John Phillip Law

Law was born in Los Angeles, California, to John Law, a deputy sheriff, and Phyllis Sallee, a Broadway actress.^[1] At college, he initially studied engineering before transferring to the University of Hawaiʻi to study psychology and drama.^[1][2]

As a child, he played a page in The Magnificent Yankee.^[3]

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Upon finishing college, Law appeared in Garson Kanin's Come on Strong (1962),^[4][3] and worked for three years at the Repertory Theater at the Lincoln Center,^[2][5] where he acted in their productions of Marco's Millions,^[6] The Changeling,^[7] and Tartuffe.^[8] After leaving, he moved to Europe where he appeared in High Infidelity and Three Nights of Love.^[2]

Law was cast by director Norman Jewison as the young English-speaking Russian sailor Alexei Kolchin in The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming (1966), after the director saw him in an Italian movie.^[1][9] A year later, he played a farmer in Otto Preminger's Hurry Sundown, where he starred alongside Jane Fonda and Michael Caine.^[10] Later that year, he acted in spaghetti western Death Rides a Horse with Lee Van Cleef. The following year, he played the title role of Danger: Diabolik,^[1][11][12] an angel in Barbarella (reuniting him with Fonda), as well as roles in Skidoo and The Sergeant.^[1][13] Although he was initially cast in The Gypsy Moths, his part was later recast. He turned down roles in Midnight Cowboy and Easy Rider.^[14]

He had a cameo role in The Last Movie (1971), which also marked the release of Von Richthofen and Brown, with Law playing Manfred von Richthofen. For the role, Law learnt how to take off and land an aircraft.^[1] Later that year, he starred in The Love Machine, based on Jacqueline Susann's novel of the same name.^[15] Throughout the early seventies, he had parts in Polvere di stelle, The Golden Voyage of Sinbad, Open Season, and The Spiral Staircase.^[16]

Law continued to find success in Europe, acting in Docteur Justice (1975), A Whisper in the Dark (1976), Tu dios y mi infierno (1976), The Cassandra Crossing (1977), Target of an Assassin (1977), Eyes Behind the Wall (1977), The Rider on the White Horse (1978), and The Devil's Bed (1978).^[17] In the later 1970s, Law returned to America, where he acted in The Best Place to Be and Satan's Wife.^[18][19]

Law continued to act, taking roles in Attack Force Z (1981), Tin Man (1983), Night Train to Terror (1985), American Commandos (1985), Moon in Scorpio (1987), Thunder Warrior III (1988), Striker (1988), Una grande storia d'amore (1988), Space Mutiny (1988), Blood Delirium (1988), A Case of Honor (1989), and Cold Heat (1989). He also appeared in Alienator (1990), Shining Blood (1992), Il giorno del porco (1993), The Mountain of the Lord (1993), Hindsight (1996), My Magic Dog (1998), Wanted (1999), and Bad Guys (2000). In 2001, he appeared in Roman Coppola's directorial debut CQ.^[1] His final roles included Curse of the Forty-Niner (2002) (which he also associate produced), The Three Faces of Terror (2004), and Ray of Sunshine (2006). His last credited film role was in 2008's I Am Somebody: No Chance in Hell.

Law married and later divorced actress Shawn Ryan, with whom he had a daughter.^[20] His brother Tom was a hippie commune leader in Taos NM and Woodstock music festival (1969) personage. Tom's ex-wife is photographer Lisa Law.

On December 13, 2007, his doctors diagnosed Law with pancreatic cancer.^[21] He died five months later on May 13, 2008, aged 70, at his home in Los Angeles.^[22]