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{{Short description|American TV host, pundit (born 1951)}}
{{about||the Australian Army officer|Lawrence O'Donnell (general)|the science fiction author|Lewis Padgett}}
{{about|the political analyst}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2021}}
{{Infobox person {{Infobox person
| name = Lawrence O'Donnell | name = Lawrence O'Donnell
| image= Lawrence O'Donnell.jpg | image = Lawrence O'Donnell at the NYC Women's March on 5th Ave. Jan 21st, 2017.jpg
| caption = O'Donnell at the 2009 premiere of '']'' | caption = O'Donnell at the ] along ] on January 21, 2017
| birth_name =Lawrence Francis O'Donnell, Jr. | birth_name = Lawrence Francis O’Donnell Jr.
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1951|11|7}} | birth_date = {{nowrap|{{Birth date and age|1951|11|7}}}}
| birth_place = ], ], ] | birth_place = ], ], U.S.
| death_date = | death_date =
| death_place = | death_place =
| education = ] (])
| occupation = Political analyst
| occupation = {{hlist | Political analyst | television host | actor}}
| alias =
| title = | agent =
| spouse = ] (m. 1994, divorced) | spouse = {{marriage|]|1994|2013|end=div}}
| relatives = | children = 1
| relatives =
| alma_mater = ]
| religion = ] | alias =
| credits = Political commentary:<br /> '']''<br />'']''<br /> '']''<br />Television fictional series:<br /> '']'' (producer, writer, actor)<br /> '']'', '']'' (actor)
| political views = ]
| website =
| credits = Political commentary:<br/> '']''<br/>'']''<br/> '']''<br/><br/> Television fictional series:<br/> '']'' (producer, writer)<br/> '']'', '']'' (actor)
| URL =
| agent =
}} }}
'''Lawrence Francis O'Donnell Jr.''' (born November 7, 1951)<ref name=RT>{{cite web|url = https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/lawrence_odonnell|title = Lawrence O'Donnell|accessdate = September 13, 2021|website = ]|publisher = ]}}</ref> is an American television anchor, actor, author, screenwriter, ] political commentator, and host of '']'', an ] opinion and news program that airs on weeknights.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://money.cnn.com/2017/06/01/media/lawrence-odonnell-msnbc/index.html |title= Lawrence O'Donnell is staying on MSNBC |publisher=] |date=June 1, 2017 |access-date=June 14, 2020}}</ref>
'''Lawrence Francis O'Donnell, Jr.''' (born November 7,<ref name=filmr/> 1951) is an American ], journalist, actor, producer, writer, and host of '']'', a weeknight ] opinion and news program. O'Donnell called himself a "practical ]" in a Newsmaker Interview dated November 11, 2005.<ref name="Steigerwald">{{cite web | url = http://caglecartoons.com/column.asp?columnID=%7B3C798B88-CC34-4D12-865C-B7E91A29F0CE%7D | title = A liberal who loves markets: 'The West Wing's' Lawrence O'Donnell | work = Newsmaker Interviews | first = Bill | last = Steigerwald | date = 2005-11-11 | accessdate = 2006-09-20 }}</ref> He frequently filled in as host of '']'' on MSNBC before getting his own show on the cable network. Beginning 24 October 2011, '']'' switched time slots with '']'', with ] taking over the 8 p.m. Eastern slot, and O'Donnell returning to the 10 p.m. Eastern slot.<ref>{{cite web|last=Gaines|first=Jeremy|title=MSNBC Primetime Schedule Change|url=http://www.nbcuniversal.presscentre.com/content/detail.aspx?ReleaseID=7187&NewsAreaId=2|publisher=]|date=19 October 2011}}</ref>


O'Donnell has also appeared as a political analyst on '']'', '']'', and ''Countdown''. He was an Emmy Award-winning producer and writer for the ] series '']'' (and played the role of the President's father in flashbacks) and creator and executive producer of the NBC series '']''. He is also an occasional actor, appearing as a recurring supporting character on the ] series '']'', portraying an attorney. He began his career as an aide to U.S. Senator ] and was Staff Director for the ]. He was a writer and producer for the ] series '']'' (playing the role of President Bartlet's father in flashbacks) as well as creator and ] of the NBC series '']''. He also appeared as recurring character Lee Hatcher in the ] series '']''.


O'Donnell began his political career in 1989, as an aide to U.S. Senator ], and was staff director for the ]. He describes himself as a "practical European socialist".<ref name="Steigerwald">{{cite web | url = http://caglecartoons.com/column.asp?columnID=%7B3C798B88-CC34-4D12-865C-B7E91A29F0CE%7D | title = A liberal who loves markets: 'The West Wing's' Lawrence O'Donnell | work = Newsmaker Interviews | first = Bill | last = Steigerwald | date = November 11, 2005 | access-date = September 20, 2006 }}</ref>
==Personal life==
O'Donnell was born in ], on November 7, 1951, the son of Frances Marie (née Buckley), an office manager, and Lawrence Francis O'Donnell, Sr., an attorney.<ref name=filmr></ref> He is of ] descent. He attended ] (class of 1970), where he was captain of his baseball team, and graduated from ] (class of 1974) with a major in ] in 1976.<ref name="Unelected 1994">''The Almanac of the Unelected: Staff of the U.S. Congress: 1994''. Edited by ] and Steve Piacente, 695. Washington, D.C.: Almanac Publishing, 1994. ISBN 0-9626134-5-2.</ref> While at Harvard, he wrote for the '']'' and was popular among its members due to his wit and sarcasm.<ref>Wright, Jeanne. "" (12 Aug 1994). '']''. Retrieved September 14, 2010.</ref> In 1994, O'Donnell married television and movie actress ]; they later divorced. O'Donnell and Harrold have a daughter, Elizabeth Buckley Harrold O'Donnell.<ref></ref>


==Early life==
On April 12, 2014, he and his brother Michael were injured in a traffic accident while vacationing in the ].<ref name=HuffPo0414/><ref>{{cite web |first=Katherine |last=Fung |title=Lawrence O'Donnell Says He's 'Lucky To Be Alive' After Horrifying Car Crash |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/20/lawrence-odonnell-car-accident-lucky-alive_n_5514613.html?utm_hp_ref=media |publisher=Huffingtonpost.com |date=2014-06-20 |accessdate=2014-06-20}}</ref> O'Donnell returned to his MSNBC show ''The Last Word'' on June 23, 2014 following recuperation.<ref name=HuffPo0414>{{cite web|author=Catherine Taibi |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/14/lawrence-odonnell-car-accident-taxi-vacation-msnbc-last-word_n_5148445.html?utm_hp_ref=media |title=Lawrence O'Donnell Injured In Car Accident |publisher=Huffingtonpost.com |date=2014-04-14 |accessdate=2014-06-20}}</ref>
O'Donnell was born in ] on November 7, 1951,<ref name = RT/> the son of Frances Marie (née Buckley), an office manager, and Lawrence Francis O'Donnell Sr., an attorney and member of the Supreme Court Bar. He is of ] descent and was raised Catholic.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.c-span.org/video/?437111-1/playing-fire|title=''Playing with Fire''|website=C-SPAN.org}}</ref> He attended ] (class of 1970), where he was captain of the baseball team and wide receiver on their undefeated football team. O'Donnell majored in ] at ], from which he graduated in 1976.<ref name="Unelected 1994">''The Almanac of the Unelected: Staff of the U.S. Congress: 1994''. Edited by ] and Steve Piacente, 695. Washington, D.C.: Almanac Publishing, 1994. {{ISBN|0-9626134-5-2}}.</ref> While at Harvard, he wrote for the '']''.<ref>Wright, Jeanne. "" (Aug 12, 1994). '']''. Retrieved September 14, 2010.</ref>


==Career== ==Career==
===Author===
From 1977 to 1988, O’Donnell was a writer.<ref name="Unelected 1994"/> In 1983, he published the book ''Deadly Force'', about a case of wrongful death and police brutality in which O'Donnell’s father was the plaintiff’s lawyer.<ref>Lawrence O'Donnell Jr. ''Deadly Force: The Wrongful Death of James Bouden Jr.: A True Story of How a Badge Can Become a License To Kill''. William Morrow & Co, 1983. ISBN 0-688-01914-5.</ref> In 1986, the book was made into the film '']'', in which ] played O'Donnell’s father and ] played O'Donnell, and for which O’Donnell was associate producer.<ref>{{cite web|title=A Case of Deadly Force|accessdate=2010-07-16|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090802/}}</ref>
From 1977 to 1988, O'Donnell was a writer.<ref name="Unelected 1994"/> In 1983, he published the book ''Deadly Force'', about a case of wrongful death and police brutality in which O'Donnell's father was the plaintiff's lawyer.<ref>Lawrence O'Donnell Jr. ''Deadly Force: The Wrongful Death of James Bouden Jr.: A True Story of How a Badge Can Become a License To Kill''. William Morrow & Co, 1983. {{ISBN|0-688-01914-5}}.</ref> In 1986, the book was made into the film '']''; ] played O'Donnell's father, and ] played O'Donnell; O'Donnell was associate producer.<ref>{{cite web|title=A Case of Deadly Force|website=] |access-date=July 16, 2010|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090802/}}</ref> In 2017, O'Donnell published the book ''Playing with Fire: The 1968 Election and the Transformation of American Politics''.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/01/08/lessons-from-the-election-of-1968|title=Lessons from the Election of 1968|first=Louis|last=Menand|magazine=The New Yorker}}</ref>


===U.S. Congress=== ===U.S. Congress===
From 1989 to 1995, he was a key legislative aide to Senator ].<ref name="Unelected 1994"/> From 1989 to 1991, he served as senior advisor to Moynihan. From 1992 to 1993, he was staff director of the ], then chaired by Senator Moynihan. And then from 1993 to 1995, he was staff director of the ], once again under Senator Moynihan’s chairmanship. He thus led the staff of the Senate's tax-writing committee during the consideration of President ]'s first budget, which Congress enacted in the ]. From 1989 to 1995, O'Donnell was a legislative aide to Senator ].<ref name="Unelected 1994"/> He served as senior advisor to Moynihan from 1989 to 1991, then as staff director of two senate committees that Moynihan was chairing: ] from 1992 to 1993, and ] from 1993 to 1995.<ref>{{cite web|title=TV Producer Lawrence O'Donnell|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1184204|website=NPR|access-date=May 22, 2017}}</ref>


===Television=== ===Television===
====Writing and production====
From 1999 to 2006, O’Donnell was associated with the television drama ''The West Wing''. Over that time, he wrote 16 episodes. From 1999 to 2000 he was executive story editor for 12 episodes, in 2000 he was co-producer of 5 episodes, from 2000 to 2001 he was producer of 17 episodes, from 2003 to 2005 he was consulting producer for 44 episodes, and from 2005 to 2006 he was executive producer for 22 episodes.<ref name="Lawrence O'Donnell">{{cite web|title=Lawrence O'Donnell|accessdate=2010-07-16|url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0640713/}}</ref> O’Donnell won the 2001 Emmy award for Outstanding Drama Series for ''The West Wing'', and was nominated for the 2006 Emmy for the same category.<ref>{{cite web|title=Awards for Lawrence O'Donnell|accessdate=2010-07-16|url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0640713/awards}}</ref>
From 1999 to 2006, O'Donnell was associated with the television drama '']'', writing 16 episodes and serving as executive story editor for 12&nbsp;episodes (1999-2000), as co-producer for five episodes (2000), as producer for 17 episodes (2000-2001), as consulting producer for 44 episodes (2003-2005), and as executive producer for 22 episodes (2005-2006).<ref name="Lawrence O'Donnell">{{cite web|title=Lawrence O'Donnell|website=] |access-date=July 16, 2010|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0640713/}}</ref> He won the ] ] for ] for ''The West Wing'' and was nominated for the 2006 Emmy in the same category.<ref>{{cite web|title=Awards for Lawrence O'Donnell|website=] |access-date=July 16, 2010|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0640713/awards}}</ref>


In 2002, O’Donnell was supervising producer and writer for the television drama '']'', and in 2003, he was creator, executive producer, and writer for the television drama '']''.<ref name="Lawrence O'Donnell"/> In 2002, O'Donnell was supervising producer and writer for the television drama '']''; and in 2003 he was creator, executive producer, and writer for the television drama '']''.<ref name="Lawrence O'Donnell" />


====Acting==== ====Contributor and host====
] in 2017]]
O'Donnell played Lee Hatcher, the Henrickson family attorney, in the HBO series '']'' about a polygamous family in Utah. In addition to being a producer on '']'', O'Donnell also played President ]'s father in a flashback sequence of the episode "]".
In 2009, O'Donnell became a regular contributor on '']'' with ]. His aggressive debate style on that program and others led to several on-air confrontations, including an interview with conservative ] on ''Morning Joe'' that became so heated that Scarborough took O'Donnell off the air.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://crooksandliars.com/david-neiwert/lawrence-odonnell-slams-marc-thiesse|title=Lawrence O'Donnell Slams Marc Thiessen For His Hypocrisy, But Scarborough Shuts Him Down|author=Neiwert, David|date=February 12, 2010|access-date=August 23, 2023|website=]}}</ref> Also in 2009 and 2010, O'Donnell began appearing frequently as a substitute host of '']'', particularly when Olbermann's father was ill in the hospital.{{citation needed|date=December 2018}}


On September 27, 2010, O'Donnell began hosting a 10{{nbsp}}p.m. show on MSNBC, called ''The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell''.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/30/last-word-lawrence-odonne_n_665768.html|title='Last Word': Lawrence O'Donnell MSNBC Show Gets Name|author=Gellman, Lindsay|date=July 31, 2010|access-date=August 9, 2010|website=The Huffington Post}}</ref><ref> ''The New York Times'' June 15, 2010.</ref> On January 21, 2011, it was announced that O'Donnell would take over the 8{{nbsp}}p.m. slot from Keith Olbermann after Olbermann announced the abrupt termination of his show, ''Countdown with Keith Olbermann''.<ref name="nyt-replace">Carter, Bill. , ''The New York Times'', January 21, 2010. Retrieved January 29, 2012.</ref> Beginning October 24, 2011, '']'' switched time slots with '']'', with ] taking over the 8{{nbsp}}p.m. Eastern slot, and O'Donnell returning to the 10{{nbsp}}p.m. Eastern slot.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nbcuniversal.presscentre.com/content/detail.aspx?ReleaseID=7187&NewsAreaId=2|title=MSNBC Primetime Schedule Change|last=Gaines|first=Jeremy|date=October 19, 2011|publisher=]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111021032825/http://www.nbcuniversal.presscentre.com/content/detail.aspx?ReleaseID=7187&NewsAreaId=2|archive-date=October 21, 2011}}</ref>
He also portrayed Judge Lawrence Barr in two episodes of '']''. He played himself on an episode of Showtime's '']''.


On September 20, 2017, an eight-minute video clip was leaked; it showed O'Donnell angrily cursing and swearing about background noise between segments of a live broadcast that had aired on August 29, 2017.<ref>{{cite news |last=Huddleston |first=Tom Jr. |date=September 20, 2017 |title=MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell Pleads 'Stop the Hammering!' in Leaked Outtakes |url=http://fortune.com/2017/09/20/msnbc-lawrence-odonnell-outtake-stop-the-hammering/ |work=Fortune |location=New York, NY |ref={{sfnRef|"MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell Pleads 'Stop the Hammering!' in Leaked Outtakes"}}}}</ref> O'Donnell apologized on Twitter,{{sfn|"MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell Pleads 'Stop the Hammering!' in Leaked Outtakes"}} and the leaker was subsequently fired.<ref>{{cite news |last=Concha |first=Joe |date=October 16, 2017 |title=NBC fires producer who leaked Lawrence O'Donnell meltdown video: report |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/media/355664-nbc-fires-producer-who-leaked-lawrence-odonnell-meltdown-video-report/ |work=The Hill |location=Washington, DC}}</ref>
===MSNBC===
In 2009, O'Donnell became a regular contributor on '']'' with ]. His aggressive debate style on that program and others has led to several notable on-air confrontations, one of the most notable being an interview with ] on ''Morning Joe'' that became so heated that Scarborough took O'Donnell off the air.<ref></ref><ref></ref><ref>Mormons and Idiosyncracy http://hnn.us/roundup/entries/47264.html</ref>


====Acting====
Also in 2009 and 2010, O'Donnell began appearing frequently as a substitute host of ''Countdown with Keith Olbermann'', particularly when Olbermann's father was ill in the hospital.
O'Donnell played Lee Hatcher, the Henrickson family attorney, in the HBO series ''],'' about a polygamous family in Utah. In addition to being a producer on '']'', O'Donnell also played President ]'s father in a flashback sequence of the episode "]".<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite web |title=The West Wing Weekly 2.22: "Two Cathedrals" (Part 1, with Mary Graham and Lawrence O'Donnell) |url=http://thewestwingweekly.com/episodes/222-part1 |website=] |access-date=August 29, 2019 |date=March 14, 2017}}</ref> O'Donnell portrayed Judge Lawrence Barr in two episodes of '']''<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/lawrence-odonnell/credits/211629/ |title=Lawrence O'Donnell |work=] |access-date=August 29, 2019 }}</ref> and played himself on an episode of Showtime's '']''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1988309/characters/nm0640713 |title=Lawrence O'Donnell |work=] |access-date=August 29, 2019 }}</ref>


==Controversies==
On September 27, 2010, O'Donnell began hosting a 10 p.m. show on MSNBC, called ''The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell''.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/30/last-word-lawrence-odonne_n_665768.html|title='Last Word': Lawrence O'Donnell MSNBC Show Gets Name|author=Gellman, Lindsay|date=2010-07-31|publisher=The Huffington Post|accessdate=2010-08-09}}</ref><ref> ''New York Times'' June 15, 2010.</ref>
]]]


=== Comments about religion and slavery ===
On January 21, 2011, it was announced that O'Donnell would take over the 8 p.m. slot from Keith Olbermann after Olbermann announced the abrupt termination of his show, ''Countdown with Keith Olbermann'';<ref name="nyt-replace">Carter, Bill. , ''The New York Times'', January 21, 2010. Retrieved January 29, 2012.</ref> it later returned to the 10 p.m. hour.
In 2007, O'Donnell criticized ]'s speech on religion, stating: "Romney comes from a religion that was founded by a criminal who was anti-American, pro-slavery, and a rapist."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEMFnxUathQ |title=Lawrence O'Donnell Attacks Mormonism in 2007 |publisher=YouTube |access-date=June 20, 2014}}{{cbignore}}{{Dead Youtube links|date=February 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2007/12/09/lawrence-odonnell-loses-h_1_n_75987.html | work=The Huffington Post | first=Jason | last=Linkins | title=Lawrence O'Donnell Loses His Ever-Loving Mind on McLaughlin | date=December 9, 2007}}</ref> In the April 3, 2012, broadcast of ''The Last Word'', O'Donnell made comments regarding ] (LDS Church), saying it was an "invented religion," which was "created by a guy in upstate New York in 1830 when he got caught having sex with the maid and explained to his wife that God told him to do it."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2012/04/04/lawrence_odonnell_mormonism_is_an_invented_religion.html |title=Lawrence O'Donnell: Mormonism Is An "Invented Religion" |publisher=RealClearPolitics |date=April 4, 2012 |access-date=June 20, 2014}}</ref> During the April 11, 2012, broadcast of ''The Last Word'', O'Donnell apologized for the April{{nbsp}}3 comments, stating that they had offended many, including some of the show's most supportive fans.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://video.msnbc.msn.com/the-last-word/47024790#47024790 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120416054053/http://video.msnbc.msn.com/the-last-word/47024790#47024790 |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 16, 2012 |title=Rewrite on the politics of religion - Video on NBCNews.com |publisher=] |date=April 11, 2012 |access-date=June 20, 2014}}</ref>


In late 2010, O’Donnell showed a taped October 2010 interview with ] Chairman ]. In O'Donnell’s introduction to the taped interview, he said, "Michael Steele is dancing as fast as he can, trying to charm independent voters and Tea Partiers while never losing sight of his real master and paycheck provider, the Republican National Committee." After these remarks drew criticism from Steele and talk-radio host ], who both characterized them as racially insensitive, O'Donnell apologized for them.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.torontosun.com/entertainment/tv/2010/10/08/15624286.html|title=MSNBC host sorry for slavery gaffe|author=Bond, Paul|date=October 8, 2010|newspaper=]|access-date=October 12, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/07/night-watch-talk-of-witches-and-an-apology/|title=Night Watch: Talk of Witches and an Apology|author=Stelter, Brian|date=October 7, 2010|website=The New York Times|access-date=October 12, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.politico.com/blogs/onmedia/1010/Lawrence_ODonnell_apologizes_to_Michael_Steele.html?showall|title=Lawrence O'Donnell apologizes to Michael Steele|author=Hagey, Keach|date=October 7, 2010|publisher=]|access-date=October 12, 2010}}</ref>
==Controversy==
In October 2004, O'Donnell got into a heated debate on '']'' with ], spokesman for the ], over the allegations O'Neill made against ] in his book '']: Swift Boat Veterans Speak Out against John Kerry''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://washingtonexaminer.com/blogs/beltway-confidential/flashback-lawrence-o-donnell-has-total-meltdown-msnbc-over-swift-boat-vets |title=Flashback: Lawrence O’Donnell has total meltdown on MSNBC over Swift Boat Vets |author=Mark Hemingway |date=October 4, 2010 |publisher=] |accessdate=February 6, 2011}}</ref> In the debate, O'Donnell repeatedly and boisterously accused O'Neill of lying. Guest host ] tried to constrain O'Donnell with little success, and O'Neill at one point responded, "I will if you'll shut up, Larry."<ref>, YouTube</ref>


=== Controversial interviews and stories ===
Before showing a taped interview with RNC Chairman Michael Steele, O'Donnell caused controversy over his intro to the interview which was considered racially insensitive. He said, "Michael Steele is dancing as fast as he can, trying to charm independent voters and Tea Partiers while never losing sight of his real master and paycheck provider, the Republican National Committee." After drawing criticism from Steele and talk-radio host ], O'Donnell apologized for his remarks.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.torontosun.com/entertainment/tv/2010/10/08/15624286.html|title=MSNBC host sorry for slavery gaffe|author=Bond, Paul|date=2010-10-08|publisher=]|accessdate=2010-10-12}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/07/night-watch-talk-of-witches-and-an-apology/|title=Night Watch: Talk of Witches and an Apology|author=Stelter, Brian|date=2010-10-07|publisher=The New York Times|accessdate=2010-10-12}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.politico.com/blogs/onmedia/1010/Lawrence_ODonnell_apologizes_to_Michael_Steele.html?showall|title=Lawrence O’Donnell apologizes to Michael Steele|author=Hagey, Keach|date=2010-10-07|publisher=]|accessdate=2010-10-12}}</ref>
O'Donnell also drew criticism for an October 2010 interview with Congressman ], when Paul accused him of breaking an agreement not to ask him about other political candidates.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theatlanticwire.com/opinions/view/opinion/Morning-Vid-Ron-Paul-Scolds-Discourteous-MSNBC-Host-5350|title=Morning Vid: Ron Paul Scolds 'Discourteous' MSNBC Host|author=Hayden, Eric|date=October 12, 2010|publisher=]|access-date=October 12, 2010}}</ref> O'Donnell said he had not been part of any agreement, but an ] spokeswoman stated, "We told Representative Paul's office that the focus would be on the tea party movement, not on specific candidates."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.politico.com/blogs/onmedia/1010/Ron_Paul_accuses_Lawrence_ODonnell_of_breaking_agreement.html#|title=Ron Paul accuses Lawrence O'Donnell of breaking "agreement"|author=Hagey, Keach|date=October 12, 2010|publisher=Politico|access-date=October 12, 2010}}</ref>


During an October 2011 interview, O'Donnell accused ] candidate ] of not participating in protests during the 1960s ] and of avoiding the draft during the Vietnam War. ] ] called O’Donnell’s questions during the interview "offensive," adding, "In this interview, O'Donnell goes to absurd lengths to use ] and ] as cudgels to attack his conservative guest, almost as if he is doing a Stephen Colbert-style parody of the tactics he imagines a right-wing blowhard might employ. Does he realize he's becoming what he claims to abhor?"<ref>, ''The Atlantic'', October 2011.</ref> O'Donnell's interview with Cain was later defended by ].<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/08/lawrence-odonnell-defends-herman-cain_n_1001548.html | work=The Huffington Post | first=Jack | last=Mirkinson | title=Lawrence O'Donnell Defends Herman Cain Interview (VIDEO) | date=October 8, 2011}}</ref>
O'Donnell also drew criticism during an interview with Congressman ], when Paul accused him of breaking an agreement not to ask him about other political candidates.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theatlanticwire.com/opinions/view/opinion/Morning-Vid-Ron-Paul-Scolds-Discourteous-MSNBC-Host-5350|title=Morning Vid: Ron Paul Scolds 'Discourteous' MSNBC Host|author=Hayden, Eric|date=2010-10-12|publisher=]|accessdate=2010-10-12}}</ref> O'Donnell said he was not part of any agreement, but an MSNBC spokeswoman stated, "We told Rep. Paul’s office that the focus would be on the tea party movement, not on specific candidates".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.politico.com/blogs/onmedia/1010/Ron_Paul_accuses_Lawrence_ODonnell_of_breaking_agreement.html#|title=Ron Paul accuses Lawrence O’Donnell of breaking "agreement"|author=Hagey, Keach|date=2010-10-12|publisher=Politico|accessdate=2010-10-12}}</ref>


On August 27, 2019, O'Donnell reported that ] documents showed ] had cosigned loan applications for Trump. O'Donnell based this report on a single source that he did not identify, although he used the qualifier "if true," and acknowledged that it had not been verified by NBC News.<ref>{{cite news |last=Bauder |first=David |url=https://www.apnews.com/5f32c14a803e43359dff5e8151dade4c |title=MSNBC's O'Donnell retracts Trump story |work=AP News |date=August 29, 2019 |access-date=August 29, 2019 }}</ref> The next day, O'Donnell retracted the report, referring to his reporting of it as an "error in judgment."<ref>{{cite news |last=Wulfsohn |first=Joseph |url=https://www.foxnews.com/media/msnbc-lawrence-odonnell-apologizes-retracts-story |title=MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell apologizes for unverified Trump-Russia report: 'We are retracting the story' |work=Fox News |date=August 29, 2019 |access-date=August 29, 2019 }}</ref>
During an October 2011 interview, O'Donnell accused ] candidate ] of sitting on the sidelines during the ] protests of the 1960s and also charged him with avoiding the draft during the Vietnam War. ] (a conservative blogger) called it "perhaps the most detestable media character assassination I have seen in a very long time." ] said the questions posed by O'Donnell were "offensive" and declared, "In this interview, O'Donnell goes to absurd lengths to use ] and ] as cudgels to attack his conservative guest, almost as if he is doing a Stephen Colbert style parody of the tactics he imagines a right-wing blowhard might employ. Does he realize he's becoming what he claims to abhor?"<ref>, ''The Atlantic'', October 2011.</ref> O'Donnell's interview with Cain was later defended by ].<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/08/lawrence-odonnell-defends-herman-cain_n_1001548.html | work=Huffington Post | first=Jack | last=Mirkinson | title=Lawrence O'Donnell Defends Herman Cain Interview (VIDEO) | date=2011-10-08}}</ref>

In 2007 O'Donnell criticized ]'s speech on religion stating that "Romney comes from a religion that was founded by a criminal who was anti-American, pro-slavery, and a rapist."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEMFnxUathQ |title=Lawrence O'Donnell Attacks Mormonism in 2007 |publisher=YouTube |date= |accessdate=2014-06-20}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2007/12/09/lawrence-odonnell-loses-h_1_n_75987.html | work=Huffington Post | first=Jason | last=Linkins | title=Lawrence O'Donnell Loses His Ever-Loving Mind on McLaughlin | date=2007-12-09}}</ref> In the April 3, 2012 broadcast of "The Last Word," O'Donnell made comments regarding the ] (LDS Church), saying it was an "invented religion," which was "created by a guy in upstate New York in 1830 when he got caught having sex with the maid and explained to his wife that God told him to do it."<ref>{{cite web|author=Posted By |url=http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2012/04/04/lawrence_odonnell_mormonism_is_an_invented_religion.html |title=Lawrence O'Donnell: Mormonism Is An "Invented Religion" |publisher=RealClearPolitics |date=2012-04-04 |accessdate=2014-06-20}}</ref> During the April 11, 2012 broadcast of ''The Last Word'', O'Donnell apologized for the April 3, 2012 comments, stating that his comments offended many, including some of the show's most supportive fans.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://video.msnbc.msn.com/the-last-word/47024790#47024790 |title=Rewrite on the politics of religion - Video on NBCNews.com |publisher=Video.msnbc.msn.com |date=2012-04-11 |accessdate=2014-06-20}}</ref>


==Political views== ==Political views==
O'Donnell called himself a "]" in a 2005 interview.<ref name="Steigerwald"/> Despite regularly expressing support for regulated capitalism and ], O'Donnell again declared himself a "socialist" on the November 6, 2010 ''Morning Joe'' show, stating: "I am not a ]. I am not a ] who is so afraid of the word that I had to change my name to 'progressive'. Liberals amuse me. I am a socialist. I lie to the extreme left, the extreme left of you mere liberals."<ref name=Huffington>{{cite news In a 2005 interview, O'Donnell called himself a "practical ]".<ref name="Steigerwald"/> O'Donnell also declared himself a "socialist" on the November 6, 2010, ''Morning Joe'' show, stating: "I am not a progressive. I am not a liberal who is so afraid of the word that I had to change my name to 'progressive'. Liberals amuse me. I am a socialist. I live to the extreme left, the extreme left of you mere liberals."<ref name=Huffington>{{cite news
|accessdate=November 8, 2010 |access-date=November 8, 2010
|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/06/lawrence-odonnell-calls-h_n_779909.html |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/06/lawrence-odonnell-calls-h_n_779909.html
|title= Lawrence O'Donnell Calls Himself A ''Socialist,'' Slams Glenn Greenwald On ''Morning Joe'' |title= Lawrence O'Donnell Calls Himself A ''Socialist,'' Slams Glenn Greenwald On ''Morning Joe''
|author=Jack Mirkinson |author=Jack Mirkinson
|work=Huffington Post |work=The Huffington Post
|date=November 6, 2010}}</ref> On the August 1, 2011, episode of ''The Last Word'', O'Donnell further explained: "I have been calling myself a socialist ever since I first read the definition of socialism in the first economics class I took in college".<ref> ], August 1, 2011. Video available at</ref>
|publisher=Huffington Post Technology
|date=2010-11-06}}</ref> On the 1 August 2011 episode of ''The Last Word'', O'Donnell further explained, "I have been calling myself a socialist ever since I first read the definition of socialism in the first economics class I took in college." O'Donnell went on to state that what he means by calling himself a socialist is
<blockquote>
Not that we choose the socialist option every time but we do consider socialism a reasonable option under certain circumstances; in fact, under many circumstances. As any introductory economics course can tell you, there is no capitalist economy anywhere in the world, and there is no socialist economy anywhere in the world, not even Cuba. We are ''all'' mixed economies; that is, mixes of capitalism and socialism, and we all vary that mix in different ways. China has more capitalism, and a lot more capitalism, than has Cuba, but it also has a lot more socialism than we do. Our socialist programs include the biggest government spending programs: Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, as well as welfare, and the socialist program I hate the most, agriculture subsidies. Yes, I'm a socialist, but I hate bad socialism, and there is plenty of bad socialism out there, just like there is plenty of bad capitalism out there, like the capitalism that pollutes our rivers or makes health care too expensive for so many people. I can argue this because every side of this is true: capitalism is good, capitalism is bad; socialism is good, socialism is bad; all of those things are true at the same time. That's why we have a mixed economy, an economy in which we are trying to use the best, most efficient forms of capitalism, and the best, most efficient forms of socialism, where necessary. So my full truth is I am as much a capitalist as I am a socialist; but since we live in the only mature country in the world where "socialist" is considered such a dirty word that no one would dare admit to being one, I feel more compelled to stand up for the socialist side of me than the capitalist side of me.<ref>O'Donnell, Lawrence, "Rewrite," ''The Last Word,'' MSNBC, 1 Aug 2011. Video available at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/#43980204</ref>
</blockquote>


== Philanthropy == ==Philanthropy==
In late 2010 O'Donnell made a trip to Malawi with the intent of providing desks for students who had never seen desks. MSNBC and UNICEF partnered to create the K.I.N.D. fund - Kids in Need of Desks - with the mission to deliver desks to African schools. Since its inception, the program has raised over $6.5 million,<ref>{{cite web|last=The Last Word Staff|title=K.I.N.D. Fund Breaks $6.5 million|url=http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/kind-fund-breaks-65-million|publisher=msnbc.com|accessdate=4 January 2014|date=23 December 2013}}</ref> paying for approximately 100,000 desks to be delivered to classrooms. In addition, the K.I.N.D. fund also provides scholarships to help young girls in Malawi attend school. In 2010, O'Donnell made a trip to ] with the intent of providing school-room desks for female children who had never seen desks.<ref name="unicef">{{cite web |title=K.I.N.D Fund marks nearly $40 million raised since its launch, returns for 13th fundraising season Nov 28 |url=https://www.unicefusa.org/press/kind-fund-marks-nearly-40-million-raised-its-launch-returns-13th-fundraising-season-nov-28 |publisher=] USA |access-date=9 February 2024 |date=28 November 2023}}</ref> MSNBC and ] partnered to create the K.I.N.D. Fund—Kids in Need of Desks—with the mission to deliver desks to Malawi schools.<ref name=unicef/> As of 2023, the K.I.N.D. fund had raised $40 million for desks and scholarships to support the education of Malawi school girls.<ref name=unicef/> Since its inception, the K.I.N.D Fund has supplied 330,000 school desks for some 1.1 million students and scholarships for 27,600 girls.<ref name=unicef/>


== References == ==Personal life==
On February 14, 1994, Lawrence O'Donnell married ]. The couple has one child, Elizabeth Buckley Harrold O'Donnell.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mclaughlin.com/transcript.htm?id=264|title=The McLaughlin Group : Library<!-- Bot generated title -->}}</ref> O'Donnell and Harrold divorced in 2013.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://kathryn-harrold.com/index.php/about-me/|title=ABOUT ME – Kathryn-Harrold}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Lawrence Francis O'Donnell vs. Kathryn Harrold|access-date=January 11, 2011|url=http://www.nexis.com/publicrecords |date=January 11, 1999 |publisher=Los Angeles County Superior Court District West (Santa Monica) Civil Case Index divorce filing #SD15349}}</ref>
{{Reflist|2}}


In April 2014, he and his brother Michael were injured in a traffic accident while vacationing in the ].<ref name="HuffPo0414">{{cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/14/lawrence-odonnell-car-accident-taxi-vacation-msnbc-last-word_n_5148445.html|title=Lawrence O'Donnell Injured In Car Accident|author=Catherine Taibi|date=April 14, 2014|publisher=Huffington Post|access-date=June 20, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/20/lawrence-odonnell-car-accident-lucky-alive_n_5514613.html|title=Lawrence O'Donnell Says He's 'Lucky To Be Alive' After Horrifying Car Crash|last=Fung|first=Katherine|date=June 20, 2014|work=Huffington Post|access-date=June 20, 2014}}</ref> O'Donnell returned to his MSNBC show ''The Last Word'' in June after two months of recuperation.<ref name="HuffPo0414" />
==External links==
*{{IMDb name|640713|Lawrence O'Donnell}}
*
*{{Twitter|lawrence}}


He was awarded the ] of ] (DHL) by ] in 2001.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.codmanacademy.org/m/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=238434&type=d&termREC_ID=&pREC_ID=470554|title=Codman Academy Charter Public School|website=www.codmanacademy.org}}</ref>
{{MSNBC Personalities}}


== Filmography ==
{{Authority control|VIAF=91553993}}

=== Film ===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+
!Year
!Title
!Role
!Notes
|-
|2006
|'']''
| rowspan="7" |Himself
|Documentary
|-
|2008
|]
|
|-
|2012
|]
|
|-
|2012
|]
| Uncredited
|-
|2013
|'']''
|
|-
|2016
|'']''
|Uncredited
|-
|2018
|'']''
|Documentary
|}

=== Television ===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
!Year
!Title
!Role
!Notes
|-
|2001
|'']''
|Dr. Bartlet
|Episode: "]"; also wrote 16 episodes
|-
|2003
|'']''
|Judge Franklin Brown
|Episode: "Goodbye"
|-
|2003
|'']''
|Judge Calloway
|Episode: "Privileged"
|-
|2005
|'']''
|Judge Leggett
|Television film
|-
|2006, 2008
|]
|Judge Lawrence Barr
|2 episodes
|-
|2006–2011
|'']''
|Lee Hatcher
|11 episodes
|-
|2011
|]
|Himself
|Episode: "Clean Skin"
|-
|2012
|]
|The Last Word Host
|Episode: "I Love You, Mommy"
|-
|2012
|''Chasing the Hill''
|Gov. Jack Ross
|Episode: "The Enchanted Life of Samantha Clemons"
|-
|2013
|'']''
|Judge Paul W. Redford
|Episode: "Gone in a Flash"
|-
|2013
|'']''
| rowspan="10" |Himself
|Episode: "Radioactive"
|-
|2013
|]
|Episode: "Close Encounters of the Bird Kind"
|-
|2015
|'']''
|Episode: "The Bible Story"
|-
|2017
|'']''
|Episode: "Foisted!"
|-
|2018
|'']''
|Episode: "Steve Schmidt"
|-
|2018
|'']''
|Episode: "War and Peace"
|-
|2018
|]
|Episode: "Chapter 70"
|-
|2018
|'']''
|Episode: "Happy New Year"
|-
|2019
|'']''
|Episode: "Mad About the Toy"
|-
|2023
|'']''
|Episode: "Brooke & Cary & Curtis & Lance"
|}

==See also==
* ]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
{{Commons}}
* {{Twitter}}
* {{IMDb name|640713}}
*
* {{C-SPAN|31909}}

{{MSNBC personalities|state=expanded}}
{{Authority control}}


{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see ]. -->
| NAME =Odonnell, Lawrence
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =Lawrence Francis O'Donnell
| SHORT DESCRIPTION = American actor and journalist
| DATE OF BIRTH =November 7, 1951
| PLACE OF BIRTH =], ], ]
| DATE OF DEATH =
| PLACE OF DEATH =
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Odonnell, Lawrence}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Odonnell, Lawrence}}
] ]
] ]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
] ]
]
] ]
]
] ]
] ]
]
] ]
] ]
] ]
] ]
] ]
] ]
] ]
] ]
]
]
] ]
] ]

Latest revision as of 00:00, 27 October 2024

American TV host, pundit (born 1951) This article is about the political analyst. For other uses, see Lawrence O'Donnell (disambiguation).

Lawrence O'Donnell
O'Donnell at the Women's March along Fifth Avenue on January 21, 2017
BornLawrence Francis O’Donnell Jr.
(1951-11-07) November 7, 1951 (age 73)
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
EducationHarvard University (BA)
Occupations
  • Political analyst
  • television host
  • actor
Notable credit(s)Political commentary:
The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell
The McLaughlin Group
Morning Joe
Television fictional series:
The West Wing (producer, writer, actor)
Big Love, Homeland (actor)
Spouse Kathryn Harrold ​ ​(m. 1994; div. 2013)​
Children1

Lawrence Francis O'Donnell Jr. (born November 7, 1951) is an American television anchor, actor, author, screenwriter, liberal political commentator, and host of The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell, an MSNBC opinion and news program that airs on weeknights.

He was a writer and producer for the NBC series The West Wing (playing the role of President Bartlet's father in flashbacks) as well as creator and executive producer of the NBC series Mister Sterling. He also appeared as recurring character Lee Hatcher in the HBO series Big Love.

O'Donnell began his political career in 1989, as an aide to U.S. Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, and was staff director for the Senate Finance Committee. He describes himself as a "practical European socialist".

Early life

O'Donnell was born in Boston on November 7, 1951, the son of Frances Marie (née Buckley), an office manager, and Lawrence Francis O'Donnell Sr., an attorney and member of the Supreme Court Bar. He is of Irish descent and was raised Catholic. He attended St. Sebastian's School (class of 1970), where he was captain of the baseball team and wide receiver on their undefeated football team. O'Donnell majored in economics at Harvard College, from which he graduated in 1976. While at Harvard, he wrote for the Harvard Lampoon.

Career

Author

From 1977 to 1988, O'Donnell was a writer. In 1983, he published the book Deadly Force, about a case of wrongful death and police brutality in which O'Donnell's father was the plaintiff's lawyer. In 1986, the book was made into the film A Case of Deadly Force; Richard Crenna played O'Donnell's father, and Tate Donovan played O'Donnell; O'Donnell was associate producer. In 2017, O'Donnell published the book Playing with Fire: The 1968 Election and the Transformation of American Politics.

U.S. Congress

From 1989 to 1995, O'Donnell was a legislative aide to Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan. He served as senior advisor to Moynihan from 1989 to 1991, then as staff director of two senate committees that Moynihan was chairing: Environment and Public Works from 1992 to 1993, and Finance from 1993 to 1995.

Television

Writing and production

From 1999 to 2006, O'Donnell was associated with the television drama The West Wing, writing 16 episodes and serving as executive story editor for 12 episodes (1999-2000), as co-producer for five episodes (2000), as producer for 17 episodes (2000-2001), as consulting producer for 44 episodes (2003-2005), and as executive producer for 22 episodes (2005-2006). He won the 2001 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series for The West Wing and was nominated for the 2006 Emmy in the same category.

In 2002, O'Donnell was supervising producer and writer for the television drama First Monday; and in 2003 he was creator, executive producer, and writer for the television drama Mister Sterling.

Contributor and host

O'Donnell (right) and Ed Asner in 2017

In 2009, O'Donnell became a regular contributor on Morning Joe with Joe Scarborough. His aggressive debate style on that program and others led to several on-air confrontations, including an interview with conservative Marc Thiessen on Morning Joe that became so heated that Scarborough took O'Donnell off the air. Also in 2009 and 2010, O'Donnell began appearing frequently as a substitute host of Countdown with Keith Olbermann, particularly when Olbermann's father was ill in the hospital.

On September 27, 2010, O'Donnell began hosting a 10 p.m. show on MSNBC, called The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell. On January 21, 2011, it was announced that O'Donnell would take over the 8 p.m. slot from Keith Olbermann after Olbermann announced the abrupt termination of his show, Countdown with Keith Olbermann. Beginning October 24, 2011, The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell switched time slots with The Ed Show, with Ed Schultz taking over the 8 p.m. Eastern slot, and O'Donnell returning to the 10 p.m. Eastern slot.

On September 20, 2017, an eight-minute video clip was leaked; it showed O'Donnell angrily cursing and swearing about background noise between segments of a live broadcast that had aired on August 29, 2017. O'Donnell apologized on Twitter, and the leaker was subsequently fired.

Acting

O'Donnell played Lee Hatcher, the Henrickson family attorney, in the HBO series Big Love, about a polygamous family in Utah. In addition to being a producer on The West Wing, O'Donnell also played President Josiah Bartlet's father in a flashback sequence of the episode "Two Cathedrals". O'Donnell portrayed Judge Lawrence Barr in two episodes of Monk and played himself on an episode of Showtime's Homeland.

Controversies

O'Donnell at the 2009 premiere of PoliWood

Comments about religion and slavery

In 2007, O'Donnell criticized Mitt Romney's speech on religion, stating: "Romney comes from a religion that was founded by a criminal who was anti-American, pro-slavery, and a rapist." In the April 3, 2012, broadcast of The Last Word, O'Donnell made comments regarding the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), saying it was an "invented religion," which was "created by a guy in upstate New York in 1830 when he got caught having sex with the maid and explained to his wife that God told him to do it." During the April 11, 2012, broadcast of The Last Word, O'Donnell apologized for the April 3 comments, stating that they had offended many, including some of the show's most supportive fans.

In late 2010, O’Donnell showed a taped October 2010 interview with RNC Chairman Michael Steele. In O'Donnell’s introduction to the taped interview, he said, "Michael Steele is dancing as fast as he can, trying to charm independent voters and Tea Partiers while never losing sight of his real master and paycheck provider, the Republican National Committee." After these remarks drew criticism from Steele and talk-radio host Larry Elder, who both characterized them as racially insensitive, O'Donnell apologized for them.

Controversial interviews and stories

O'Donnell also drew criticism for an October 2010 interview with Congressman Ron Paul, when Paul accused him of breaking an agreement not to ask him about other political candidates. O'Donnell said he had not been part of any agreement, but an MSNBC spokeswoman stated, "We told Representative Paul's office that the focus would be on the tea party movement, not on specific candidates."

During an October 2011 interview, O'Donnell accused Republican primary candidate Herman Cain of not participating in protests during the 1960s civil rights movement and of avoiding the draft during the Vietnam War. The Atlantic's Conor Friedersdorf called O’Donnell’s questions during the interview "offensive," adding, "In this interview, O'Donnell goes to absurd lengths to use patriotism and jingoism as cudgels to attack his conservative guest, almost as if he is doing a Stephen Colbert-style parody of the tactics he imagines a right-wing blowhard might employ. Does he realize he's becoming what he claims to abhor?" O'Donnell's interview with Cain was later defended by Reverend Al Sharpton.

On August 27, 2019, O'Donnell reported that Deutsche Bank documents showed Russian oligarchs had cosigned loan applications for Trump. O'Donnell based this report on a single source that he did not identify, although he used the qualifier "if true," and acknowledged that it had not been verified by NBC News. The next day, O'Donnell retracted the report, referring to his reporting of it as an "error in judgment."

Political views

In a 2005 interview, O'Donnell called himself a "practical European socialist". O'Donnell also declared himself a "socialist" on the November 6, 2010, Morning Joe show, stating: "I am not a progressive. I am not a liberal who is so afraid of the word that I had to change my name to 'progressive'. Liberals amuse me. I am a socialist. I live to the extreme left, the extreme left of you mere liberals." On the August 1, 2011, episode of The Last Word, O'Donnell further explained: "I have been calling myself a socialist ever since I first read the definition of socialism in the first economics class I took in college".

Philanthropy

In 2010, O'Donnell made a trip to Malawi with the intent of providing school-room desks for female children who had never seen desks. MSNBC and UNICEF partnered to create the K.I.N.D. Fund—Kids in Need of Desks—with the mission to deliver desks to Malawi schools. As of 2023, the K.I.N.D. fund had raised $40 million for desks and scholarships to support the education of Malawi school girls. Since its inception, the K.I.N.D Fund has supplied 330,000 school desks for some 1.1 million students and scholarships for 27,600 girls.

Personal life

On February 14, 1994, Lawrence O'Donnell married Kathryn Harrold. The couple has one child, Elizabeth Buckley Harrold O'Donnell. O'Donnell and Harrold divorced in 2013.

In April 2014, he and his brother Michael were injured in a traffic accident while vacationing in the British Virgin Islands. O'Donnell returned to his MSNBC show The Last Word in June after two months of recuperation.

He was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters (DHL) by Suffolk University in 2001.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2006 An Unreasonable Man Himself Documentary
2008 Swing Vote
2012 The Campaign
2012 Game Change Uncredited
2013 Olympus Has Fallen
2016 London Has Fallen Uncredited
2018 Up to Snuff Documentary

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2001 The West Wing Dr. Bartlet Episode: "Two Cathedrals"; also wrote 16 episodes
2003 The Practice Judge Franklin Brown Episode: "Goodbye"
2003 The Lyon's Den Judge Calloway Episode: "Privileged"
2005 Mrs. Harris Judge Leggett Television film
2006, 2008 Monk Judge Lawrence Barr 2 episodes
2006–2011 Big Love Lee Hatcher 11 episodes
2011 Homeland Himself Episode: "Clean Skin"
2012 Damages The Last Word Host Episode: "I Love You, Mommy"
2012 Chasing the Hill Gov. Jack Ross Episode: "The Enchanted Life of Samantha Clemons"
2013 Franklin & Bash Judge Paul W. Redford Episode: "Gone in a Flash"
2013 True Blood Himself Episode: "Radioactive"
2013 The Neighbors Episode: "Close Encounters of the Bird Kind"
2015 The Jim Gaffigan Show Episode: "The Bible Story"
2017 Curb Your Enthusiasm Episode: "Foisted!"
2018 I Love You, America with Sarah Silverman Episode: "Steve Schmidt"
2018 The Circus: Inside the Greatest Political Show on Earth Episode: "War and Peace"
2018 House of Cards Episode: "Chapter 70"
2018 Murphy Brown Episode: "Happy New Year"
2019 The Simpsons Episode: "Mad About the Toy"
2023 The Other Two Episode: "Brooke & Cary & Curtis & Lance"

See also

References

  1. ^ "Lawrence O'Donnell". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  2. "Lawrence O'Donnell is staying on MSNBC". CNN. June 1, 2017. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
  3. ^ Steigerwald, Bill (November 11, 2005). "A liberal who loves markets: 'The West Wing's' Lawrence O'Donnell". Newsmaker Interviews. Retrieved September 20, 2006.
  4. "Playing with Fire". C-SPAN.org.
  5. ^ The Almanac of the Unelected: Staff of the U.S. Congress: 1994. Edited by Jeffrey B. Trammell and Steve Piacente, 695. Washington, D.C.: Almanac Publishing, 1994. ISBN 0-9626134-5-2.
  6. Wright, Jeanne. "The Sharp Shooter" (Aug 12, 1994). Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 14, 2010.
  7. Lawrence O'Donnell Jr. Deadly Force: The Wrongful Death of James Bouden Jr.: A True Story of How a Badge Can Become a License To Kill. William Morrow & Co, 1983. ISBN 0-688-01914-5.
  8. "A Case of Deadly Force". IMDb. Retrieved July 16, 2010.
  9. Menand, Louis. "Lessons from the Election of 1968". The New Yorker.
  10. "TV Producer Lawrence O'Donnell". NPR. Retrieved May 22, 2017.
  11. ^ "Lawrence O'Donnell". IMDb. Retrieved July 16, 2010.
  12. "Awards for Lawrence O'Donnell". IMDb. Retrieved July 16, 2010.
  13. Neiwert, David (February 12, 2010). "Lawrence O'Donnell Slams Marc Thiessen For His Hypocrisy, But Scarborough Shuts Him Down". Crooks and Liars. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
  14. Gellman, Lindsay (July 31, 2010). "'Last Word': Lawrence O'Donnell MSNBC Show Gets Name". The Huffington Post. Retrieved August 9, 2010.
  15. Lawrence O'Donnell Gets His Own MSNBC Show The New York Times June 15, 2010.
  16. Carter, Bill. "Olbermann leaves 'Countdown' on MSNBC", The New York Times, January 21, 2010. Retrieved January 29, 2012.
  17. Gaines, Jeremy (October 19, 2011). "MSNBC Primetime Schedule Change". NBC Universal. Archived from the original on October 21, 2011.
  18. Huddleston, Tom Jr. (September 20, 2017). "MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell Pleads 'Stop the Hammering!' in Leaked Outtakes". Fortune. New York, NY.
  19. "MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell Pleads 'Stop the Hammering!' in Leaked Outtakes".
  20. Concha, Joe (October 16, 2017). "NBC fires producer who leaked Lawrence O'Donnell meltdown video: report". The Hill. Washington, DC.
  21. "The West Wing Weekly 2.22: "Two Cathedrals" (Part 1, with Mary Graham and Lawrence O'Donnell)". The West Wing Weekly. March 14, 2017. Retrieved August 29, 2019.
  22. "Lawrence O'Donnell". TV Guide. Retrieved August 29, 2019.
  23. "Lawrence O'Donnell". IMDb. Retrieved August 29, 2019.
  24. "Lawrence O'Donnell Attacks Mormonism in 2007". YouTube. Retrieved June 20, 2014.
  25. Linkins, Jason (December 9, 2007). "Lawrence O'Donnell Loses His Ever-Loving Mind on McLaughlin". The Huffington Post.
  26. "Lawrence O'Donnell: Mormonism Is An "Invented Religion"". RealClearPolitics. April 4, 2012. Retrieved June 20, 2014.
  27. "Rewrite on the politics of religion - Video on NBCNews.com". MSNBC. April 11, 2012. Archived from the original on April 16, 2012. Retrieved June 20, 2014.
  28. Bond, Paul (October 8, 2010). "MSNBC host sorry for slavery gaffe". Toronto Sun. Retrieved October 12, 2010.
  29. Stelter, Brian (October 7, 2010). "Night Watch: Talk of Witches and an Apology". The New York Times. Retrieved October 12, 2010.
  30. Hagey, Keach (October 7, 2010). "Lawrence O'Donnell apologizes to Michael Steele". Politico. Retrieved October 12, 2010.
  31. Hayden, Eric (October 12, 2010). "Morning Vid: Ron Paul Scolds 'Discourteous' MSNBC Host". The Atlantic. Retrieved October 12, 2010.
  32. Hagey, Keach (October 12, 2010). "Ron Paul accuses Lawrence O'Donnell of breaking "agreement"". Politico. Retrieved October 12, 2010.
  33. Lawrence O'Donnell's offensive interview with Herman Cain, The Atlantic, October 2011.
  34. Mirkinson, Jack (October 8, 2011). "Lawrence O'Donnell Defends Herman Cain Interview (VIDEO)". The Huffington Post.
  35. Bauder, David (August 29, 2019). "MSNBC's O'Donnell retracts Trump story". AP News. Retrieved August 29, 2019.
  36. Wulfsohn, Joseph (August 29, 2019). "MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell apologizes for unverified Trump-Russia report: 'We are retracting the story'". Fox News. Retrieved August 29, 2019.
  37. Jack Mirkinson (November 6, 2010). "Lawrence O'Donnell Calls Himself A Socialist, Slams Glenn Greenwald On Morning Joe". The Huffington Post. Retrieved November 8, 2010.
  38. O'Donnell, Lawrence, "Rewrite," The Last Word, NBC News, August 1, 2011. Video available at
  39. ^ "K.I.N.D Fund marks nearly $40 million raised since its launch, returns for 13th fundraising season Nov 28". UNICEF USA. November 28, 2023. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
  40. "The McLaughlin Group : Library".
  41. "ABOUT ME – Kathryn-Harrold".
  42. "Lawrence Francis O'Donnell vs. Kathryn Harrold". Los Angeles County Superior Court District West (Santa Monica) Civil Case Index divorce filing #SD15349. January 11, 1999. Retrieved January 11, 2011.
  43. ^ Catherine Taibi (April 14, 2014). "Lawrence O'Donnell Injured In Car Accident". Huffington Post. Retrieved June 20, 2014.
  44. Fung, Katherine (June 20, 2014). "Lawrence O'Donnell Says He's 'Lucky To Be Alive' After Horrifying Car Crash". Huffington Post. Retrieved June 20, 2014.
  45. "Codman Academy Charter Public School". www.codmanacademy.org.

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