Christopher Kennedy Lawford

Christopher Kennedy Lawford spent 20 years in the film and television industries as an actor, lawyer, executive, and producer. He is the author of three New York Times best-selling books, Symptoms of Withdrawal: A Memoir of Snapshots and Redemption (2005), Moments of Clarity (2009) and Recover to Live (2013). He has also published Healing Hepatitis C (2009) and What Addicts Know (2014).

In recovery for more than 29 years from drug addiction, Mr. Lawford campaigns tirelessly on behalf of the recovery community in both the public and private sectors. He currently works with the United Nations, the Canadian Center on Substance Abuse, the White House Office on Drug Control Policy, and the World Health Organization. He also consults with Fortune 500 companies and numerous non-profit groups, speaking around the world on issues related to addiction, mental health, and hepatitis C.

In 2009, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed Mr. Lawford to the California Public Health Advisory Committee. In 2011, Mr. Lawford was named Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Office on Drugs & Crime to promote activities supporting drug treatment, care, and recovery.

Mr. Lawford holds a bachelor of arts from Tufts University, a juris doctor from Boston College Law School and a masters certification in clinical psychology from Harvard Medical School, where he held an academic appointment as a lecturer in psychiatry. Mr. Lawford has three children and lives in Los Angeles