Christopher Lawford

Christopher Kennedy Lawford was born on March 29, 1955, in Santa Monica, California. He was the son of English actor Peter Lawford and Patricia "Pat" Kennedy Lawford, a sister of President John F. Kennedy. He was the eldest child and the only son in his family, with three younger sisters: Sydney Lawford McKelvy, Victoria Pender, and Robin Lawford. Lawford's paternal grandfather was a member of the prominent Kennedy family through his mother's side.

Lawford was named after Saint Christopher, a name chosen by his mother. He was raised in part in Los Angeles and later in New York City following his parents' divorce in 1966. Prior to the divorce, he attended St. Martin of Tours Elementary School in Los Angeles, where he received early news of his uncle John F. Kennedy's assassination. After moving to New York, he attended the Middlesex School in Concord, Massachusetts.

He graduated from Tufts University in 1977 and earned a Juris Doctor degree from Boston College Law School in 1983. Subsequently, Lawford obtained a master's certificate in Clinical Psychology from Harvard University, later serving as a lecturer on drug addiction at Harvard and Columbia University.

In 1969, at age 14, Lawford was introduced to LSD by peers at school. Over the following 17 years, he struggled with addiction to alcohol, cocaine, heroin, and other drugs. His substance abuse led to multiple hospitalizations and legal issues, including an arrest in Aspen, Colorado, in 1980 for impersonating a doctor to obtain prescription medication; the charges were dropped after he completed probation. In 2000, he was diagnosed with hepatitis C, a condition linked to his drug use. He briefly attended Fordham Law School but left due to heroin dependency. His cousin and close friend, David Kennedy, died of a drug overdose in 1984, a loss that prompted Lawford to seek professional help.

He entered rehab in 1986 and remained sober until his death.

Lawford pursued a career in acting beginning in the mid-1980s after deciding that a legal career was not suitable for him. He performed in commercials in Boston before relocating to Southern California in 1988. Throughout over 20 years in film and television, his notable roles included appearances on the sitcom "Frasier," the series "The O.C.," and a recurring role as Philip "Charlie" Brent, Jr., on "All My Children" from 1992 to 1995. His film credits included "The Russia House" (1990), "The Doors" (1991), "Thirteen Days" (2000), "Kiss Me Guido" (1997), "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines," and "The World's Fastest Indian" (2005).

As an author, Lawford published several books focusing on addiction and recovery. His memoir, "Symptoms of Withdrawal" (2005), detailed his personal experiences with substance abuse. He authored "Moments of Clarity" (2009), a collection of stories from notable addicts, and "Recover to Live" (2013), which included interviews with addiction specialists. His 2014 publication, "What Addicts Know," provided insights into recovery, and in 2016 he co-wrote "When Your Partner Has an Addiction."

Lawford was active in public health advocacy, working with organizations such as the World Health Organization, the United Nations, and the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. In 2001, he founded the Global Recovery Initiative, serving as its CEO. His UN assignments included advocating for hepatitis C awareness in Ukraine and campaigning against opiate use in Afghanistan.

His personal life included three marriages: to Jeannie Olsson (1984–2001) with whom he had three children, to Lana Antonova (2005–2009), and to Mercedes Miller (2014–2016). At the time of his death, he was in a relationship with Kyla Resch.

On September 4, 2018, Lawford died of a heart attack at a yoga studio in Vancouver, British Columbia, where he was working on establishing a recovery center. His death followed a medical emergency after participating in hot yoga. Following his passing, family members recognized his contributions to addiction recovery and public health efforts.