Ben Lawson
Ben Lawson (born 6 February 1980) is an Australian actor. From 2006 until 2008, he played Frazer Yeats in the Australian soap opera Neighbours. The role earned him a Logie Award nomination. Lawson has since appeared in several American television series, including The Deep End, Covert Affairs, and Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23. In 2011, he starred opposite Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher in the film No Strings Attached. From 2017 to 2018, he starred as Damien Rennett on the ABC political drama Designated Survivor. He also played baseball coach Rick Wlodimierzin in the second season of 13 Reasons Why, and Larry Hemsworth on The Good Place. Lawson portrays Lachlan Murdoch in the 2019 film Bombshell, alongside his brother Josh Lawson who played James Murdoch. In 2021, he starred in the Netflix series Firefly Lane.
Ben Lawson | |
|---|---|
| Born | 6 February 1980 Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1993–present |
| Family | Josh Lawson (brother) |
Early life
Lawson was born and raised in Brisbane, Queensland. He attended St. Joseph's College, Gregory Terrace and is a graduate of the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA). He is the third of five boys, including Matt, Jordan, as well as Josh Lawson, an actor who is known for his appearances on Thank God You're Here, as well as Matt Lawson, a Senior Radiographer for radiology company Dr. Jones & Partners in Adelaide.[1][2]
Career
Lawson began a starring role in the Australian soap opera Neighbours as Frazer Yeats in 2006. His role earned him a nomination for Most Popular New Male Talent at the 2007 Logie Awards.[3] His character Yeats left in April 2008.[4]
Lawson had a small role in the film No Strings Attached, which starred Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher. In August 2012, he landed a recurring role in the ABC sitcom Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 as Benjamin, a love interest for main character Chloe (Krysten Ritter).[5]. In 2017, Lawson starred in the short lived CBS drama Doubt opposite Laverne Cox. On The Talk, Cox said that Lawson was "an amazing actor".[6]. In July 2017, Lawson was cast as MI6 agent Damien Rennett on the second season of the ABC political drama, Designated Survivor.[7] In 2018, Lawson played high school coach Rick on the second season of the Netflix original series, 13 Reasons Why.[8] In 2019, Lawson starred as Thomas 'Clay' Fox Jr. in Dolly Parton's Heartstrings, Netflix's anthology series about Dolly Parton. In 2021, Lawson will star in the Netflix series Firefly Lane opposite Katherine Heigl and Sarah Chalke.[9]
In 2020 Lawson wrote the poetry book To My Country in response to the devastating Australian bushfires. An ode to the endurance of the Australian spirit and the love he has for his home country, proceeds from the book went to The Koala Hospital,[10] a society focusing on preservation and conservation.[11]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Silent Hunter | Bud | |
| 2011 | No Strings Attached | Sam | |
| 2011 | In Loco Parentis | Richard | Short film |
| 2014 | The Little Death | Glenn | |
| 2015 | Now Add Honey | Joshua Redlich | |
| 2016 | Keep the Chocolates | Man | Short film |
| 2019 | The Way We Weren't | Brandon | |
| 2019 | Bombshell | Lachlan Murdoch | |
| TBA | Everything I Ever Wanted to Tell My Daughter About Men | Longfellow | In post-production |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Time Trax | 12-year-old Darien | Episode: "A Stranger in Time" |
| 1993 | The Adventures of Skippy | Christopher | Episode: "Skippy and the Tiger" |
| 1997 | The Wayne Manifesto | Mervyn | Episode: "Wheels Within Wheels" |
| 1999 | Sabrina Down Under | Waiter | Television film |
| 1999 | Chameleon II: Death Match | Tyler Kubica | Television film |
| 2001 | TwentyfourSeven | Scott | Episode: "It's My Life" |
| 2006 | Perfect Disaster | Ken | Episode: "Fire Storm" |
| 2006–2008 | Neighbours | Frazer Yeats | 188 episodes Role held: 12 October 2006 – 25 April 2008 Nominated—Logie for Most Popular New Male Talent |
| 2009 | Ghostly Encounters | Theatre Ghost | Episode: "Buildings with History" |
| 2010 | The Deep End | Liam Priory | Main role; 6 episodes |
| 2011 | Covert Affairs | Dr. Scott Weiss | 3 episodes |
| 2012 | The League | Dr. Levenson | Episode: "The Hoodie" |
| 2012–2013 | Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 | Benjamin Lovett | 3 episodes |
| 2013 | Bones | Martin Zand | Episode: "The Fury in the Jury" |
| 2013 | The Exes | Derek | Episode: "How the Grinch Spent Xmas" |
| 2014 | Rake | Craig | 3 episodes |
| 2014 | Secrets & Lies | Paul Murnane | 3 episodes |
| 2014 | Love Child | Colin Ryan | 3 episodes |
| 2014 | 2 Broke Girls | Tim | Episode: "And the Wedding Cake Cake Cake" |
| 2014 | Jennifer Falls | David | Episode: "Triangle" |
| 2014 | Friends with Better Lives | Doug | Episode: "No More Mr. Nice Guy" |
| 2014 | Modern Family | George | Episode: "Won't You Be Our Neighbor" |
| 2014 | Mulaney | Greg | Episode: "In the Name of the Mother, and the Son, and the Holy Andre" |
| 2016 | iZombie | Andy LeGare | Episode: "Fifty Shades of Grey Matter" |
| 2016 | Angel from Hell | Darren Jensen | Episode: "Soulmates" |
| 2016 | Billions | Mikey | Episode: "Where the F*ck Is Donnie?" |
| 2017 | Grimm | William Stillman | Episode: "The Seven Year Itch" |
| 2017 | Doubt | DA Peter Garrett | 9 episodes |
| 2017–2018 | Designated Survivor | Damian Rennett | Main role (season 2) |
| 2018 | 13 Reasons Why | Coach Rick Wlodimierz | 7 episodes |
| 2018 | The Good Place | Larry Hemsworth | 3 episodes |
| 2019 | Dollface | Oliver | Episode: "F*** Buddy" |
| 2019 | Heartstrings | Clay Fox | Episode: "If I Had Wings" |
| 2021 | Firefly Lane | Johnny[12] | Main role |
References
- Idato, Michael (9 January 2018). "Surviving fame: Ben Lawson on failure, success and Hollywood's pound of flesh". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
- "Advanced diagnosis for local patients". abc.net.au. Retrieved 17 July 2013.
- "Logie Nominations 2007". David Knox. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 18 August 2007.
- "Blair is right neighbourly"
- Goldberg, Lesley (17 August 2012). "'Apartment 23': Ben Lawson to Romance Chloe". The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 6 November 2012.
- "The Talk". TVGuide.com. Retrieved 17 October 2017.
- Petski, Denise (14 July 2017). "'Designated Survivor': Ben Lawson Cast As Series Regular in Season 2". Deadline. Retrieved 17 October 2017.
- Wagmeister, Elizabeth (8 August 2017). "'13 Reasons Why' Adds Seven New Actors for Season 2". Variety. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
- https://deadline.com/2019/08/firefly-lane-ben-lawson-joins-katherine-heigl-netflix-drama-series-1202665615/
- https://www.koalahospital.org.au/
- https://www.smh.com.au/culture/books/ben-lawson-why-i-penned-the-poem-to-my-country-20210120-p56vkp.html
- Petski, Denise (12 August 2019). "'Firefly Lane': Ben Lawson Joins Katherine Heigl In Netflix Drama Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 12 August 2019.