Peter Lawford was born in London, England to a British World War I hero, but spent most of his childhood in Paris, France. He began acting at a very young age, despite the fact that his parents were not married when he was born, which led to a scandal that forced them to flee to America.
As a young child, Lawford suffered a serious injury to his arm, which was badly damaged and slightly deformed. However, this injury ultimately prevented him from being drafted into World War II, which became a significant boon to his acting career.
When Lawford was signed to MGM, his mother asked studio head Louis B. Mayer to pay her a salary as her son's personal assistant, but Mayer declined. She then falsely claimed that her son was "homosexual" and needed to be "supervised", which damaged their relationship.
Lawford's breakthrough role came in the 1942 film "A Yank at Eton", co-starring Mickey Rooney, Ian Hunter, and Freddie Bartholomew. His performance was widely praised, and he soon found himself getting more leading roles when major MGM star Clark Gable was drafted into the war. His greatest claim to fame came in the 1947 film "Good News", co-starring June Allyson.
Lawford was involved in several high-profile romantic affairs, including one with African-American actress Dorothy Dandridge. It was rumored that the two were planning to get married, but ultimately canceled their plans fearing it would jeopardize their careers.
In addition to his successful career and socialite lifestyle, Lawford was also a member of the Rat Pack, a group of entertainers that included Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Joey Bishop, and Sammy Davis Jr.
