Christopher Lawford, actor, author and nephew of John F. Kennedy, dies at age 63



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Lawford was the son of Hollywood royalty and Washington 's elite. His father was an actor and Rat Pack member, Peter Lawford. His mother, Patricia Kennedy Lawford, was a sister of President John F. Kennedy.

Lawford has died of a heart attack, said Patrick J. Kennedy.

Lawford has worked in film and television for over two decades. He was an actor, lawyer, director and producer. Its credits include parts on the soap operas "General Hospital" and "All My Children", as well as on the sitcom "Frasier".

He is perhaps best known for writing about his fight against drug addiction and sobriety and the advocacy of recovery.

"Around the world, he was an author, actor and activist, but for the recovery community, he was a pioneer – a living proof that long-term recovery was possible," tweeted Patrick J. Kennedy, a former congressman Rhode Island. "Chris has lived in long-term recovery since the mid-80s and has helped countless others.In my own struggle to achieve sobriety, he has always encouraged me to continue.

Lawford traced his journey in detail in the 2005 book titled "Symptoms of Withdrawal: A Memoir of Snapshots and Redemption". In it, he wrote about the trauma that he suffered as a result of his parents' divorce and the murders of two of his uncles. Lawford said in the book that he had started drinking at 12, before turning to cocaine and heroin. He followed the memoir with several other books.
Based on his personal difficulties, Lawford founded Global Recovery Initiative in 2001 and was the CEO of the organization. The non-profit organization seeks to remove barriers and provide opportunities for people in recovery, according to its LinkedIn page.
From left to right, actor Christopher Kennedy Lawford, representing Jim Ramstad, R-Minn., And Rep. Patrick Kennedy, DR. 2006.

He has also worked with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the White House Office on Drug Control Policies, the World Health Organization and the Canadian Center for Disease Control. against alcoholism and drug addiction.

In 2013, Lawford and Patrick J. Kennedy met with CNN to discuss Lawford's self-help book, "Recover to Live: Kick Any Habit, Manage Any Dependency." At the time, the former representative had been recovering for almost two years and Lawford for 26 years.

"I want to reduce stigma and shame and give people the opportunity and the power to do something against this disease if they wish," he said during the interview.

Lawford is survived by his children, David Christopher, Savannah Rose and Matthew Valentine.

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