Peter Lawford Biography British actor Peter Lawford rose to prominence with films such as The Picture of Dorian Gray, Little Women, and Ocean’s Eleven, but it was his scandalous life of women, drugs, alcohol, and political affiliation for which he remains most known.
Peter Sydney Lawford was born September 7, 1923 in London, England. His parents were Sir Sydney Turing Barlow Lawford and May Somerville Bunny. Born to an English military hero, Lawford spent most of his childhood traveling with his parents. Among other destinations, he spent a significant amount of time in France. Because Lawford did not have one place he called home, he never actually attended school. Lawford was said to be self-conscious about this lack of formal education for the entirety of his life. Also as a child, Lawford sustained a serious injury to his arm when he ran through a glass door. The incident left him with significant damage and somewhat limited use of his arm. Ultimately, this kept him out of World War II, allowing him instead to fulfill the United States’ desire for Englishmen onscreen. To that end, Lawford secured a contract with MGM Studios. His first introduction to the American audiences was in 1938 with Lord Jeff. He shared the screen with Mickey Rooney.
After churning out over twenty films between 1942 and 1943 (almost exclusively uncredited roles), Lawford earned a more significant part in The White Cliffs of Dover. Appearing with Irene Dunne, Roddy McDowall, and Van Johnson, Lawford was well on his way to international acclaim. By 1945, Lawford was established and respected enough to land a sizable role in the Oscar Wilde adaptation The Picture of Dorian Gray. Acclaimed by critics and loved by audiences, Lawford appeared with Hugh Hatfield, Donna Reed, and Angela Lansbury. Son of Lassie came out in 1945 and marked Lawford’s first starring role. With heavy hitters such as Clark Gable and James Stewart embroiled in the war and out of the movie business, Lawford became the go-to man for romantic lead. He capitalized on this stardom to appear opposite Frank Sinatra in It Happened in Brooklyn. Also in 1947, he took to the screen with June Allyson and Mel Torme in Good News, winning his strongest critical acclaim yet. Others may recognize Lawford for his role in 1949’s Little Women opposite Margaret OBrien, Elizabeth Taylor, and Janet Leigh. From 1954 to 1955, he also starred in the television series Dear Phoebe with Marcia Henderson and Charles Lane. Jumping to another television production, Lawford spent 1957 to 1959 with The Thin Man. Phyllis Kirk costarred.
Solidifying himself as a member of the “Rat Pack,” Lawford appeared with Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr, Angie Dickinson, Joey Bishop, Cesar Romero, and Sinatra in the original Ocean’s Eleven. In his personal life, Lawford was married to Patricia Kennedy from 1954 to 1966, effectively making him the brother-in-law to John F Kennedy. Lawford and Patricia had four children before divorcing. He then married Mary Rowan followed by Deborah Gould, and finally, Patricia Seaton. Outside of acting, Lawford made a name for himself due to his rampant alcoholism and later drug use. He was also said to be a terrible womanizer, reportedly linked to Ava Gardner, Dorothy Dandridge, Grace Kelly, Jill St John, Judy Garland, Kim Novak, Loretta Young, Lucille Ball, Rita Hayworth, Lana Turner, and many, many more. Lawford passed away on December 24, 1984 due to kidney and liver disease. | 
