Maggie Lawson (born August 12, 1980) is an American actress who is best known for her role as Detective Juliet "Jules" O'Hara in the television series Psych, and its subsequent film series. From 2018 to 2019, she held the recurring role of Natalie Flynn in the third and final season of Fox's Lethal Weapon.

Maggie Lawson
Lawson at San Diego Comic-Con in 2013
Born
Margaret Cassidy Lawson

(1980-08-12) August 12, 1980 (age 44)[1]
OccupationActress
Years active1996–present
Spouse
(m. 2015; div. 2017)
[2][3]
PartnerJames Roday Rodriguez (2006-2014)

Early life, family and education

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Lawson was born on August 12, 1980, in Louisville, Kentucky and was raised there as well. She attended Assumption High School, which has been named the best private school in the country.[4] She began performing onstage at age eight.[citation needed]

Career

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Lawson started her career in community and dinner theater productions. She became a youth TV host on WDRB Fox 41 Kid's Club in Louisville. She relocated to Los Angeles for her first television pilot at 15.[5]

Lawson performed in various sitcoms like Cybill, Boy Meets World and Home Improvement throughout her early career in both guest starring and supporting roles. She also made guest appearances on television series such as Smallville and Fear Itself, and co-starred in It's All Relative and Crumbs.

For The Wonderful World of Disney, Lawson starred in a double role in Model Behavior featuring Justin Timberlake. She portrayed Nancy Drew in the 2002 film Nancy Drew. Other film credits include Pleasantville, Nice Guys Sleep Alone and Cleaner.

From 2006 to 2014, Lawson co-starred in the USA Network original series Psych, as Detective Juliet "Jules" O'Hara. She reprised her role in 2017 in Psych: The Movie, in Psych 2: Lassie Come Home in 2020 and Psych 3: This Is Gus, in 2021.[6]

In 2011, Lawson briefly returned to her roots in theater to star in the play Greedy, directed by her then-partner and Psych co-star James Roday. It ran for a few weekends in Los Angeles.

Following Psych, she scored leading roles in ABC's 2013 sitcom Back in the Game, CBS's 2014 sitcom pilot Save the Date and CBS's 2016 fantasy sitcom Angel from Hell. She also had short arcs on Two and a Half Men, The Great Indoors, and Netflix's The Ranch. Also for Netflix, Lawson starred in the recurring role of Christa on the second and third seasons of horror-comedy series Santa Clarita Diet as well as the movie Spivak in 2018.

For Hallmark Channel, Lawson has starred in My Favorite Wedding and Christmas Encore in 2017, The Story of Us and Christmas in Evergreen: Tidings of Joy in 2019.

Lawson starred in a recurring role as Dr. Natalie Flynn on the third season of Lethal Weapon and was featured in Treehouse, the sixth episode of Hulu's monthly horror movie anthology Into The Dark.

In 2020, she played Kay, the female lead opposite Jason Biggs, in the FOX comedy series Outmatched, "about a blue-collar couple [...] in South Jersey trying to get by and raise four kids, three of whom just happen to be certified geniuses."[7]

Personal life

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Throughout the series run of Psych (2006–2014), Lawson was in a relationship with series lead James Roday Rodriguez.[8][9]

On November 14, 2014, Lawson became engaged to Back in the Game co-star Ben Koldyke[10] and married him on August 8, 2015, on his family's ranch in New Mexico. In early 2017, Lawson filed for divorce from Koldyke.[11]

Filmography

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Year Title Role Notes
1996–1997 Unhappily Ever After Madelyn 4 episodes
1996 Hang Time Kim 1 episode
1997 Step by Step Alana Mills 1 episode
Boy Meets World Debbie 1 episode
Meego Brooke 1 episode
Cybill Jennifer 12 episodes
1998 Home Improvement Samantha Hayes 1 episode
Kelly Kelly Ally 1 episode
Pleasantville Lisa Anne Theatrical film
I've Been Waiting for You Debbie Murdock Television film
1999 Party of Five Alexa Recurring role
Nice Guys Sleep Alone Meghan
ER Shannon Mitchell 1 episode
Family Rules Hope Harrison 6 episodes
Working Julie 1 episode
Felicity Rebecca 1 episode
2000 Model Behavior Alex Burroughs/Janine Adams Television film
2001 The Third Degree Jolie Television film
2001–2002 Inside Schwartz Eve Main
2002 Nancy Drew Nancy Drew Television film
Cheats Julie Merkel Television film
Heart of a Stranger Amanda Maddox Television film
Smallville Chrissy/Missy Parker 1 episode
2003 Winter Break Michelle Casper
2003–2004 It's All Relative Liz Stoddard-Banks Main cast
2004 Spellbound A mortal woman Television film
Love Rules! Kelly Television film
Revenge of the Middle-Aged Woman Rachel Television film
2005 Tru Calling Megan Roberts 1 episode
2006 Crumbs Andrea Malone Series regular
2006–2014 Psych Juliet O'Hara Main cast
2007 Cleaner Cherie
Rules of Engagement Jesse 1 episode
2008 Fear Itself Samantha 1 episode
2009 Still Waiting... Allison Direct to DVD
Killer Hair Lacey Smithsonian Television film
Hostile Makeover Lacey Smithsonian Television film
Gamer Female News Host #1
2010 A Date with Diana Diana Shortfilm
2012 Justified Layla 1 episode
2013–2014 Back in the Game Terry Gannon Jr. Series lead
2014 Save the Date Kate Television pilot
2014–2015 Two and a Half Men Ms. McMartin 12 episodes
2016 Angel from Hell Allison Series lead
2017 The Great Indoors Rachel 4 episodes
My Favorite Wedding Tess Harper Television film
Psych: The Movie Juliet O'Hara TV movie
Christmas Encore Charlotte Lacy Television film
2017–2018 The Ranch Jen 7 episodes
2018 Spivak Jeanine Mulholland Netflix film
Santa Clarita Diet Christa 4 episodes
2018–2019 Lethal Weapon Natalie Flynn Recurring
2019 The Story of Us Jamie Television film
Into the Dark Rebecca Wheeler Episode: "Treehouse"
Christmas in Evergreen: Tidings of Joy Katie Connell Television film
2020 Outmatched Kay Series lead
Psych 2: Lassie Come Home Juliet O'Hara TV film
2021 Psych 3: This Is Gus Juliet O'Hara
A Lot Like Christmas Jessica Roberts TV film
2024 Sugarplummed Emily TV film

References

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  1. ^ "Maggie Lawson". TV Insider. TVGM Holdings, LLC. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  2. ^ "Maggie Lawson- Angel From Hell". Paramount+. Retrieved 2021-03-19.
  3. ^ "Ben Koldyke Selling Updated 1920s Santa Monica Craftsman (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. 2018-02-09. Retrieved 2021-03-19.
  4. ^ "Maggie Lawson". TV Insider. TVGM Holdings, LLC. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  5. ^ "James Roday Rodriguez and Maggie Lawson". Kevin Pollak Chat Show. Earwolf. April 19, 2010. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
  6. ^ Ausiello, Michael (7 August 2018). "James Roday Talks Psych Sequel Delay: 'We'll Figure Out a Way to Do It'". tvline.com. Retrieved 21 March 2019.
  7. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (2019-05-09). "Fox Orders Live-Action Comedy Series 'Outmatched' & Animated 'The Great North'". Deadline. Retrieved 2019-11-13.
  8. ^ David, Mark (2014-01-17). "Maggie Lawson Lists Eco-Friendly Los Feliz Home". Variety. Archived from the original on 2018-01-06. Retrieved 2020-12-20.
  9. ^ Graff, Michael (2018-06-22). "10 Iconic Sitcom Stars Who Got Together (And 10 Who Are Just Friends)". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on 2019-02-03. Retrieved 2020-12-20.
  10. ^ "Maggie Lawson Age, Height, James Roday, Husband, Family, Biography". Celebrity XYZ. Retrieved 21 March 2019.
  11. ^ David, Mark (9 February 2018). "Ben Koldyke Selling Updated 1920s Santa Monica Craftsman (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety.com. Retrieved 21 March 2019.
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