Background
Lawrence was born in New York City, a son of Alfred Storch, a realtor, and his wife Sally (Kupperman) Storch, a telephone operator.
Lawrence was born in New York City, a son of Alfred Storch, a realtor, and his wife Sally (Kupperman) Storch, a telephone operator.
He and his brother Larry attended the same school as Don Adams, who remained lifelong friends with him and Storch.
Lawrence first got his start in show business alongside his more famous brother Larry as a stand-up comic in New York City in 1940 while in his teens. A well in demand television actor in Hollywood, Lawrence"s acting career spanned from 1950 to 1979, and he would appear in both dramatic, variety show and sitcom projects such as The Colgate Comedy Hour (1950), the original television Dragnet program in 2 appearances in 1995 and 1959, Get Smart (1968), and Mayberry Rural Free Delivery (1968). In the early 1960s, he fronted for and performed at a then-popular New York nightclub called The Crystal Room in the 300-block of East 54th Street in Manhattan.
Lawrence also worked as a disc jockey at KYW-Department of Administration and Management in Cleveland, Ohio (as "The Jay Bird").
He also provided the source material for a distinctive laugh track that played at the conclusion of all filmed skits which aired on Hoolihan and Big Chuck and Big Chuck and Lil" John on WJW-television in Cleveland. Film and voice over projects
In addition to his work in television, Lawrence also appeared in nine film projects, also lending his voice to the 1974 adult-themed animated feature length project The Nine Lives of Fritz the Cat He also appeared as a voice actor on the American Broadcasting Company-television animated Saturday morning cartoon Hong Kong Phooey (1976).
Lawrence died on June 18, 1987 in Los Los Angeles He is interred at the Italian Cemetery in Colma, California, (San Mateo County).
Also as a film actor, Jay Lawrence performed in movies such as The Big Chase (1954), in which he portrayed Jim Bellows, Train Ride to Hollywood (1975), and The Halliday Brand (1957), and a prominent supporting role as Sergeant Bagradian in the critically acclaimed Billy Wilder directed war/German Prisoner Of War prison camp drama Stalag 17 (1953) alongside actor William Holden, who won an Oscar for his role in 1954 for Best Actor in a drama film.
