Lawrence Clayton, who starred in Broadway shows The Color Purple and Dreamgirls, dies at age 64 following battle with glioblastoma cancer
Broadway actor Lawrence Clayton, who starred in The Color Purple and Dreamgirls, has died at age 64 following a battle with glioblastoma cancer.
Clayton passed away on November 2 after a two-year-long battle with the disease, according to Deadline.
Clayton made his Broadway debut playing songwriter C.C. White in 1981’s Dreamgirls, followed by Old Mister in the 2015 revival of The Color Purple.
Broadway actor Lawrence Clayton, who starred in the shows Dreamgirls and The Color Purple, has died at age 64 following a battle with glioblastoma cancer
Since making his Broadway debut in the early 80s, Clayton appeared in a number of other shows, including The High Rollers Social And Pleasure Club, The Civil War, and It Ain’t Nothin’ But The Blues.
Off-Broadway, Clayton appeared in Damn Yankees and Tapestry: The Music of Carole King, and even toured with Jesus Christ Superstar and Les Misérables.
On top of his stage credits, Clayton appeared in multiple television shows such as Pose, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and Homeland.
Off stage, he was a father to son Matthew with wife Linda.
Since making his Broadway debut in the early 80s, Clayton appeared in a number of other Broadway shows, including The High Rollers Social And Pleasure Club, The Civil War, and It Ain’t Nothin’ But The Blues
‘You are a Broadway legend’: Clayon’s colleagues took to social media to pay tribute to the actor, including Christin Byrdsong, who starred with him in a 2019 production of Shout Sister Shout!
Clayon’s colleagues took to social media to pay tribute to the actor, including Christin Byrdsong, who starred with him in a 2019 production of Shout Sister Shout!
‘Every. Single. Day. You are a walking masterclass. I had the great honor of not only sharing the stage with you, but learning from you. Technique, acting, manhood. All of it. I can’t believe you are gone,’ Brydsng wrote on social media.
‘You told me to call you Lawrence, but I insisted on calling you MR. Lawrence because I have such respect and admiration for your legacy.
Taking the stage: Actor Benjamin Manuson said he was ‘completely heartbroken’ as he remembered his colleague with a photo montage and heartfelt tribute
‘You are a Broadway legend. I honestly don’t know how to form the right sentences to encompass what you mean to me and so many other black men in theater. I just want to say thank you, Mr. Lawrence. I love you. I’m grateful I get to be alive in a time where I got to experience your magnificence firsthand.’
Actor Benjamin Manuson said he was ‘completely heartbroken’ as he remembered his colleague with a photo montage and heartfelt tribute.
‘Completely heartbroken to hear of the passing of Lawrence Clayton last week. Another great one taken from us long before his time.
‘We performed together when he was playing Jean Valjean on the National Tour of Les Miserables, and his generosity of spirit was palpable when we first met. He was always humble and a great listener. Night after night, when I gave him back those candlesticks, the look of forgiveness and redemption always moved me. His eyes, his heart, his humor, his voice. What a talent.’
