Laurence George Luckinbill is a prominent American actor, dramatist, and director who has worked in the theater, on television, and in the film industry. Numerous stage productions that he has written, directed, and acted in bear his signature. He is most known for his one-man plays based on the lives of presidents Theodore Roosevelt, Ernest Hemingway, Clarence Darrow, and Lyndon Baines Johnson. The seasoned stage actor’s appearance as Sybok in ‘Star Trek V: The Final Frontier’ made him a household name on television. In addition to being a successful teacher, he is the creator and producer of a non-profit New York theater group. He had also worked as the head of cultural affairs for the United States Department of State during the Kennedy Administration. He formed a multi-media production firm that produced two CD-ROMs: ‘How to Save Your Family History: A 10-Step Guide by Lucie Arnaz’ and ‘Lucy & Desi: The Scrapbooks, Volume I’. He has authored a series of interactive multimedia stories for digital CD-ROM dubbed ‘Adventures in Hyperhistory’, which are based on the human stories of history and are presented using original dramatic video situations. 2007 marked his induction into the Arkansas Entertainers Hall of Fame.
Youth and Early Life
Laurence Luckinbill was born in Fort Smith, Arkansas, on November 21, 1934, to Agnes and Laurence Benedict, a salesman for Oklahoma Tire and Supply Co. His sister is Lynne Luckinbill. He identifies as Roman Catholic.
He graduated from Fort Smith’s St. Anne’s High School. From 1951 to 1952, he attended Fort Smith Junior College, which is now the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith.
In 1956, he earned his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Washington County, and in 1958, he earned his Master of Fine Arts in playwriting from the Catholic University of America. He also studied acting at New York’s HB Studio.
Afterward, he traveled to San Francisco, California, where he attended the Actor’s Workshop. He worked briefly in the chemical corps of the United States Army at Fort McClellan, Alabama. Two years later, he served as a theatrical director, writer, and speaker for the United States Department of State in Africa and Italy.
Laurence Luckinbill’s Career
In 1959, Laurence Luckinbill made his off-Broadway debut in the Carnegie Playhouse production of “Oedipus Rex” as the Old Shepherd. In 1961, he made his Broadway debut in “A Man for All Seasons,” a biography of Sir Thomas More that toured the United States. He afterward appeared in a number of additional Broadway productions.
In the 1960s, he began appearing in CBS soap operas such as Roy Winsor’s “The Secret Storm” and Lou Scofield and Margaret DePriest’s “Where the Heart Is.” “The Secret Storm” was broadcast live and afterward recorded at the CBS Broadcast Center in New York. In “Where the Heart Is,” sexual and psychological concerns within a dysfunctional family were explored.
In 1970, he made his cinematic debut as Hank, the “bisexual with a preference,” in William Friedkin’s drama film The Boys in the Band. The film, based on his Off-Broadway play of the same name, is considered a landmark in the history of queer cinema as one of the first major films to feature gay characters.
Between 1972 and 1973, he starred in the ABC television series The Delphi Bureau. He portrayed Glenn Garth Gregory, a federal intelligence operative whose photographic memory aids the counter-espionage efforts of the Delphi Bureau.
He also played small but notable roles in television series and films such as “Murder Impossible,” “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” and “The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case.”
His notable theater performances include ‘Poor Murderer’ from 1976 to 1977, ‘The Shadow Box’ in 1977, ‘Chapter Two’ from 1977 to 1979, and ‘Past Tense’ in 1980.
He starred in multiple episodes of ‘Law & Order,’ ‘Barnaby Jones,’ ‘Make Me a Perfect Murder,’ and ‘Murder, She Wrote,’ as well as the television film ‘Dash and Lilly.’
In the year 1988, he appeared in the films Cocktail and Messenger of Death. In 1989, his role in ‘Star Trek V: The Final Frontier’ established him as a television icon. He portrayed Sybok, Spock’s revolutionary half-brother who takes command of the USS Enterprise.
He has written and starred in five solo performances that have been shown on national television and performed in theaters worldwide. These include “Lyndon” from 1987, “Clarence Darrow Tonight!” from 1995, “Teddy Tonight!” from 2002, “Hemingway” from 2005, and “The Abraham and Larry Show” from 2011.
Laurence’s Major Opera
Laurence Luckinbill was nominated for a Tony Award in 1978 for his role in “The Shadow Box.” The play, written by actor Michael Cristofer and premiering on Broadway in March 1977, won the 1977 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and Tony Award for Best Play. In 1980, it was adapted into a television movie directed by Paul Newman.
In 1987, he was nominated for an Emmy for his performance in the play “Lyndon,” for which he received a nomination. Critics said that Laurence’s portrayal of Lyndon Johnson was so compelling and authentic that the audience was able to understand and identify his personality.
Although Laurence Luckinbill did not like Lyndon Johnson because of the Vietnam War, he accepted this assignment. However, he liked the script, which was based on the Merle Miller novel ‘Lyndon’ and represented Johnson’s grief over Vietnam, which led to his choice not to run for reelection in 1968. It also documented Johnson’s accomplishments in the areas of civil rights, health care, and poverty laws.
In ‘Star Trek V: The Final Frontier,’ the actor portrayed one of the most contentious characters in the Star Trek franchise. He co-starred as Sybok, Spock’s older half-brother, who led Kirk, Spock, and the Enterprise crew on a doomed mission to find Sha Ka Ree and God.
Awards & Achievements
Throughout his lengthy career, Laurence Luckinbill has been honored with numerous accolades. In 1970, he won the New York Critics Circle Award for his performance in the Off-Broadway production The Memory Bank.
The University of Arkansas bestowed upon him the Arkansas Traveler Award in 1980 and the Lifetime Achievement Award in 1992.
In 1993, he won an Emmy for the NBC-televised film “Lucy & Desi: A Home Movie.”
His superb composition and performance in the play “Clarence Darrow Tonight!” earned him the Silver Gavel Award in 1996.
His Personal Life
In 1965, Laurence Luckinbill wed Robin Strasser, an American actress well remembered for her role as Dorian Lord on the ABC daytime soap opera ‘One Life to Live’ Nicholas, born in 1971, and Ben, born in 1975, are their boys. They split up in 1976.
On June 22, 1980, he wed American actress, singer, and producer Lucie Arnaz, daughter of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. In the 1970s, Lucie was previously married to actor Phil Vandervort. The children of Laurence and Lucie are Simon, Joseph, and Katharine.
His sister Lynne’s children Lana and Lilly Wachowski are his nephew and niece, respectively.
In 2012, he gave his archives to the University of Arkansas’s Special Collections, where he has served as the McIlroy Family Visiting Professor in Performing and Visual Arts.
Estimated Net Worth
Laurence is one of the wealthiest and most popular actors in Hollywood. According to our investigation, Wikipedia, Forbes, and Business Insider, Laurence Luckinbill has an estimated net worth of $1.5 million.