Lawrence O’Donnell is an American socialist television host, screenwriter, producer and actor. He headlined his own show The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell, an evening news and political commentary program, on the MSNBC network. His contact with politics dates back to 1989 when he became legislative aide to then US Senator Pat Moynihan.
Biography of Lawrence O’Donnell
He was born Lawrence Francis O’Donnell Jr. on November 7, 1951 in Boston, Massachusetts. His mother Frances Marie (née Buckley) worked as an office manager and his father Lawrence Francis O’Donnell Sr. earned his living as a lawyer. He is of Irish descent and grew up Roman Catholic. O’Donnell was educated at St. Sebastian’s School in Needham, Massachusetts. In college, he studied at Harvard College, where he graduated in 1976 in economics. As an undergraduate, he wrote articles for Harvard’s The Lampoon, and he gained a reputation among the student population for his wit and sarcasm.
O’Donnell became interested in writing shortly after graduating from college, and this profession remained his sole occupation for more than ten years. Among his earlier work is the book Lethal Force, based on a real-life case of wrongful death and police brutality in which O’Donnell’s father was the plaintiff’s attorney. The book was released in 1983 and in 1986 it was made into a movie. A case of lethal force for which O’Donnell served as an associate producer.
The year 1989 marks the start of Lawrence O’Donnell’s six years as an aide to then-Democrat Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan. He was senior adviser to Senator Moynihan from 1989 to 1991, then staff director of the US Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (1992-1993), under the chairmanship of Senator Moynihan. He eventually served as Staff Director of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee (1993-1995), also chaired by Senator Moynihan.
O’Donnell immersed himself in showbiz/television when his job as a legislative aide ended in 1995. Armed with first-hand knowledge of what was going on in the US Congress, he landed a well-deserved spot in the production team of the political drama series The West Wing (1999-2006). He served in a variety of roles during the show’s seven highly successful seasons as a writer, story editor, and most importantly, as a producer.
He shared the 2001 Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series for his brilliant work on The West Wing and the series was also nominated in the same category in 2006. In 2003 he created another television drama series Mr. Sterling However, he was rather short-lived as it was canceled after only 10 episodes. O’Donnell is also a bona fide actor, having recorded guest roles in two television series.
Lawrence O’Donnell got his biggest TV gig when he started hosting his own show on MSNBC. The opinion and news show of the week The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell has had a consistent and successful run since its first show was in September 2010. The multi-talented TV star had served as a political pundit two or three talk shows before creating his own show. In 2009, he became a regular contributor to the NBC News Talk talk show. Morning Joe, on which he gained a reputation for his aggressive style of debate. He was also the quintessential host of choice for Keith Olbermann. Countdown with Keith Olbermann between 2009 and 2010.
Salary
Since coming to the MSNBC Network in the 1990s, Lawrence O’Donnell has risen through the ranks to become one of the network’s hottest hits. As expected, his excellent work on the network comes with a corresponding financial reward of $4 million per year.
O’Donnell continued to stay with MSNBC became questionable in 2017, as there was speculation he would leave the network when his contract expired. However, that speculation was put to rest as The Last Word host had his contract renewed on May 31, 2017.
Is he married? wife, daughter
Lawrence O’Donnell is not currently in a relationship, however, he had been married at some point in the past. He was married to former film and television actress Kathryn Harrold. The duo tied the knot on Valentine’s Day 1994 and they have one child together, a daughter named Elizabeth Buckley Harrold O’Donnell, also born in 1994. It is still unclear when O’Donnell’s marriage to Harrold has ended. reported that their divorce was finalized in 2013.