 2026, he is slated to shoot the upcoming Enigmatic Features production "Encounters", playing the supporting role of Mr. Sable.
It should also be noted that Lawrence is related to actress Sofia Hublitz via his father's side of the family. Lawrence's renowned attorney/mediator father, Lawrence D. Gaughan (1933-2019), had a younger brother Gerry (1935-1980) whose son, Kieran Lawrence Gaughan (1962-2018), is the father of Sofia. Interestingly enough, Lawrence's uncle, Gerry and his aunt Dianne (Sofia's grandfather and grandmother) worked for the same school district in Western Washington State where Lawrence later taught high school for 4 years (2020-2024).